Job Discussion Forums

alexmac84 · Joined: 28 Dec 2013 Posts: 38

Hi all,

I'm in the boat where I would need a visa sponsorship to teach in Japan. I've been investigating the different companies to work with like Coco Juku, AEON, and Interac. From everything I've read here, the pay is low and the employers take advantage of you. It's honestly making me want to abandon my desire to teach in Japan. It's one thing to take a pay cut to change careers, it's another thing to be treated like crap. Still, I'm not ready to give up yet. All the schools can't be bad, right?

So, I'd like to ask, if you had to start teaching experience all over again? Which company would you go through so that you could have your visa sponsored?

A little background on my search so far: I'm in the process of applying with Coco Juku. I've heard not great things and their application process is driving me a bit nuts - they just told me, after I reached out to all my references, that they will only accept recommendations from people who still work at the place I worked with them at. I'm in the tech industry, so everyone I worked with is always hungry for new opportunities and moved on to bigger better things. I also applied with AEON, but never heard back. I recently met someone who taught with Interac and liked it. I'm trying to get more details from her, but have seen not such nice things said about them on this forum so..I don't know what to do.

Thank you in advance for your help!

currentaffairs · Joined: 22 Aug 2012 Posts: 828

I thought Westgate was okay. The contract is only for three months but the work visa was for a year. Unless they have changed the visa regulations and they are dishing out three month work visas then this is a good way into Japan. You work in a half decent environment and you can apply for other jobs which is what I did.

Westgate is a pretty bog standard company but as a route into Japan I would say give it a look..

nightsintodreams · Joined: 18 May 2010 Posts: 558

I worked at Interac for three years and they were pretty good to be honest, a good way to get into Japan if you ask me. Here are the pros and cons of MY interac experience.

Pros:
Work in actual Japanese schools with Japanese people; a great environment for learning Japanese and about Japanese culture and customs.
Teach regular down to earth kids rather than the snobby spoilt brats you'll meet at eikaiwa.
They leave you to work at your school and don't interfere with your day to day life. Only if the school complains will Interac interfere.
250,000 yen a month is quite a good salary for a fresh newbie off the boat with no experience or teaching quals.
Get placed in/near a regular sized city.
Social life with other local interacs was good (if you're young and like to party)
No work in evenings or weekends, leaving you free to pick up part time work or private lessons in the peak time..
Long, Looooong holidays giving you lots of time for extra work or travelling around Asia.
Lots of downtime to study Japanese or troll on Daves.
They will assign you an IC whose job it is to get you a bank account, phone contract etc sorted and also help you with an apartment.
The trainers (in my experience) are friendly enough and try to resolved any issues.

Cons
Salary is %80 in December, %60 in August and you aren't paid anything for about two weeks in March if you recontract. Basically multiply your monthly salary by eleven and you have a rough figre for your annual income.
Almost zero chance of progression within the company, even if you stay long enough to become a trainer, the salary isn't that great.
Downtime can become tiresome.
Any overtime work is completely voluntary and will not be paid for.
The atmosphere and way some schools treat you as a foreign ALT is pretty apalling.
The Leo Palace apartment they try to set you up with is always overpriced, some people believe they have an arrangment with Leo Palace.
Your holiday days are chosen for you. Any other days you take off are unpaid (even if you're sick).
Kids in public schools aren't always the best behaved or most enthusiastic to study English.

currentaffairs · Joined: 22 Aug 2012 Posts: 828

Yes, Westgate use Leo Palace and the rent is 70,000-80,000 a month or something crazy for a small room.

alexmac84 · Joined: 28 Dec 2013 Posts: 38

Thank you everyone. This is super helpful and I'm feeling better now. So it's Ok to opt out of the Leo Palace housing?

currentaffairs · Joined: 22 Aug 2012 Posts: 828

No, with Westgate you don't have that option. You are only working for 12 weeks so they have it all laid out for you. In fairness, you get escorted from the airport to the apartment, and they have a bucket of soap, cleaning agents, sponges and everything else waiting for you.

Rents are really expensive in Japan. Later on I was in a tiny room with bathroom and a hob in Saitama and that was 50,000 yen a month, but to move in it was 250,000 yen including all the fees and key money.

rtm · Joined: 13 Apr 2007 Posts: 1003 Location: US

alexmac84 · Joined: 28 Dec 2013 Posts: 38

Thank you for the perspective rtm. I think my worry about being treated like crap steamed from a video a former Coco Juku student made about the institution. I am happy to hear there's lots of happy people pursuing ESL teaching in Japan!

Maitoshi · Joined: 04 May 2014 Posts: 718 Location: 何処でも

Happy is a relative term, but I have met a lot of happy and fun people here. Some of them are even Japanese!

mitsui · Joined: 10 Jun 2007 Posts: 1562 Location: Kawasaki

Look at generalunion.org
Click English.

See about Coco. It is crap, but they broke the law.

Interac is worse than it used to be, but I do know people who worked there for years so it can't be that bad, but some disagree.

I applied to Westgate last year, but turned it down. I had my own housing so it was not an issue but the question was how far the commute would be. For some people it can be over an hour, even 90 minutes.

You have to wear a suit, but now it is cool biz season so no tie is needed.

GambateBingBangBOOM · Joined: 04 Nov 2003 Posts: 2021 Location: Japan

mitsui · Joined: 10 Jun 2007 Posts: 1562 Location: Kawasaki

Westgate does like people with university experience in Japan, and people who have had taught TOEIC classes.

nightsintodreams · Joined: 18 May 2010 Posts: 558

^^^Same goes for interac^^^

You can opt out of housing, but as a newcomer with no Japanese is will be difficult for you to secure housing on your own.

With interac you'll likely pay between 50-65,000 for housing.

ssjup81 · Posted: Sat May 02, 2015 6:05 am Post subject:

nightsintodreams · Joined: 18 May 2010 Posts: 558

I was given a place for 60,000 after specifically requesting the cheapest place possible. Two years later I went to the Leopalace shop myself and found a different Leo Palce in the same area for 35,000.

Then that Leo Palace was sold so I had to find another place and I got one for 45,000, again in the same area.

Also, I the other person living in the same apartment was me was paying more than I did.