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Miss Paperclip
Joined: 09 May 2011
Posts: 11
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 Posted: Mon May 16, 2011 7:39 am Post subject: How did you pick your current company? |
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Hello everyone.
I am currently trying to weigh out a few companies. Right now I have a standing offer with one, Interac, that I need to decide on definitely within the next 3-4 days. Meanwhile two other companies have made comments that they will seriously consider me/I might have an offer in the works.
I suppose what I'm trying to ask the forum is, what were some of the things you considered seriously before accepting a job offer with a company? |
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Glenski
Joined: 15 Jan 2003
Posts: 12844
Location: Hokkaido, JAPAN
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| Posted: Mon May 16, 2011 9:06 am Post subject: |
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I cruised the forums and lurked for 6 months to collect information when I started out. Forums like this were in their infancy then.
I collated as much data as I could from forums and employer sites.
What's important to you about an employer? That's the bottom line.
Location?
Type of classes?
Salary? (note that I put this third on purpose)
Dress code?
Requirement for degree/cert?
Health insurance?
Etc.
Back in the old days, pretty much everyone got the same salary, but bonuses were slightly different. Keep that in mind.
You might want to see how much class time you have, and whether you are allowed to leave the premises when you are not teaching. Your preference, of course.
How much prep time will you be given?
How much paperwork is needed daily/weekly/monthly?
What sort of accommodation is provided, and where is it? How much are you expected to fork out?
Is commuting paid for? (not always)
Will you want language lessons provided by your employer?
Vacation time? (research what is owed you by law, and what you actually get, plus how much you are actually paid for it, 100% or 60%) |
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wayne432
Joined: 05 Jun 2008
Posts: 255
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| Posted: Mon May 16, 2011 12:30 pm Post subject: |
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| I'm not sure if Glenski had it in mind when he mentioned type of classes, but the time of the day that classes are held can be important for many people. Interac involves going to school, so daytime work (weekends free), while eikaiwa are generally afternoon/evening work (random days off) |
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Miss Paperclip
Joined: 09 May 2011
Posts: 11
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| Posted: Mon May 16, 2011 4:05 pm Post subject: Warning, long post up ahead... |
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Thank you for the response, Glenski. While lurking I have been taking note of your comments, they always seem really helpful!
Honestly, I'm still trying to figure out exactly what is important to me in an employer. I've never worked a "real" job for the most part. All I've done so far is retail, hospitality, and substitute teaching. So I'm not quite sure what professional companies are like and what to look out for.
Currently my grading rubric between jobs goes as follows:
Salary
Vacation
Benefits/Support
Contract Flexibility
Location
The reason I have Salary listed so high is because of my student debt. There were some complications with our family finances right after I started college, so I ended up having to take out a ton of loans. As a result I owe more than three times the national student debt average for just a BA. This makes it more difficult for me to not consider Salary as a very important factor.
In an ideal world, I'd be working in a rural location some place northwards, such as Hokkaido or Akita. I'm flexible with the type of classes I'd be teaching, but I was originally hoping to end up working for the public school system for multiple reasons.
I currently only have a BA, no additional certifications. If needed, I figured I could take an online certification course while abroad. Dress Code doesn't matter too much to me currently. I was under the impression that as a worker in Japan I would be required to enroll in the National Health System they have over there.
Hmm... I'll have to think over the other questions you brought up. Since this would be my first year truly teaching, having more support/prep time would be extremely helpful while I try to get used to everything.
So far it seems that most of the companies were willing to pay for commuting, but not the plane ticket there. That seems to be the norm from what I've been seeing. |
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Mr_Monkey
Joined: 11 Mar 2009
Posts: 661
Location: Kyuuuuuushuuuuuuu
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| Posted: Mon May 16, 2011 4:15 pm Post subject: |
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| Don't spend money on online certificates; the benefits do not justify the costs. Either do an in-person cert that includes a practicum (it should make you a better teacher) or do nothing at all. |
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Miss Paperclip
Joined: 09 May 2011
Posts: 11
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| Posted: Mon May 16, 2011 4:54 pm Post subject: |
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| Mr_Monkey wrote: |
| Don't spend money on online certificates; the benefits do not justify the costs. Either do an in-person cert that includes a practicum (it should make you a better teacher) or do nothing at all. |
While I would love to do an in person certification, the price and the time commitment would be beyond what I'm currently able to do. |
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Miss Paperclip
Joined: 09 May 2011
Posts: 11
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| Posted: Mon May 16, 2011 6:51 pm Post subject: |
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| wayne432 wrote: |
| I'm not sure if Glenski had it in mind when he mentioned type of classes, but the time of the day that classes are held can be important for many people. Interac involves going to school, so daytime work (weekends free), while eikaiwa are generally afternoon/evening work (random days off) |
Yes, that was something that came up. Honestly I could see the benefits of either schedule, just because I currently work both a normal day job hours and an evening/weekend job. |
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Glenski
Joined: 15 Jan 2003
Posts: 12844
Location: Hokkaido, JAPAN
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| Posted: Mon May 16, 2011 10:14 pm Post subject: Re: Warning, long post up ahead... |
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| Miss Paperclip wrote: |
| I've never worked a "real" job for the most part. All I've done so far is retail, hospitality, and substitute teaching. So I'm not quite sure what professional companies are like and what to look out for. |
In Japan, your "professional companies" in TEFL amount to 3 types:
ALT dispatch agency (not a good reputation but a steadily growing number)
eikaiwa (so-so reputation and a different clientele and teaching venue than ALT)
business English agency (probably the most truly professional outfits, where you would teach in their office or the client's; I would wager that most teachers here would need some extra sort of work experience to be able to interact more smoothly with the clients)
| Quote: |
Currently my grading rubric between jobs goes as follows:
Salary
Vacation
Benefits/Support
Contract Flexibility
Location
The reason I have Salary listed so high is because of my student debt. |
Ok, let's take these one at a time. How much do you have to pay off per month? You have roughly 125,000 yen to play with after paying for basic necessities on a 250,000 yen/month salary.
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| In an ideal world, I'd be working in a rural location some place northwards, such as Hokkaido or Akita. |
Not that many jobs in Hokkaido are advertised widely. You'll have to scour several job sites to find them, and I also recommend paying for a subscription to the Hokkaido Insider because it puts them all into one.
Any reason you want to limit your location? Just thinking of percentages.
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| I'm flexible with the type of classes I'd be teaching, but I was originally hoping to end up working for the public school system for multiple reasons. |
ok, so rule out 50% of jobs (eikaiwa). But working However,ublic school is not teaching adults...
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| I currently only have a BA, no additional certifications. |
Like 98% of other applicants.
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| If needed, I figured I could take an online certification course while abroad. |
Too little too late. Good down the road, though.
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| I was under the impression that as a worker in Japan I would be required to enroll in the National Health System they have over there. |
Many eikaiwa and ALT employers use a legal loophole to avoid enrolling you in shakai hoken (health insurance plus pension), so you'd have to get kokumin kenko hoken and nenkin by yourself and pay all the costs. Some people even ignore the law and don't do that!
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| Hmm... I'll have to think over the other questions you brought up. Since this would be my first year truly teaching, having more support/prep time would be extremely helpful while I try to get used to everything. |
You won't get either one in many/most ALT jobs. Even with eikaiwa, there may be a standard teaching format for you to use, but eikaiwa managers are often just business managers not experienced teachers, so you'd often be on your own.
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| So far it seems that most of the companies were willing to pay for commuting, but not the plane ticket there. That seems to be the norm from what I've been seeing. |
Yup.
Last edited by Glenski on Tue May 17, 2011 9:03 am; edited 1 time in total |
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Miss Paperclip
Joined: 09 May 2011
Posts: 11
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| Posted: Tue May 17, 2011 12:22 am Post subject: Re: Warning, long post up ahead... |
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| Glenski wrote: |
In Japan, your "professional companies" in TEFL amount to 3 types:
ALT dispatch agency (not a good reputation but a steadily growing number)
eikaiwa (so-so reputation and a different clientele and teaching venue than ALT)
business English agency (probably the most truly professional outfits, where you would teach in their office or the client's; I would wager that most teachers here would need some extra sort of work experience to be able to interact more smoothly with the clients) |
Interac is an ALT dispatch agency, yes? I had seen a few horror stories floating around on the web about them. However, I have also seen a few people who really enjoy their time with them.
Even though I know that a business English agency would probably be a safe route with better pay from what I've heard, I really would love to spend most of my time with children. I'm flexible with the ages. Perhaps later down the road I might reconsider and try the business side.
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| Ok, let's take these one at a time. How much do you have to pay off per month? You have roughly 125,000 yen to play with after paying for basic necessities on a 250,000 yen/month salary. |
I have to pay $1000 a month in student loans. Out of curiousity, what does your figure come from? Tax, Rent, Shakai Hoken, Utilities, Internet, Phone, anything else?
| Quote: |
Not that many jobs in Hokkaido are advertised widely. You'll have to scour several job sites to find them, and I also recommend paying for a subscription to the Hokkaido Insider because it puts them all into one.
Any reason you want to limit your location? Just thinking of percentages. |
I figured as much. I would do that the following year, as I plan on accepting one of the 1-3 offers I have in the works right now. I'll have made my choice by Wednesday this week, I believe. Thank you for letting me know about the Hokkaido Insider for the following year though.
Honestly, it is silly. I heard about Hokkaido years ago and the bits and pieces of information I've heard since then have only made me love it all the more. I am flexible about location though, it is just a dream.
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| ok, so rule out 50% of jobs (eikaiwa). But working However,ublic school is not teaching adults... |
I'm also flexible about this point. As I said, in an ideal world I'd be doing public school systems, but to get my foot in the door, I'm willing to go the eikaiwa route.
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| Like p8% of other applicants. |
I know. >.<;; There wasn't really any guidance at my school on this matter and I didn't really know who to talk to about it. I should have done more research earlier on, but for years I didn't even know that there were ways to do this outside of JET.
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| Too little too late. Good down the road, though. |
I was thinking more towards my second or third year in Japan if I wanted to apply to a different job.
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| Many eikaiwa and ALT employers use a legal loophole to avoid enrolling you in shakai hoken (health insurance plus pension), so you'd have to get kokumin kenko hoken and nenkin by yourself and pay all the costs. Some people even ignore the law and don't do that! |
So I have been reading. If I asked for it, do you think I'd be able to get it? Or will that really depend on the employer? It is something I could ask in my questions still, since I haven't accepted one job or another yet.
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| You won't get either one in many/most ALT jobs. Even with eikaiwa, there may be a standard teaching format for you to use, but eikaiwa managers are often just business managers not experienced teachers, so you'd often be on your own. |
This is good to know, thank you.
Thank you again for the informative post, Glenski. |
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nightsintodreams
Joined: 18 May 2010
Posts: 558
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| Posted: Tue May 17, 2011 8:05 am Post subject: |
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I've just started my 2nd year of emplyment with Interac so i was in the same situation as you not so long ago. In my opinion you can save more than 125, 000 a month.
Heres a break down of my expenses for a typical month in the first year.
250,000
Salary Tax 6500
Health insurence 6000
Rent 55000
Phone 4000 (probably a lot less than the average person)
Gas and Electric 12000
school lunch 3500
Transport 0 (Interac pay for it)
Food is very difficult for me to judge but if you find a cheap supermarket like Libromoms, Big Fuji or Donkey in your area you can prob get by on about 7000 a week if youre very careful.
After your first year, you'll get a pay rise of 3000 yen and another 5000 if your Japanese reaches the new JLPT L4 level, but you'll be paying a lot more in taxes.
Actually after adding all that up I'd say Glenski is about right after all, if you want to go out and enjoy yourself a bit then it's probably going to be difficult to save more than 125,000 a month.
I moved in with my gf after a few months into a cheaper place, so now only pay 20,000 yen a month for rent, that's one way to save a lot of money. If your local Leo palace shop has any employees with English ability I would go in on your own and see what cheap deals they have, dont mention your from interac. |
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Glenski
Joined: 15 Jan 2003
Posts: 12844
Location: Hokkaido, JAPAN
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| Posted: Tue May 17, 2011 8:58 am Post subject: Re: Warning, long post up ahead... |
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| Miss Paperclip wrote: |
| Interac is an ALT dispatch agency, yes? |
Yes. And yes, you will hear good and bad stories about them. For those who like their jobs with I, ask why. It's important IMO to know how people prioritize their satisfaction.
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| I have to pay $1000 a month in student loans. Out of curiousity, what does your figure come from? Tax, Rent, Shakai Hoken, Utilities, Internet, Phone, anything else? |
I figure based on averages. Rural and urban costs do vary, as I'm sure you realize, so averaging is the only practical way to go.
50,000-80,000 for rent
15,000-20,000 for utilities
3500-8000 for phone/internet (options galore)
30,000-60,000 for food
Insurance is 2000-2500 first year and 10-fold thereafter.
City and prefectural tax, as well as withholding tax will total nearly 20% of your salary, too. Keep that in mind.
Some people have managed to save US$1000/month. Personally, even for a frugal single person, unless you live in a small town where rent is cheap, I'd say it would be tight to figure you could direct that much to student loan repayments. Then again, if you want to take on supplemental work, that would help. But, I wouldn't recommend it right away. Get used to the main job and country first.
Note: If your employer says they have their own insurance plan (nightsintodreams??), beware. For one thing, the employer gets a cut of that. For another, if you find yourself in a position where you leave the company, you will have to make up to 2 years of back payments into kokumin kenko hoken even though you have paid that private company.
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| Too little too late. Good down the road, though. |
I was thinking more towards my second or third year in Japan if I wanted to apply to a different job. |
Re: certification
Most employers in Japan don't know much or care about certs. I have been asking indirectly for a year or so now what other people have been running into, and gotten no responses from people who are actively pursuing jobs nowadays in the flooded market. Perhaps it's time for a direct approach.
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| Many eikaiwa and ALT employers use a legal loophole to avoid enrolling you in shakai hoken (health insurance plus pension), so you'd have to get kokumin kenko hoken and nenkin by yourself and pay all the costs. Some people even ignore the law and don't do that! |
So I have been reading. If I asked for it, do you think I'd be able to get it? Or will that really depend on the employer? It is something I could ask in my questions still, since I haven't accepted one job or another yet. |
Flip a coin to see if you'd get it, but I'd say the odds of getting shakai hoken are against most people. Sucks. And, yes, it does depend on the employer.
Just heard of someone working 40 classroom hours per week ( http://forums.eslcafe.com/job/viewtopic.php?t=89151 ), and they are not getting shakai hoken, if you can believe that! |
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Miss Paperclip
Joined: 09 May 2011
Posts: 11
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| Posted: Wed May 18, 2011 5:53 am Post subject: Re: Warning, long post up ahead... |
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| Glenski wrote: |
| Yes. And yes, you will hear good and bad stories about them. For those who like their jobs with I, ask why. It's important IMO to know how people prioritize their satisfaction. |
It seems like the people who have been happiest with the experience have been people who are sincerely interested in teaching and influencing young minds.
| Quote: |
I figure based on averages. Rural and urban costs do vary, as I'm sure you realize, so averaging is the only practical way to go.
50,000-80,000 for rent
15,000-20,000 for utilities
3500-8000 for phone/internet (options galore)
30,000-60,000 for food
Insurance is 2000-2500 first year and 10-fold thereafter.
City and prefectural tax, as well as withholding tax will total nearly 20% of your salary, too. Keep that in mind. |
All of those figures sound similar to what Interac and a few other companies were throwing my way. The taxes information was new and good to hear though.
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| Some people have managed to save US$1000/month. Personally, even for a frugal single person, unless you live in a small town where rent is cheap, I'd say it would be tight to figure you could direct that much to student loan repayments. Then again, if you want to take on supplemental work, that would help. But, I wouldn't recommend it right away. Get used to the main job and country first. |
I asked for a rural area, and in Northern Japan where there are more small towns (I think...?). I'm seriously hoping to be living in some place between a town and an Inaka setting. I've heard of people doing the supplemental work, but it always seems to be under the table. I was thinking possibly of trying to find summer work since if I went with Interac, I'd be off during the summers...
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| Note: If your employer says they have their own insurance plan (nightsintodreams??), beware. For one thing, the employer gets a cut of that. For another, if you find yourself in a position where you leave the company, you will have to make up to 2 years of back payments into kokumin kenko hoken even though you have paid that private company. |
I figured that I would just end up doing Shakai Hoken, since it seems to be the thing everyone stresses the importance of. I just wish I knew if vision and dental were covered under it.
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Re: certification
Most employers in Japan don't know much or care about certs. I have been asking indirectly for a year or so now what other people have been running into, and gotten no responses from people who are actively pursuing jobs nowadays in the flooded market. Perhaps it's time for a direct approach. |
That's interesting, since so many of the listings I had been finding on the job posting part of this site and Ohaiyou Sensei look for certification.
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Flip a coin to see if you'd get it, but I'd say the odds of getting shakai hoken are against most people. Sucks. And, yes, it does depend on the employer.
Just heard of someone working 40 classroom hours per week ( http://forums.eslcafe.com/job/viewtopic.php?t=89151 ), and they are not getting shakai hoken, if you can believe that! |
Hrm... That seems to be a factor in Interac's favor. They are willing to allow you to get Shakai Hoken, even if it costs 34,000+ a month. u___u; |
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seklarwia
Joined: 20 Jan 2009
Posts: 1546
Location: Monkey onsen, Nagano
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| Posted: Wed May 18, 2011 7:19 am Post subject: Re: Warning, long post up ahead... |
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| Miss Paperclip wrote: |
| Hrm... That seems to be a factor in Interac's favor. They are willing to allow you to get Shakai Hoken, even if it costs 34,000+ a month. u___u; |
You might want to check that again.
Most Interac ALTs do not get Shakai Hoken.
Some people get the private insurance being offered by Interglobal whilst many of us are on Kokumin Kenko Hoken.
Interac will use the 29.5hr/week loophole to get out of Shakai Hoken but they will make sure you are not scheduled for anything more than 29.5 hours in school (that is inclusive of class and prep time)... but whether your school understands and accepts that if you are not scheduled for anything you don't have to be in school is a whole different ball game. |
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Glenski
Joined: 15 Jan 2003
Posts: 12844
Location: Hokkaido, JAPAN
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| Posted: Wed May 18, 2011 9:18 am Post subject: Re: Warning, long post up ahead... |
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| Miss Paperclip wrote: |
| t seems like the people who have been happiest with the experience have been people who are sincerely interested in teaching and influencing young minds. |
Keep that in mind, but also keep an open mind about being mistreated by the employer in the process.
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| I asked for a rural area, and in Northern Japan where there are more small towns (I think...?). |
Depends on what you call northern Japan. Some only think northern Honshu. Small towns are everywhere.
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| I've heard of people doing the supplemental work, but it always seems to be under the table. |
Not necessarily.
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| I was thinking possibly of trying to find summer work since if I went with Interac, I'd be off during the summers... |
But still under contract with them. Moreover, the Interac FAQ says:
you will receive a 3-5 week break between the end of July and the end of August depending on which BOE you work for (the actual dates will vary according to your school schedule).
Not much of a period to get hired by any company, so unless you find a summer camp slot, expect to be out of work entirely. Private lessons look more attractive to paying rent, utilities, grocery bills, etc. then, don't they?
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| I figured that I would just end up doing Shakai Hoken, since it seems to be the thing everyone stresses the importance of. I just wish I knew if vision and dental were covered under it. |
What you "figure" and what employers offer usually differ. Interac doesn't offer shakai hoken AFAIK. They only say:
All Interac ALTs are required to enroll in a Health Insurance plan recognised by the Japanese government. A comprehensive, company subsidized Health Insurance plan is available at a cost of between 2.5 and 3.0% of the monthly salary.
That could mean the usual switcheroo to kokumin kenko hoken.
What exactly do you call "vision and dental" coverage? Some is covered, but not all.
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| in Interac's favor. They are willing to allow you to get Shakai Hoken, even if it costs 34,000+ a month. u___u; |
Where do they say that? |
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Glenski
Joined: 15 Jan 2003
Posts: 12844
Location: Hokkaido, JAPAN
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