Job Discussion Forums

[mattbedford]

Hi All,
I've recently applied for an ESL position with AEON and was contacted by them almost immediately.

I've been invited to an information session/group interview on the 2nd December, with a chance of a solo interview the day after.

I need people's thought and opinions on AEON. Would love to hear from a current or past employee. I've had a look at a few reviews online and there seems to be some pretty negative reviews out there.

Should I attend?

I live in Western Australia, and the session/interview is in the Sydney (East coast) so I'm looking at around $600 - $700 to travel there for 2 or 3 days on the off chance that I'm considered for a Solo interview.

I would really appreciate a reply ASAP before I book any flights.

Cheers,
Matt

[ciccone_youth]

Personally I would never pay that amount of money to just be 'considered' for an interview.

You can ask them if it's possible to meet on Skype for a pre-interview before you invest all that money.

If not, you should look into other companies.

[NoExit]

Unfortunately vivi, it's like that for most all of the large Eikaiwa. I personally had interviews with Aeon, Amity and ECC this summer and they all required that you come to wherever they are holding the interview session at- at your own expense.

It's just how the business goes. It's a gamble and I guess it depends on how badly you want it. I'm not sure how PKC does their hiring/recruiting, but I assume at one point they too wanted you to come for an in-person interview right?

It's difficult to find a school that hires and provides a visa overseas without an in-person interview, but that's not to say it's impossible either. However, all the big eikaiwa school recruit through the "interview session" means.

To the OP: $600-700 is a huge expense. It depends on how badly you want it. Isn't there a location closer to you? I thought they had interview locations in Perth as well...but I could be wrong.

I traveled out of state and did the interview session with Aeon too, so feel free to ask if you have any questions. I got the second interview and I was offered a job with them, but I ended up turning it down for another company.

I convinced some friends to make the trip with me and we made a road trip out of it and split the gas money/hotel costs- to cut out the expense of a plane ticket. See if you can't convince some of your friends to do that! Tell them you'll take them out for sushi when you get the job and arrive in Japan.

[rascalking]

Aeon is actually one of the higher paying schools out there, if not the highest. However, a lot more work comes with this, as Aeon has the most hours and also the most pressure on their teachers to "sell, sell, sell!" They're famous for having their teachers call absent students and ask them why they didn't come. No thanks.

[mattbedford]

Yeah, the selling component is something that I'm concerned about. I've worked in electronics retail and found that I don't quite agree with forcing products down people's throats.

I haven't heard about calling absent students though.

[LaniB]

Hi Matt,

I am a West Aussie who is about to start work for AEON in January. Sharon, the lady in charge of recruitment for Australia/NZ is absolutely wonderful. NoExit is correct, I interviewed in Perth - it seems they come here once a year and I was lucky enough to be looking at the right time. I interviewed in March (had to finish uni though hence the Jan start date) and if you can wait, they will be due to interview here around that time next year. I have also seen dates for Adelaide posted but certainly no where near as frequently as Sydney.

My friend interviewed with me and also got the job, she has been in Japan since May and loves it. Certainly there are aspects that she doesn't enjoy - AEON is a business and they do require you to ask students to purchase their text books. She said it's a small part of the job though and she loves her students and her lifestyle over there. She knows many others working for AEON and they are all enjoying their experiences. I think that you'll find people are more likely to talk about the negatives of working for a company on these forums than the positives so for every negative review there are a bunch of others enjoying themselves.

I think it depends on how confident you feel about getting the job... Or if you're due for a holiday!! You can always turn it into a vacation and if you get the job, that's a bonus. Keep in mind they're usually interviewing for a few months in advance so you won't actually get to Japan until Feb/March next year... maybe later!

Let me know if you have any questions!

[Glenski]

Asking students to purchase the textbook is a minor sales aspect, IMO.

You teach. Period. That is why they hire you.

AEON has a pretty good reputation. I don't know of serious negative complaints against them.

As for paying to attend an interview, you either go and have a shot, or you stay and have none. They get flooded with applicants, and although you can call for a better option (like Skype), I doubt they will bend to the wishes of just one person.

Didn't you know (when you applied) about the costs and time needed for an interview if you got accepted for this first round? Had you expected them to interview you down the street from where you live? I think they are pretty up front about all that.

[mattbedford]

Thanks Lani B,
It's good to hear a positive review, and it's definitely helped put things in perspective for me.

Can you provide any info on how formal the info sessions and group interviews are?

[LaniB]

Extremely formal. I wore a suit to mine, luckily it was a worthwhile investment because I will end up wearing it to work when I get to Japan.

There is a lot of information about the group interview and how to get through it on this forum but I think it's mostly based on personality. If you stand up there and drone on and on for your lesson plan you're not going to get invited back. Mine was a little overcomplicated but I got good comments about being genuinely interested in what my "students" (fellow interviewees) had to say and being encouraging. I tried to get them to do most of the talking.

Do you think you're going to accept the interview invitation? Sydney should be good this time of year

[Glenski]

[Asher]

[NoExit]

Lani and I both interviewed and were accepted with AEON (but different locations)- so feel free to ask either of us any questions about the interview session.

http://forums.eslcafe.com/job/viewtopic.php?t=79687&highlight=aeon+interview


Just this link alone has a ton of comprehensive information about the interview process and how to prepare for it.

[mattbedford]

All booked!

And got some spare time to wonder around Sydney.

Thanks for all your help and suggestions!

Anyone know any cool places to check out in Sydney?

[LaniB]

Taronga zoo is amazing, far better than Perth zoo (which is not exactly difficult) and with great views of the city. It's been a long time since I've been to Sydney but that stands out - if you're a zoo person! Aside from the obvious (Opera House) there's the Blue Mountains if you have time for a trip away from the city and like nature.

Make sure you read up on the interview tips - that link from NoExit actually has all my interview experiences in it And using the search engine like Glenski said brings up a whole heap of information. If it's not working for you - try googling "AEON interview" and you'll get bombarded with other people's tips and experiences. I found reading up on all of the info really helped me prepare - I knew a lot more about AEON as a company compared with others in my group and therefore didn't ask any silly questions (one lady was upset about the single-occupancy housing because she intended to take her family there too).

[BBQchips]

wow good luck on your interview and enjoy your trip to Sydney! Are you back yet? lol