Job Discussion Forums

Calico · Joined: 20 Jun 2010 Posts: 54

Just to shed a bit of a different light on my own training experience this year (since I think it' sgood to get all angles)

I can safely that my group's experience was the opposite of dynastar's, and we trained a month before in Nagoya. We were all so exhausted every single night (since most of us never got back until about midnightish) that we just collapsed for a few hours until we had to get up aand do it all again for about two weeks straight. I think some people went partying on our one Sunday off, but most the people I know spent the whole day sleeping and lounging. There really wasn't any party until the saturday after we "graduated" training. And Sunday before we moved everyone spent the day packing pretty much =P

Also, my PS was pretty useless helping me set up. He got super paranoid about calling internet providers even though they couldn't do anything until I had my ARC. I wanted to go get my phone fixed up (I am reusing my prepaid from when I was a softbank and needed a new SIM card) and to get a darn bank account, but he wasted all my time on my move in day arguing with internet people that I didn't care about. Like anything else, it is mileage may vary. They are SUPPOSED to help you, but I ended up doing most of that by myself and also had to help all my training friends with getting phones because none of them spoke Japanese. (I do, so that's why I was able to do it myself.)

We had internet at my training apartment, although it was NOT free. My roomate(s) and I split the fees so we got it pretty cheap that way. There is a FON hotspot at one of the Nagoya training apartments, so I recommend looking them up to see their rates (currently you cannot buy day passes in Japan, but if you get there and want to use them you can send a support ticket to the admin and they'll give you some free ones!!! can't beat that!)

Money. I brought the whole shebang over in traveler's checkes. You can cash them easily in Nagoya. There is a bank at Nagoya station dedicated entirely to money exchange. However, I only used about 1500 before my first paycheck, and that included trips and shopping and eating out. Foreign atms are all over the place now, definitely WAY more than when I was here in 09. Used to be only 7/11s, now even my rural Circle Ks and Lawson's have them. But I agree you should clear it with your bank carrier first in your home country so they know you're traveling and don't block it!

Otherwise, just make sure you read the PKC training bible a lot and if you do everything in it you should be fine =) Although I know it wwon't stop most worrying, haha.

dynastar · Joined: 24 Sep 2010 Posts: 26

Hey, in terms of money, I didn't bring any traveler's checks. Instead, I brought about 2000 in cash and had the rest in a checking account with my bank in America, which I ended up withdrawing from eventually at ATMS which can be found everywhere since just about every convenient store has them. Though, you are charged that fee for withdrawing outside of your bank. Yeah, I pretty much carried around the 2000 but I pretty much had my wallet glued to me so I know myself and how I am with certain possessions so I knew I wouldn't lose it. As soon as I set up the bank account I deposited it all in there and when you get paid or the loan, or money back for commuting, it's all direct deposited into your account. Like I said, money was tight towards the end of the first two months, but I splurged and still survived til payday.

Calico: I'm sorry to hear that about your training, but since I trained in Nagoya as well, I have to ask...why were people getting back at midnight? Our training usually began around 9am and ended anywhere between 3-6pm. The commute back didn't take any longer than an hour for my group, so we'd be back by 7 at the latest. Then, of course, there's dinner to be had and prepping for the next day, but to be honest, I only spent an hour or hour and a half getting ready for each day's "hw".

I'm sure PS (performance supervisor's: the guys who pretty much help you set up and move in to your apartment) vary location to location. I'm in the Kyoto/Shiga area and I can vouch for that guy and I hear the people in Nagano/ Ueda have a good one too. But I'm sure there are some lazy or sucky ones out there.

Like I said, internet varies apartment to apartment and it usually takes 3 weeks to set up if you don't get the pocket wifi I bought.

Emergency calls should be no problem. You'll be given a list of a million phone numbers for such things and calling cards and pay phones are pretty much everywhere, you can always find one at a train station.

I brought my iphone but it's pretty much useless here. I use it as an ipod/camera/ and wifi device when I have signals. Verizon (my provider back home) told me it would be more expensive to keep their plan in Japan and that I should just get a prepaid or contract phone here.

Hope that helps.

Calico · Joined: 20 Jun 2010 Posts: 54

The first week was mostly just mental exhaustion from having so much thrown at us at once, is why we would go to bed so early and just crash all nigiht. It was the second week (when they send you out for field training) that probably about 3/4 of us would get back aruond midnight. For some really weird reason they had us all going out to places like Gifu and Toyohashi and just i ngeneral 2-3 hour commutee times. And most of the time we had 4-5 lessons to stay for, so we'd be catching last busses back and then have to take train sall the way back to Hongo. I think the commute costs were what ate up the most of my money during that time, which is why the offer the 300 dollar commute loan (which i didn't take but looots of people did). I was spending annywhere up to 5000 yen a day to travel for training.

Most of my field trainers were shocked that they were training anyone at all they were so far from Nagoya. We were the first training group post earthquake so I wonder if that had something to do with it at all. I think only once did I field train in Nagoya and get back to my apartment around 9pm or so. My roommate was not so fortunate and spent all her field training out in the boonies and sometimes got back as late as 1am. It drove her mad and she nearly quit because she was getting only about 5 hours of sleep a night befoer she had to get up and go somewhere else, but as far as I know she's still with the company.

rxk22 · Joined: 19 May 2010 Posts: 1629

A month of training? Wow. Is it paid, just wondering

Calico, yeah the PS people are really hit or miss in Japan. My ALT co had some PS help us move in and what not. My trainee friends all had some really nice ones. While I got a guy who just rambled on, and didn't help me at all. I had to get my gaijn card , set up my bank account, and get my internet by myself. He also pointed to a coin laundry and said 'you know what that is ? You can wash your clothes there'..............

It was also 5 stations away from where I lived, so super unhelpful.

BlackPapermoon · Joined: 12 Feb 2011 Posts: 39

@calico & dynastar: thanks for sharing your training experiences..they were very insightful!!
umm how long does it take to recieve your COE?Did anyone who interviewed in March-April recieve their COE yet? I mailed off my paper work back in May(like may 26), and was alerted that the branch I interviewed at recieved it and was going to ship it out to HQ to be processed very soon..so its been 2 months now *sighs* does it usually take this long or are they taking their time since I start oct 24?

dynastar · Joined: 24 Sep 2010 Posts: 26

Probably 3 months for mine to get in

torkonftw · Joined: 04 Mar 2011 Posts: 9 Location: Colorado

Dynastar and Calico I can't thank you guys enough for your responses, they have definitely put me at ease. One other question I had though is about the "travel insurance" that PKC recommends you get before coming over. Can this just be through any company, like even generic ones online? And it's different from flight insurance since it's supposed to hold you over until you get enrolled on Japanese National Health insurance right? Thanks again.

ciccone_youth · Joined: 07 Sep 2009 Posts: 59 Location: Tokyo

Yes, any company is fine. I got my insurance before I came to Japan with PKC with the Royal Bank, it only cost 50$ for 4 weeks, then I got National Health.

If you have any questions about Peppy feel free to email me. I don't work for them anymore but I did for over a year, here is a link to my blog, I used to live on Shikoku:

http://www.vivianlostinseoul.blogspot.com/

Hoop · Joined: 27 Jan 2009 Posts: 14 Location: London, UK

I'm going to be flying out to Nagoya in early September, and my placement is in Kakogawa. Pretty nervous!

ciccone_youth · Joined: 07 Sep 2009 Posts: 59 Location: Tokyo

Kakogawa?? You're pretty lucky, right in Kansai!! So close to Osaka, Kyoto, and Kobe... wow!

CarolinaBen · Joined: 22 Nov 2010 Posts: 78

Wow.....you have already got your placement. I'm also in Sep. training. I was given an initial placement, but was told that there is a good chance that it will change. Anyway, I just purchased my flight ticket (expensive), and I am hoping that the yen gets a little weaker in the next couple weeks.

CarolinaBen · Joined: 22 Nov 2010 Posts: 78

Also, check out Squaremouth.com I got a policy for .80 cents a day.

Hoop · Joined: 27 Jan 2009 Posts: 14 Location: London, UK

Yes, I'm incredibly excited about the location. I was really dreading being stuck on top of a mountain somewhere. I guess I'll see you in Nagoya, CarolinaBen?

Hoop · Joined: 27 Jan 2009 Posts: 14 Location: London, UK

Yes, I'm incredibly excited about the location. I was really dreading being stuck on top of a mountain somewhere. I guess I'll see you in Nagoya, CarolinaBen?