Job Discussion Forums

[Bylkun]

Hello,

I see many postings about how easy it is to acquire a job with one of the big conversation schools. I interviewed with AEON and was rejected and I just recently interviewed with NOVA.

I was just wondering if there was anyone else out there who has been rejected by either of these schools and maybe get some ideas why people are rejected.

Thanks!

[Sherri]

I can give you some reasons why some people have been rejected from Aeon or Nova in the past (I have never applied to work at either school). As for your own case, it is impossible to say since you give no information about yourself or how you perceived your interview went. You should also look at other posts on this board as this subject has been covered to some extent.

Some possible reasons:
These schools tend to prefer people with little or no experience teaching EFL/ESL, so people with extensive experience tend to get rejected

People with dependents (esp children) may be rejected

They want people with a lot of energy and positive personality, so if you didn't show these traits you may have been rejected

Since you were given an interview, I will assume that you have at least a BA and that your resume and cover letter were acceptable. How did your interview go? You may have said or done something they didn't like. Perhaps they didn't like your lesson plan. That is about all I can offer at this point based on the information given.

[Kapt. Krunch]

They liked me just fine in the interview...still didn't take me. They had just done a huge recruiting campaign ...ohhh and I'm black.

[guest of Japan]

Bylkun and Kapt. Krunch, I'm sorry to hear that your were unable to land positions at AEON.

I feel I can honestly say that AEON does not descriminate against race or age. They have high persentages of both classifications working for them.

If you didn't get hired, it's probably because you faced stiff competition. With the global economy stagnant many people are deciding that now is the time to go abroad. AEON has recruitng offices in Canada, Australia, and the U.S. They also do periodic recruiting trips in England. They have a huge market to find suitable teacher while only having about 300 school, which average between 2 and 7 foreign teachers.

They tend to look for teachers about 5 months in advance of an opening. Most openings happen in the winter, so maybe your timing was unlucky.

AEON may be called a member of the big 3, but it is not nearly as large as Nova.

Anyway, don't lose hope. There are other schools, and if you are suitable for this business someone will hire you.

[mrAndrew]

I am still waiting to hear something from Aeon. did you get a second interview?

[diomedes]

I did the Nova and Aeon interviews last November. I have a CELTA and taught businessmen and college kids in S. Korea for over four years, so I have both qualifications and experience. I was also rejected by Aeon, and I have no idea why. I got to know many of the other people at the job interview/information session, and none of the people I met were invited back for a second interview. I've also been wondering what it takes to land a job with Aeon. I don't know what their criteria is.

Nova accepted me and I'm now in Japan working for them and trying to find a better job.

I've met a couple Aeon teachers since I've been here but they don't seem any different from any of the other teachers.

I think if you get an interview with Nova you pretty much have the job.

[canuck]

I have a friend that worked there for 7 years part-time, went back to Australia and came back. He has a degree, a Japanese wife (his own visa), a house, experience and a CELTA certificate. He did the standard interview, and they asked him questions that they would ask anyone else, except that he's been doing the lessons for 7 years. He's 37. He didn't get rehired and they didn't say why.

He thinks it's because they want people who need them. He has everything in line, and doesn't need a visa, but figures that all went against him.

Nova really wants people to take the loan, live in one of their places, get a cell phone through them, work weekends and evenings and be in debt so you have to work it off, with them, making it easier just to stay. The turnover at Nova is very quick. I heard the retention rate for male teachers was around 10 months, female teachers around 8 months.

Basically, don't think too much about being rejected by them. Maybe just the wrong time or some other reason that just wasn't your fault. I'd chaulk it up to bad timing and don't sweat it.

[ne01]

to put it simply.. all the eikaha's want people without teaching qualifications so they can mold them into their own style of teacher. i applied to both and got rejected. but don't ask for feedback because they never give it. i wouldn't worry about it because you don't want to work for them anyway. i'm working as an alt now and get paid the same as the eikaiha's and do less work and get more holidays... eikaiha's don't get holidays, only the public holidays, but no summer vacation! also alt's have a normal school schedule.. there's no starting work at 4pm.. apply to be an alt... much easier and a better job..

[Vince]

I interviewed with AEON in 1997 and was rejected. If I remember correctly, they had a first meeting that was just an introduction to the company. If they liked you, you were invited back for a proper interview. I got the second interview, but it turned to crap right from the beginning. There were two recruiters, a blond guy and a guy of Japanese descent. The Japanese guy was cool, but the blond guy was a snide jerk and started trying to trip me up in the interview as a matter of intellectual superiority or whatever. Had I not ridden a train for an hour to NYC for the interview, I would have walked out.

NOVA's interview was cake. Both recruiters in Boston were cool, and I could feel I had the job as soon as I said I'd lived in Japan.

[bohinj]

My boyfriend and I both got hired but that was a couple of years ago. We were both older, coming from a business/marketing background--not teaching. I was worried about age discrimination but I found that wasn't a problem. I think they want to see a lot of energy, someone who could get along with people very easily, someone who could adapt quickly and yes, be moldable to their style of teaching.
In my initial interview, a couple people were dressed very casually, one was set on exactly where she wanted to live (TOKYO or die), another one gave a lecture about the grammar point. Out of about seven interviewees, I thought I only had competition with maybe three of them. But like someone said in a previous post, I think the U.S. economy is increasing the competition for jobs in Japan.
I stayed with AEON two years and had a very good experience. Interestingly, my application/essay was rejected by NOVA and I'm so glad it was. Maybe try one of the independent schools that post on the job board.