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AEON Wait List
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Ntalksicated



Joined: 01 Apr 2010
Posts: 10
Location: Sacramento

PostPosted: Thu Apr 01, 2010 6:04 pm    Post subject: AEON Wait List Reply with quote

Hey there! I was recently put on the AEON waiting list. During the information meeting, the recruiters made it sound like being put on the wait list was more "competitive" than getting offered a position straight out. I was wondering if anyone here was put on a wait list, what length of time they waited until they were matched, and if anyone has waited the full 6-months without getting matched. I will continue to apply to other ESL jobs, but I would like to know so I can be more confident in pursuing some temporary (up to one year) work locally.

Also, if anyone would like another perspective of the AEON interview process, I will gladly relate my own experience!

Thanks
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Clandest



Joined: 30 Mar 2010
Posts: 5

PostPosted: Thu Apr 01, 2010 7:58 pm    Post subject: Reply with quote

Hey, hopefully you get placed somewhere!

I am planning on applying to AEON in a couple years and any info would help out greatly in my preparation. Do you have teaching experience or just a bachelors?

Thanks
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Shiggy



Joined: 27 Jan 2004
Posts: 86

PostPosted: Thu Apr 01, 2010 11:12 pm    Post subject: Reply with quote

My AEON interview was on Monday. I would be happy to share my experiences, as well.
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mc



Joined: 20 Jan 2003
Posts: 90
Location: Aichi, Japan

PostPosted: Fri Apr 02, 2010 12:29 am    Post subject: Re: AEON Wait List Reply with quote

Ntalksicated wrote:
Hey there! I was recently put on the AEON waiting list. During the information meeting, the recruiters made it sound like being put on the wait list was more "competitive" than getting offered a position straight out.


Sorry, but there's no glory associated with being on anyone's wait list. Sounds like they're just trying to stroke your ego a bit to get you to sit around holding out for an AEON job -- IF they need you -- instead of continuing to look for something else.
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Ntalksicated



Joined: 01 Apr 2010
Posts: 10
Location: Sacramento

PostPosted: Fri Apr 02, 2010 4:41 am    Post subject: Reply with quote

I would appreciate responses from people who have actually been put on a wait list rather than interpretations from those who have not. Thanks for your input anyways.

@ Clandest: I have a bachelors and less than a year of tutoring/teaching experience with kids. Like others have said, previous experience is not required and may even work against you if it seems that you may not take to the AEON process easily.
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Shiggy



Joined: 27 Jan 2004
Posts: 86

PostPosted: Fri Apr 02, 2010 5:03 am    Post subject: Reply with quote

I was less concerned with the AEON process than I was with the way they conducted business.
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LaniB



Joined: 28 Jan 2010
Posts: 35

PostPosted: Fri Apr 02, 2010 7:32 am    Post subject: Reply with quote

I guess I would be considered "currently" waiting. I had my interview on March 7th and found out I was successful 2 weeks later. However, I have since (1 week after she called to say I got in) heard back to say she's found two possible schools for me. I picked one and am waiting on the results - if I got it I'll head over in August.
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Ntalksicated



Joined: 01 Apr 2010
Posts: 10
Location: Sacramento

PostPosted: Thu Apr 29, 2010 7:27 am    Post subject: Reply with quote

OK. I have been on the AEON waitlist about a month. Since I was told to call back ~ every month to "check the status of my application," I did just that last week. I made it through 2 rounds of interviews on March 6th-7th, waited 2 weeks for the call back, but I was put on a "waitlist."

When I called back a month later, I discussed my preferences with the recruiter, but made it clear that I was flexible (rural, suburban, city, leave asap, etc). After this call, the recruiter called back a day later to ask if I had graduated from college (since when I went through the interview process, I had 1 week left before I graduated). I confirmed this with the recruiter and that was that. Got a call back several days later and was offered a job at a B school in Tokyo. I leave in August!

So as a response to my original post, I sat on the AEON waitlist for about 5-6 weeks to get placed, possibly due to a misunderstanding about my graduation date or maybe no schools matched my preferences (and vice versa).

If anyone would like my version of the interview process, let me know. I pretty much killed them both (group and personal interviews).
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genesis315



Joined: 30 Mar 2010
Posts: 116
Location: Japan

PostPosted: Thu Apr 29, 2010 9:01 am    Post subject: neato Reply with quote

Hey, thanks for sharing. It does sound like they were just waiting for confirmation on the degree.
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lapat008



Joined: 28 Mar 2010
Posts: 5

PostPosted: Tue May 04, 2010 2:25 am    Post subject: Reply with quote

Hi there,
Could you please let us know how your Aeon interview went and what made it such a success?
I have my group interview with Amity this week.
Did they call you back right at the 2 week mark?
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Ntalksicated



Joined: 01 Apr 2010
Posts: 10
Location: Sacramento

PostPosted: Wed May 05, 2010 8:27 pm    Post subject: Reply with quote

Attitude is everything. Be professional looking, behave professionally, and if you have, step outside your comfort box to be overly outgoing and energetic.

As soon as I arrived to the interview location, I began introducing myself to the other applicants in the lobby. It doesn't hurt to get to know a bit about your competition (what schools they went to, certifications, etc).

When I entered the meeting room, many people had already arrived. Found a spot to sit with another applicant I had met earlier. After taking my seat, again, I introduced myself to the applicants around me and began a few conversations. I'm not typically one to start a conversation, especially in a high stress situation like a group interview. Buuut, after reading these forums, it was clear that I would have to put my game face on Razz. The recruiters stood at the front of the room collecting written applications, but they would often scan the room. Since the rest of the room was fairly quiet, despite the presence of 30 applicants and more filtering in, our conversations were definitely audible.

Dress for a professional interview. Suit, tie, shiny shiny shoes for men, pant suits, or professional dress for women. No piercings other than one in each ear for women. One girl came in a tight blue dress with an eyebrow piercing and a tattoo on her leg. Another person wore a sweater vest of some type with black and green checkers. Not to say these were the deciding factors. . .but neither of these applicants received a second interview. In addition, make sure you are well groomed - hair is done, make-up isn't over the top, all clothing and accessories fit and exude professionalism. I thought AEON made this clear in their invitation letter, but I guess people have different standards.

When the information meeting began, one of the recruiters made it clear that we were being watched closely. He may have even used those words. Just be attentive. Don't look sleepy, bored, uninterested - I'm pretty sure they will take these signs as someone who is not serious about the position.

You will watch video, perform a mock lesson with the applicant next to you, have a Q&A session, and a short quiz. Be sure to listen, maybe even take a few notes on the information meeting. You will likely be asked some questions about the company or procedures if you land a personal interview.

The quiz: The recruiter said the quiz was weighted about the same as the 5 minute lesson presentation. The quiz began with 5 spelling questions (read off by the recruiter - misspell, restaurant, etc), several grammer/usage questions (difference between like/want), and several common word confusions (light/lite). There is also a questionnaire on the back. You will have about 30 min. to complete them both. Since a bachelors degree is required for the position, I would hope that this quiz isn't too difficult for anyone. Might be good to practice though and go over common questions (like those found in some standardized tests).

After the quiz you are put into groups of 10 alphabetically by first name for the group interviews (dependent on the # of applicants) and given a time slot to return over the next 3-4 hours. I was put in the 3rd time slot and had about 2 hours before my group interview. I went with 5 of the other applicants to get lunch at a noodle shop close by. Good times.

When it was my turn for the group interview/ lesson presentation, the 10 applicants were split into two groups, 5 on each side of the room with the recruiters sitting at a table slightly back and centered. We were provided a flip chart to write on. One by one, we presented our 5 minute portions of a 30 minute lesson plan to the 4 other applicants in our group.

The lesson plan: Make sure to write up a full 30 minute lesson plan to submit to the recruiters. You may be only presenting 5 minutes of it, but don't submit a 5 minute lesson plan on paper. Keep it simple and over prepare. Always have a direction or backup activity if you end and still have time left to burn. Several times, in my group and the group on the other side of the room, people would run out of things to say for their lesson because they had finished "too fast." The lesson can be just about anything. I have never taught English and was not comfortable with designing a lesson around one I found on the internet. So, I did the simplest lesson I could think of: VOCABULARY (which turned out to be vocabulary/pronunciation). I printed up worksheets with transportation vehicles printed on them. More than half my presentation was spent introducing these words and "mock" correcting my "students" when they did not pronounce the word correctly. Afterward, I conducted a game based on pictionary and had one student draw an image from the worksheet for 30 sec while the others attempted to call out the corresponding vehicle. This, I believe, was too complicated and unnecessary at the end of the day. Remember this: 80% student speaking time, 20% teacher speaking time. Create a lesson that emphasizes interaction and facilitates this ratio. Also, SPEAK SLOWLY AND KEEP DIRECTIONS SIMPLE. I got critiqued on this point during my personal interview.

After all the group interviews, we had to wait about 2 hours for them to decide who would get a second interview and who would not. When they came back, they had envelopes for every applicant. In the envelope, it either said thanks for coming, better luck next time or, it gave a time and room number for the personal interview the next day.

Personal interview: Consists of two 5 minute lesson plan presentations (conducted by you), further information about life at AEON, considerations that may effect your decision on taking the job if you are successful, and a Q&A at the end. The first 5 minute lesson plan will be lesson from one of AEON's workbooks. You will be given 10 min. to prepare and, like the group interview, will have exactly 5 minutes to present a portion of the lesson. The recruiter will pretend to be a Japanese adult at a beginning English level so don't be surprised if you get confused looks, mispronunciations, etc. Just be ready to correct them.

After you complete the lesson, the recruiter will discuss the lesson with you, good points, points that need improvement. Then the recruiter will run the lesson according to the AEON method. Then, he/she will ask you to repeat the lesson using the same format. When I did my first lesson, I stood and used the flip chart. I had to teach the differences between like/need/want along with a few vocab words. When the recruiter ran the lesson, he simply took the laminated lesson plan and ran the lesson face to face, pointing with his finger to each image and had me repeat after him.

The second lesson takes place immediately after with no prep time. This lesson will be for a 5yr old Japanese child. Run the lesson in a similar fashion, working face to face with the recruiter. He/she will act like a child, mumbling Japanese phrases here and there or being non-compliant. Make it fun and keep the words simple. I was given a placard with a picture of a zoo on it. There were 6 pens with different animals in each. I began with a pen of penguins, and I just repeated the word to try and get him to imitate me. He just sat there with a blank look and said "pengu-suki." I acknowledged that he liked penguins, then proceeded to count the penguins, loudly and pointing at each one as I counted 1-10. This got him interested and he began counting with me. I did run into a bit of trouble when there were pens of more than 10 animals, since the recruiter said beforehand that most kids can only count up to 10. But it worked out fine.

After the lessons, we discussed my performance. Biggest issue was talking too fast, but something that was easily correctable. Then came the typical interview questions: Why teach in Japan? Stressful situations and how you overcame them? Biggest weakness (I know everyone is fond of the "turn a weakness into a strength" response, but I saw some online article discussing this tactic and how it is overused and may actually lose points for you so I told him an actual weakness: sometimes I don't take constructive criticism well - I often believe my way is the right way which makes me less willing to change or adhere to specific policies)? I scored big with this response. He said that it was very good that I recognized my weakness and was willing to work on it. It even came up in the offer letter.

After the interview questions, the recruiter began going over a typical AEON workday and schedule. He asked me if I remembered the job functions of an AEON teacher (basically quizzed me) and since I had taken notes the day before, I was able to answer easily.

After that he asked if I had any questions or concerns. I did not at the time, but I wish I would have asked him more about the company, maybe ask why he applied and what keeps him there still. But whatevs.


And that's it, alot of info I know but I was given many reassuring compliments and eventually, the offer letter.

Good Luck!
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nater



Joined: 18 Apr 2010
Posts: 6
Location: Michigan, USA

PostPosted: Wed May 05, 2010 11:16 pm    Post subject: Reply with quote

Ntalksicated wrote:
blah blah blah


Ntalk, this was one of the more useful things I've read on this board so far, so first let me say thanks. I am about to apply to AEON myself (Amity, to be precise) in preparation for the upcoming on-site interviews in Chicago at the end of June.

I'm interested in some of the pre-interview steps you took. Did you apply over their website? In person? Perhaps via email?

I know Amity requires an application essay ("Why I want to Teach Children in Japan"). Did AEON proper require a similar written application? If so, any advice or pointers as I hone my own writing?

Thanks again for some great info Smile
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Ntalksicated



Joined: 01 Apr 2010
Posts: 10
Location: Sacramento

PostPosted: Thu May 06, 2010 8:52 pm    Post subject: Reply with quote

I applied online at the AEON website first sometime in November/December where it asks for a resume/CV and essay. I was invited to the information meeting/group interview, but since I was still waiting on JET, I decided to withdraw my application. In an email, the recruiter said that interviews would be held again in the spring, right after JET results come in.

I followed the same steps in the spring and was invited, again, to the interview session. The essay prompt is the same except for the word "Children." There is also a 500 word minimum. Not sure what I was thinking, but I submitted a 5-6 page essay. The recruiter mentioned the essay and its length during the personal interview, but giggled more than anything and was happy to see I was enthusiastic about working in Japan. Long or short essay, the 500 word minimum leaves it open. Just make sure its quality and not fluff. Make it relevant to the question.

This just reminded me. DON'T MENTION THAT YOU LIKE JAPANESE FOOD / SUSHI in your essay or otherwise as a reason for wanting to teach there. The recruiter was happy that I did not mention food, but rather mentioned it as an interesting part of Japanese culture. He said it was like him telling an interviewer that he loved Big Mac's, which is neither a hobby or qualification for the position.

So yeah, they are basically the same, I can imagine, except for a few changes in regards to lesson plans (geared towards children).
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shiny_star



Joined: 28 Oct 2010
Posts: 5

PostPosted: Fri Oct 29, 2010 3:51 am    Post subject: Reply with quote

Ntalksicated - I just went for an interview in September and got through, but was also put on the waitlist. I'm wondering if they've finally found you a placement, seeing that you made this post around April? I've been waiting for about 4 weeks, although I'm still looking around for other esl jobs.

Has anyone had to wait for more than a month, or perhaps two or three (or perhaps more) for AEON to find them a school? Also, does it depend on the order of your preferences? Are they more likely to find you a school if you're flexible with start dates or the location?

Sorry about the questions, I'm not patient, and I really don't like to wait...this whole process is quite new to me.
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Glenski



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

PostPosted: Fri Oct 29, 2010 9:06 am    Post subject: Reply with quote

shiny_star,
I can't add to the topic of this thread, but I can give you some good advice about living and working in Japan. You are going to have to learn a lot of patience in practically everything here.
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