Job Discussion Forums

[mariangela]

Can anybody give me information about nova mm minor languages area (french, italian, spanish, german)? I am supposed to leave in a short while, but the rumors about bad treatment, overpressing trainers, vexations at work are getting more and more WORRYING. Shall I stay home? I need to know if all this negative literature relates to some tolerable annoyance or to serious problems in staff treatment. I am used to work hard but I have limits in bearing bad treatment. If there is something I should know please contact me before I go, also privately. Latin + german teachers are you treated bad?
Thanks

[worldwidealive]

I work in Osaka, but not at the MM Center. However, my roommate does and I can say that overall, the MM teachers I meet are much more satisfied with their job than most branch teachers. The trainers seem to be less in their face and the atmosphere seems more relaxed. If you are being placed in the MM center consider it a blessing and not a curse. Get over here.

WWA

[Rorschach]

The European teams are definitely a minority in comparison to the Chinese and English groups. If you come, just be prepared to do 8 lessons a day, everyday for as long as you stay at Nova. It's really busy for the smaller language teams (particularly the Germans for some reason). The European teams appear to be much happier than the English team. I haven't noticed any bad treatment, the trainers seem to be very hands off in comparison to the English trainers. It's fairly relaxed up the MM Centre, much better than branch from what I have heard.

[Zzonkmiles]

I agree with Rorschach. The German and Spanish teams are usually the busiest, so expect to teach 8 lessons a day because there simply aren't enough teachers to spread the lessons out. The minor language teachers tend to be a bit closer (like a family) than the English teachers--perhaps because there are fewer Italian or French speakers here, thus meaning you have that common bond of your native language. I'd also vouch that MM teachers are more satisfied with their jobs than the branch teachers. There is far more lesson variety (lessons, short courses, CATs, kids lessons, demos, TOEIC/TOEFL, business courses, VIP) and a large enough group of teachers to ensure that you'll find at least one other teacher who doesn't drive you crazy. And as an added bonus, you can make more money working at MM than you could at a branch because of the different shift allowances.

[Iwantmyrightsnow]

I know a french team member who had a lot of problems with the team leader - seemed like a problem with maturity (on both sides).

A German teacher I know who recently transferred to the MM centre hates it but it might just because he has a lot of teaching experience in branch and is finding the adjustment difficult.

[mariangela]

Thanks for the info. Are you still working at the MM? Can you tell me more about your life there? The complains I heard within the european group relate to excessive control over your work by trainers, very fast rythms and difficult time shifts, pressions to live in nova flats, non pay for illness days. Is it bearable? Would you choose to do it again? Are you living in a nova flat? Have you got time to enjoy incidentally japan? Tell me more... I don't wan't to seem paranoid but I have a job and everything here, even if not always sutisfying, I need to know if it is worthy and don't want to change things for worse (THAT worse expecially).