Job Discussion Forums

markle · Joined: 17 Jan 2003 Posts: 1316 Location: Out of Japan

I've got a few months left on my contract and I'm pretty confident that I will stay on for the next year, but I would like to keep my options open.

Now to maintain the lifestyle to which I've become accustomed to I am interested in finding out what it takes to get an ALT position through a BoE, directly.

JimDunlop2 · Joined: 31 Jan 2003 Posts: 2286 Location: Japan

Luck.

Revenant · Mod Team Joined: 28 Jul 2005 Posts: 1109

You'd have to:

1. Underbid massively low bidder ALT Dispatches... w5 in your neck of the woods for example.

2. Speak fluent or near fluent Japanese to be able to handle all sales negotiations, red tape, and admin related tasks that are generally all handled by the BOE/Dispatchers.

3. Be willing to work harder and longer to prove you're better than the typical dispatch.

4. Prove that your skills and your abilities in general are better than most dispatches and that you would continue to be able to improve on your own.

These are just the top ones... but in general BOE's these days don't like to hire directly foreigners because of those things plus other logistics issues (what if you leave suddenly? A dispatcher can plop a replacement relatively quickly... you might leave them high and dry etc etc).

You chances are few to none if you were successful, you'd be the 1% exception to the rule.

Nagoyaguy · Joined: 15 May 2003 Posts: 425 Location: Aichi, Japan

I wonder if the local school boards are really on the ball or not.

I have read in many places that dispatch services are illegal, or at least very shady and designed to be temporary at best, BUT still they get business. What is going on? Is it that the BofE people are blissfully unaware of the law? OR do they just not give a damn?

Perhaps part of a job search for a direct hire job would be a simple presentation on the legality/illegality of using dispatch teachers. Plus the embarrassment for the BofE if they are shown to be breaking the law.

I have also read that anyone can go to city hall and get a copy of the contract between a dispatch company and the city. How specifically is that done? What department handles it, and is any special paperwork required? Or do we just waltz in and demand to see it.

wangtesol · Joined: 24 May 2005 Posts: 280

yamanote senbei · Joined: 28 Jun 2005 Posts: 435

Nagoyaguy, BOEs know that they are breaking the law by "outsourcing" their AET positions. They just don't care, and won't care until someone does something about it.

cornishmuppet · Joined: 27 Mar 2004 Posts: 642 Location: Nagano, Japan

I've been looking into this myself and had no luck. I'm tired of working at an eikawa when my ALT friends seem to be off on holiday all the time or sitting at a desk doing nothing much bar studying a bit of Japanese.

I've spoken to a couple of BoEs in the area but where I live they hire through JET, which means I'd have to leave the country most probably, and once I'm out not sure if I would come back.

I have a friend who works directly for a BoE, earning a lot more than me and has just had a nice month vacation, but he got his job through a Japanese job paper. The ad however, was in Japanese and his girlfriend found it.

The more I look into it the harder it seems to get. Escaping from an eikawa but trying to stay in the same area seems like trying to break out of prison and hide in the basement. If that makes any sense! Confused