Job Discussion Forums

[Taffmonster]

It seems I'm going to have to face the reality that if I genuinley want to teach english in japan, I am going to have to go via GEOS or Amity etc. I have an interview for GEOS coming up and I just applied to Amity. Im hoping Amity get back as teaching kids sounds far more interesting. I'd much rather be going with JET, but having missed the boat it's not too likely.

I've been browsing jobs on gaijinpot.com and most seem to require you to allready be in Japan, leading me to believe I will have to opt for the spring board routine. It's pretty daunting and obviously I'm assuming the interviews go well (though I have alot of confidence thanks to the insightful posts here on the board)

The hard work will be a good thing. Being a 4th year philosophy student, I've managed to avoid a reality check for a while. Living in another country with no choice but to sink or swim should do just that. I'm really intent teaching. I'd rather be teaching kids and I really want to get fluent with my japanese (I understand there will be no oppertunity for Japanese conversation during work time).

On a side note, I found a nice little Grammar website...
[url] http://www.ucl.ac.uk/internet-grammar/home.htm [/url]
People may find it useful for ECC tests etc, although I heard there isn't much to prepare you for that one (not that I will do it as ECC do not recruit in my country anymore).

[Willy_In_Japan]

Doing a year at GEOS to get your feet wet, isn't a bad idea.

However, if you want to learn Japanese (any of it) you are best getting a job as an ALT. If teaching kids is your thing, you should have no problem being sent to an elementary school as an ALT. At least you can wear more casual clothes, and aren't playing on the floor in business attire like at GEOS.

I learned very little Japanese in my year at GEOS.....even survival Japanese.

[Taffmonster]

Isn't the only real opertunity to teach as an alt via JET?

[J.]

The best and best paying ALT jobs are with the official JET program, but these days there are many "dispatch" companies sending ALT's to schools to work for approximately 250, 000 yen a month while they skim a large amount of the actual salary off the top. Some of these companies are trying to pay teachers even less and you will not receive the orientation support that you would with a program like JET. It is the best choice by far. BUT, if you plan to teach, I suggest you get a little experience at home, in a volunteer capacity if necessary, because when you get here it will help give you the confidence to be in a classroom. One other thing, and I mean this kindly, perhaps you should invest in a good dictionary when you come, because after all you will be teaching English, and your spelling is not very good.

[Taffmonster]

hehe

no offense taken, I'm a hasty typer and quite often trip up over my own fingers. Experience wise, I'm debating taking the TEFL before going just so I feel like I have an idea about what I am doing.


I have an interview with GEOS on thursday. I'm actually terrified, mainly because I know what I'm letting myself in for if I get the GEOS job. Worst comes to worst it's a back up.

[Willy_In_Japan]

A lot of people here rip on the dispatch companies, and with some good reason.

However, it should not deter you from working for a dispatch company over an English conversation school such as GEOS. I work as a dispatch ALT, but still have a LOT more job satisfaction AND life satisfaction as an ALT than I did at GEOS.

I make less money as an ALT, (The 250,000 a month salary is mostly fiction due to deductions in August, December, March, and April) however, for the amount of work I do, I get paid more per teaching hour as an ALT. Also, I have the opportunity to teach private students on my own time, which is not allowed with GEOS. The extra 50,000 a month I am making on private lessons, more than makes up for the lost wages.

Having evenings free during the week, and all the monday National Holidays is a big plus compared to GEOS. The holidays don't even compare. Last year, I had from July 2nd until August 31st off. When I worked at GEOS, I worked 5 days a week from Goldenweek until the September 23rd holiday.

[Taffmonster]

Would you say that working with GEOS first is (in order to get a VISA, flat, and some experience) a good idea? It seems with most dispatch companies I will have to fly over for interviews and to arrange a flat etc. This is, at least, the impression I've gotten. I completly understand the fact that working for GEOS will not be fun and with no job satisfaction, but it seems to be a good means to an end, a step up onto the ladder. It appears to be the safest bet in getting over to Japan. Maybe im misunderstanding the 90 day VISA with teh dispatch companies I've seen.

Also I have read that although company policy stipulates that you should not moonlight, many people have said that it is quite possible to do so. Would you say thats true? or does it depend upon your branch?

(thanks for the advice and help. I feel less terrified about my possible prospects!)

[Taffmonster]

I finished the interview yesterday. It went pretty well. In the final one on one, she went on about how good my understanding of the GEOS method was and pretty much hinted that I had got the posistion(the give away was when she said "keep your visual cards when you fly out"). There was no real surprises, things were dressed up a bit and made out to be less than they were. To be honest, a jobs a job, its never going to be a year long holiday.

AEON have dropped me an email asking me to attend the UK interview on the 26th which will be the day before I have to give my decision to GEOS. I'm not sure about attending as I don't quite know the key diffrences. I imagine they are pretty much the same. It does seem extreme that they expect you to give a teaching demo without any training...
The flat rate rent sounds good, but they only allow 5 days of paid holiday and I was under the impression that 10 days was the legal limit? (Don't quote me I'm probably wrong).

[GambateBingBangBOOM]