Job Discussion Forums

[currentaffairs]

What could go wrong..

[mitsui]

Got to pay your rent and look for another job to pay the bills.
It is possible.
I could see you working at one job part-time, then quit and find something better for September.

[RM1983]

[Sudz]

Very true. There are some good eikaiwas out there.

Feel free to PM me whenever you want.

[rxk22]

Though PT is always a gamble, why not take the plunge? You'll open up your career here and now. As others have said, just fill up your schedule with PT work at eikaiwas and privates. Hope you can get a FT job next year.

Would you consider waiting a year to get a better offer? If not, take the plunge.

[marley'sghost]

I say go for it. Private gigs don't come around every day. If it doesn't pan out, Inter/Altia/W-5/Ocean/-ac will always be there.

[Sudz]

Thanks guys. All of your advice/opinions are much appreciated.

Well I've decided on Tokyo. I am a tad paranoid that I haven't signed any contract, and that our agreement is only verbal as of now (at least, until I arrive in Tokyo later in the month). Might this be a cause for concern? The school seems very legit, and I couldn't see then backing out - I've heard of employers doing this in other countries, though not Japan.

[Sudz]

One more thing. Despite getting the contract details before hand, I won't actually see/sign the contract until April. Should this be a cause for concern?

I wonder if I"m letting my guard down because the school seems so legit.

[rxk22]

I wouldn't go with out a contract in hand. Did you ask for one or at least a written agreement stating their intent to hire you?

[Sudz]

They've offered a letter of employment, which I can pick up whenever (I'd prefer to do this when I move at the end of the month, rather than spend the cash now. Seems like emailing it would be the natural course of action - if possible).

[rxk22]

See if you can get anything in email form. Cover you butt, just in case.

[Sudz]

Does a letter of employment pretty much 'cover your butt'?

[Maitoshi]

I wouldn't worry too much about not having the contract yet. The letter of employment should give you as much security as you can reasonably expect. It is also sufficient for demonstrating employment to immigration for visa purposes, but it sounds like you already have that bit sorted.

Good luck with your move!

[Sudz]

Thanks again guys.

Well we've just exchanged an email, and everything sounds good. However, they mentioned that the don't usually sponser people for visas, and that the foreign teachers usually handle this themselves.

Might this be common practice? I wouldn't know how to go about this - until now, all of my companies have done this for me.

[GambateBingBangBOOM]

In my experience, direct hire jobs (for boards of education (JET), private junior/ senior high schools and for universities) are always like that- you sign your contract at the beginning of the contract period. Sometimes not even the first day (so you have begun working for them, but haven't signed a contract). It does occasional come back to bite them. Sometimes people call up after already saying they'll work for a company, and say they've decided on a different job and aren't coming. That's why you can still see jobs being advertised now- and why there will likely continue to be some jobs being advertised in April.

In fact, I've been told that it's exactly the same for Japanese people who are part-time teachers. And many of them spend a bunch of time interviewing for other jobs every single year in case the school just decides not to hire them back. Sometimes they are told they won't have another job at the end of the school year, after all the grades are in- which means that they may not find out until the middle to end of March. So if they have nothing lined up, then they have no job in a couple of weeks.

Seems strange, but that's just the way it seems to be.

Any time you are entering a contract with someone, you have to trust them. You have to trust them to give you a contract that says the same thing you were told in the interview and that is described in the job ad. You have to trust them to actually abide by the contract even if it does say the same thing.

But then, the contract with dispatch companies isn't set until you have a job, either. They say they will find you a job. Sometimes you even sign a contract with them. But if they can't find you a job, or you have a bunch of interviews and no schools choose to take you, then you're still not employed.