Job Discussion Forums

rich45 · Joined: 26 Jan 2006 Posts: 127

Hi,

I'm currently teaching in South Korea but have been offered a contract by OWLs, a dispatch agency based in Kitakyushu.

There is very little information on the internet about them, although what I have read has been on the negative side.

Basically they pay 235,000 a month but nothing for the month of August, and they don't offer any help with accommodation. There have also been complaints about their 15,000 a month limit on transportation costs...

Does anyone have any more information? Korea has been good for me financially but I need to go to Japan, as I want to settle there for a good few years.

I figured that the hardest part, especially thesedays, for someone outside Japan is getting the visa sponsorship. If I can do the ALT thing for a year then at least I will be on the ladder with visa in hand, so it should be slightly easier the following year......right?

Thanks for reading and I appreciate any replies.

Rich Smile

Glenski · Joined: 15 Jan 2003 Posts: 12844 Location: Hokkaido, JAPAN

[quote="rich45"]Can't help you with OWLS, but that transportation allowance seems skimpy.

No pay at all for August? Lovely. Bet that OWLS still gets paid, though. Evil or Very Mad

CharlyGordon · Joined: 28 Jan 2009 Posts: 3

You will only get the instructors visa when you come and they will try your best to make sure you only get a one year visa. This will make it hard for you to jump to other work. Deliberately so.

Also, make sure you have enough for the first couple of months. If you start at the beginning of April you won�t see your first pay check till the end of May. They might have changed this but this was still happening to new people last year.

Other than those two points they are a pretty reliable company when it comes to most things and apart from bending the rules like most other ALT companies in Japan you could do worse.

The not getting paid for august does suck.

David W · Joined: 17 Jan 2003 Posts: 457 Location: Japan

I'd love to have all of August off.

ShioriEigoKyoushi · Joined: 21 Aug 2009 Posts: 364 Location: Japan

seklarwia · Posted: Sun Feb 28, 2010 3:17 pm Post subject:

The limit on the transport allowance could be an issue. That 15,000 probaly wouldn't even cover car rental fees if you required one. If you are driving there will be other car expenditures such as petrol and parking that will be coming out of your pay. And even if you are not driving, will you need to make long commutes? Will you be visiting many schools? Commuting can be very costly.

And if they pay on a similar scedule as other dispatchers (as somebody mentioned earlier), you are going to have to skrimp and save every yen in preparation for that long August, because you might have only received pay for 3 months by the break (and bare in mind that many companies pull the pro rata pay trick for months where you don't work for the entire month, such as in April).

Glenski · Joined: 15 Jan 2003 Posts: 12844 Location: Hokkaido, JAPAN

rich45 · Joined: 26 Jan 2006 Posts: 127

Thanks for your replies.

I have declined the job offer, deciding it is safer to stay in Korea and save some more money, and wait for the exchange rate to improve a bit. I must admit the start up costs in Japan, especially in terms of renting an apartment, scare me.

Rich