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steki47
Joined: 20 Apr 2008
Posts: 1029
Location: BFE Inaka
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 Posted: Fri Mar 13, 2015 2:56 am Post subject: |
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| nicenicegaijin wrote: |
| Do dispatch companies really train ALTs? I work ft at a uni now, but I was an ALT years ago and I don't remember any training. I remember been shown the school and introduced, but that was it. Surely the BOE could do that. |
There is some useful material in the two training sessions I attended. A lot of the time is spent with the new arrivals and all their visa and apartment concerns, though.
Some of the time is spent on holding flashcards, which is a big part of my job. The more useful stuff was on how to include the JTE in activities and trying a variety of activities for different lessons. Not too bad for beginners, but a lot of simple things. Hey, it is a simple job. |
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rxk22
Joined: 19 May 2010
Posts: 1629
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| Posted: Fri Mar 13, 2015 12:09 pm Post subject: |
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| steki47 wrote: |
There is some useful material in the two training sessions I attended. A lot of the time is spent with the new arrivals and all their visa and apartment concerns, though.
Some of the time is spent on holding flashcards, which is a big part of my job. The more useful stuff was on how to include the JTE in activities and trying a variety of activities for different lessons. Not too bad for beginners, but a lot of simple things. Hey, it is a simple job. |
I was with Interac. They had 3 days of unpaid training. None of it was worth anything to anyone who isn't an idiot. Just basics on FC holding and some other nonsense. No methodology/reasoning behind what and how to do it.
We spent a good amount of time on "don't be stupid" ie do drugs, buy drugs, have friends send you drugs. Also don't ask your students out on dates. Plus a few tips on how to deal with the Japanese staff.
Otherwise, it wasn't much of anything, and I certainly didn't feel it benefited me in any meaningful way. Really ALT dispatch companies could do so much more. |
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rxk22
Joined: 19 May 2010
Posts: 1629
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| Posted: Fri Mar 13, 2015 12:14 pm Post subject: |
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| RM1983 wrote: |
Ive met a few Filipinas here, and they seemed very capable for the most part. Qualified or more than capable of doing the job. Even they see that it is a mickey mouse gig though and it seems they dont stay long!
On the other hand the few western teachers Ive met have been a mixed bag. Some seem very capable and on the ball. A good few others seemed useless - one complaining of getting tired if they have to lead the class, another taking her book into class to read when she wasnt reading aloud, that kind of thing. These people justify wage cuts just as much as non-natives in my opinion.
I actually think this could help us. If the visa was geared more towards qualifications than nationality and the general level of teaching was pushed up, then perhaps the impression created by the above westerners might budge a little. Also if you had to be qualified and/or experienced, they might have to address why they cant attract enough qualified teachers. |
True, ALTs being children prolly hurtspay more than Filipinos willing to do the job.
Honestly, they need to put some thought into it. There is just so much wrong with the ALT program, that very little can be said for it at all. Almost anything is better than the current situation. |
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stumptowny
Joined: 29 May 2011
Posts: 310
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| Posted: Fri Mar 20, 2015 1:51 am Post subject: |
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MATeacher,
er, brand new user called nicenicegaijin. First, don't run and hide with a new handle. The Mods know who you are. You've been reported. It also portrays you as sketchy, as others have pointed out. and you have no cred. be confident in your lame self MATeacher. |
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nicenicegaijin
Joined: 27 Feb 2015
Posts: 157
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| Posted: Tue Mar 24, 2015 4:00 pm Post subject: |
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| They should just make it like it was when I started it was JET or nothing. If you didn't get JET you joined a big language school. JET was pretty good money wise especially since the apartments were subsidized. I see no reason why they cannot go back to making everywhere JET. The level of candidate was better as JET was more selective. |
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ssjup81
Joined: 15 Jun 2009
Posts: 664
Location: Adachi-ku, Tokyo, Japan
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| Posted: Wed Mar 25, 2015 2:15 am Post subject: |
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| Interesting thing about JET...I had assistant teaching experience and Japanese language experience, but was still rejected. |
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nicenicegaijin
Joined: 27 Feb 2015
Posts: 157
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| Posted: Wed Mar 25, 2015 7:17 am Post subject: |
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The teaching experience and Japanese ability do not matter for the JET interview. They just want to see personality, if you smile a lot, and are an extroverted person. They want good looking people and also don't want to see weird gothic types, otaku, spotty and or fat people who are basically the people they reject and who end up working for interac and other dispatch companies. Next time you have a chance to meet a few JETs compare them to the dispatch ALTs you meet, you will soon see the difference in the type of person. Basically to put it bluntly they want to see a well rounded individual, who has a friendly personality and who looks good and healthy.
That is not to say you do not have those qualities, but if you didn't pass the interview you did not present those qualities to them at the specified time, i.e. you didn't smile enough or weren't friendly enough. |
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ssjup81
Joined: 15 Jun 2009
Posts: 664
Location: Adachi-ku, Tokyo, Japan
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| Posted: Wed Mar 25, 2015 3:39 pm Post subject: |
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| I didn't even get an interview. |
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nicenicegaijin
Joined: 27 Feb 2015
Posts: 157
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| Posted: Wed Mar 25, 2015 5:35 pm Post subject: |
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| I got an interview straight out of university, I had a PhD and was older than some of the other candidates due to this, but I had no Japanese ability and did not have teaching experience. As I said I think the JET interview process is a lottery. |
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GambateBingBangBOOM
Joined: 04 Nov 2003
Posts: 2021
Location: Japan
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| Posted: Thu Mar 26, 2015 2:39 am Post subject: |
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| ssjup81 wrote: |
| I didn't even get an interview. |
Your Statement of Purpose may have come across as being "What JET can offer me" rather than "What I can offer JET".
Also, the goal of JET is to be a 'cultural ambassador' for your own country. Being awesome at Japanese and knowing a tonne of Japanese history is great, but if that isn't coupled with stuff about your own country (history of your country etc) then you may not have been competitive with the other applicants in that area. |
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G Cthulhu
Joined: 07 Feb 2003
Posts: 1373
Location: Way, way off course.
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| Posted: Fri Mar 27, 2015 1:44 am Post subject: |
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| nicenicegaijin wrote: |
| I got an interview straight out of university, I had a PhD and was older than some of the other candidates due to this, but I had no Japanese ability and did not have teaching experience. As I said I think the JET interview process is a lottery. |
You can think that all you want, but as an interviewer for the last ~10 years, I can assure you that it isn't a lottery. It's a very structured process that is surprisingly close to a good best practice HR model. The only weak point is the variation you'll see in implementation from consulate to consulate because they have to use people that may not understand how to interview to the model.
If a person didn't get an interview it's because they can't (or didn't) follow the instructions in the paperwork, or they *really* don't fit the target employee. If they screw up the interview then they're either a victim of numbers or they *really* screwed up the interview. Teaching experience & Japanese ability *do* improve your chances.
I've certainly posted here often enough over the years on how the process works, what's important at each stage, etc. But the legend of the lottery continues despite the reality. |
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nicenicegaijin
Joined: 27 Feb 2015
Posts: 157
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| Posted: Fri Mar 27, 2015 5:56 pm Post subject: |
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No, you are right. It is a good interview process, they use a panel and have a good system in place.
Where it comes down to luck (lottery) is how the individual does on the day, JET do not really try to put candidates at ease, and I still remember how unfriendly my panel was. I managed to pass the interview, but on another good I could have screwed it up. This is also due to the fact that most people who apply for JET are straight out of uni and aren't any good at interviewing. I used to be terrible at interviewing and they don't take those things into account. That would be my only issue with them. |
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