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skomand
Joined: 03 Jun 2006
Posts: 29
Location: Philadelphia, PA
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 Posted: Sun Jun 11, 2006 1:40 am Post subject: Best (and worst) branches to work for -- GEOS and AEON |
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| Anyone have any opinions on the best AEON and GEOS branches to work for, considering I want to avoid overly picky managers and an ultra-busy, majorly-high-stress work day (everyday)? FYI, I think I want to work in a suburb of either Tokyo or Osaka. Thanks! |
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Angelfish
Joined: 18 Jan 2006
Posts: 131
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| Posted: Sun Jun 11, 2006 2:23 am Post subject: |
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| I don't know about AEON butat GEOS you'll get no choice where you're sent. You can transfer after a year, but you won't necessarily get your first choice, you'll only be able to go to a school that needs a teacher. And the mangers change every six months or so, so even if you start with a great manager there's no guarantee your next one wll be any good. |
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earthmonkey
Joined: 18 Feb 2005
Posts: 188
Location: Meguro-Ku Tokyo
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| Posted: Sun Jun 11, 2006 3:12 am Post subject: |
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Looks as if you've got the cart before the horse here. You'll have to find a job before you can start worrying about specific locations. If you go into an interview with these kind of conditions, you won't get a job at all. Apparently, all the big schools will make an effort to place you in your preferred locations, but the bottom line is they need to put teachers where there are vacancies.
Good luck in your job search. |
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seanmcginty
Joined: 27 Sep 2005
Posts: 203
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| Posted: Sun Jun 11, 2006 4:00 am Post subject: |
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| I worked for both companies. GEOS Akashi and Hankyu Rokko were good branches to work at, at least they were 6 years ago. AEON Himeji was pretty good too, except the manager was a pain. That was more than 3 years ago though so it might have gotten better. Other than that I've no idea. |
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skomand
Joined: 03 Jun 2006
Posts: 29
Location: Philadelphia, PA
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| Posted: Sun Jun 11, 2006 4:45 am Post subject: |
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thanks all.
earthmonkey, i am simply trying to figure out where i should request to work. my question is entirely reasonable and in no way reflects my professional attitude. these boards are a place to get "insider info," are they not? |
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PAULH
Joined: 28 Jan 2003
Posts: 4672
Location: Western Japan
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| Posted: Sun Jun 11, 2006 4:55 am Post subject: |
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| skomand wrote: |
thanks all.
earthmonkey, i am simply trying to figure out where i should request to work. my question is entirely reasonable and in no way reflects my professional attitude. these boards are a place to get "insider info," are they not? |
Finding a poster here who works at a particular branch of a company with dozens if not hundreds of branches across the country is akin to looking for a needle in a haystack. Managers change and so do working conditions.
Whether or not you have a good manager is irrelevant. the job is what YOU make it and how you deal with your situation on a daily basis. They are not there to entertain you.
Anyway, how do you know that you may want to work in that particular area or region? The schools and locations are as varied as there are teachers. |
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luckyloser700
Joined: 24 Mar 2006
Posts: 308
Location: Japan
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| Posted: Sun Jun 11, 2006 5:05 am Post subject: Re: Best (and worst) branches to work for -- GEOS and AEON |
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| skomand wrote: |
| Anyone have any opinions on the best AEON and GEOS branches to work for, considering I want to avoid overly picky managers and an ultra-busy, majorly-high-stress work day (everyday)? FYI, I think I want to work in a suburb of either Tokyo or Osaka. Thanks! |
Even at fairly busy schools the weekday shifts aren't always hectic. Saturdays and Sundays are busy no matter where you work.
As for the managers' attitudes toward teachers, location isn't an issue. It sucks, but kissing a little *ss is sometimes the only way to avoid receiving petty gripes from them on a constant basis. |
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skomand
Joined: 03 Jun 2006
Posts: 29
Location: Philadelphia, PA
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| Posted: Sun Jun 11, 2006 6:11 am Post subject: |
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| PAULH, I do not expect anyone to "entertain me" and I've done nothing to indicate that's how I feel teaching at an eikaiwa. You live up to your jaded repuation, believe me. Do not post on my topics. |
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PAULH
Joined: 28 Jan 2003
Posts: 4672
Location: Western Japan
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| Posted: Sun Jun 11, 2006 6:17 am Post subject: |
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| skomand wrote: |
| PAULH, I do not expect anyone to "entertain me" and I've done nothing to indicate that's how I feel teaching at an eikaiwa. You live up to your jaded repuation, believe me. Do not post on my topics. |
Good luck finding a job that is not physically tiring, long hours, stressful and doesnt perhaps have slavedriver or anal managers whose job it is to be a-holes. You will be looking a long time.
I may be jaded (what all newbies call long-termers here) but I'm still here.
Last edited by PAULH on Sun Jun 11, 2006 6:25 am; edited 1 time in total |
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Like a Rolling Stone
Joined: 27 Mar 2006
Posts: 872
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| Posted: Sun Jun 11, 2006 6:24 am Post subject: |
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| skomand wrote: |
| You live up to your jaded repuation, believe me. . |
Learn to spel Bozo!  But seriously it is very difficult to pick a school for GEOS you can't even choose the city.  There is usually only one foregner at the school and they stay to the end of their job. So you never know where you go  |
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PAULH
Joined: 28 Jan 2003
Posts: 4672
Location: Western Japan
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| Posted: Sun Jun 11, 2006 6:26 am Post subject: |
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| Like a Rolling Stone wrote: |
| skomand wrote: |
| You live up to your jaded repuation, believe me. . |
Learn to spel Bozo! But seriously it is very difficult to pick a school for GEOS you can't even choose the city. There is usually only one foregner at the school and they stay to (until?) the end of their job. So you never know where you go |
Pot. Kettle. Black. |
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skomand
Joined: 03 Jun 2006
Posts: 29
Location: Philadelphia, PA
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| Posted: Sun Jun 11, 2006 6:32 am Post subject: |
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| Like a Rolling Stone wrote: |
| skomand wrote: |
| You live up to your jaded repuation, believe me. . |
Learn to spel Bozo! But seriously it is very difficult to pick a school for GEOS you can't even choose the city. There is usually only one foregner at the school and they stay to the end of their job. So you never know where you go |
Maybe we can take a spelling class together? 
Thanks -- that's very good to know about GEOS. They don't really make that clear on their website. They tell you your placement before you sign the contract, right?
I may wait another year and do JET like some of my friends are doing this year. Of course with JET, placement is just as random, or so I hear. But JET feels a little more substantial than an eikaiwa, being a Gov't-sponsored educational program and all. |
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Like a Rolling Stone
Joined: 27 Mar 2006
Posts: 872
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| Posted: Sun Jun 11, 2006 6:37 am Post subject: |
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| skomand wrote: |
| Like a Rolling Stone wrote: |
| skomand wrote: |
| You live up to your jaded repuation, believe me. . |
Learn to spel Bozo! But seriously it is very difficult to pick a school for GEOS you can't even choose the city. There is usually only one foregner at the school and they stay to the end of their job. So you never know where you go |
Maybe we can take a spelling class together?
Thanks -- that's very good to know about GEOS. They don't really make that clear on their website. They tell you your placement before you sign the contract, right?
I may wait another year and do JET like some of my friends are doing this year. Of course with JET, placement is just as random, or so I hear. But JET feels a little more substantial than an eikaiwa, being a Gov't-sponsored educational program and all. |
Yes, JET is a good idea. Your right that JET placement is random like GEOS but everyone says it is a great experience.  |
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PAULH
Joined: 28 Jan 2003
Posts: 4672
Location: Western Japan
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| Posted: Sun Jun 11, 2006 6:44 am Post subject: |
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| skomand wrote: |
| [Thanks -- that's very good to know about GEOS. They don't really make that clear on their website. They tell you your placement before you sign the contract, right? |
Excuse me for being pedantic and no one wants anal managers, but simply trying to cherry pick your jobs where unpleasantness, stress, aggravation, personality conflicts, office politics are minimised, when as a newbie you are at the bottom of the food chain, is an exercise in futility. as has been pointed out, you dont get to choose what city you live in, much less what branch you work at. If they have a vacancy they send you to fill an opening but really, you have no say in where you get posted. Its like they say, you dont get to choose your parents. Eikaiwas are the same thing.
Im not talking about you 'entertaining' students. But expecting your job to entertain YOU. Pay your dues first, get experience and learn how to do your job. then worry about finding something that appeals to you rather than trying to do it from 5000 miles away in a foreign country.
A job here is what YOU make of it, and you happiness depends more on your personal attitude, your coping strategies, than on who you happen to get as a trainer or workmates (and believe me you get no choice over those). How you deal with culture shock, homesickness and loneliness. Cultural alienation. workmates and trainers from hell.
| Quote: |
| I may wait another year and do JET like some of my friends are doing this year. Of course with JET, placement is just as random, or so I hear. But JET feels a little more substantial than an eikaiwa, being a Gov't-sponsored educational program and all. |
Plenty of posts on JET- Its the Board of education that pays your salary who in turn are paid by the taxpayer. There are lots of changes afoot as schools farm out JET positions to the private sector as many BOEs now feel they are too expensive and get little bang for their buck.
You may be in an isolated part of the country and team-teaching with a teacher who does not and can not speak English. Where you get placed is a lottery as well. |
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Glenski
Joined: 15 Jan 2003
Posts: 12844
Location: Hokkaido, JAPAN
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| Posted: Sun Jun 11, 2006 9:25 am Post subject: |
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| Of course with JET, placement is just as random, or so I hear. But JET feels a little more substantial than an eikaiwa, being a Gov't-sponsored educational program and all. |
Substantial in what way, based on the fact that it's government-funded? JET ALTs get paid more than GEOS teachers. That's about it. The stability is not there. You can work for GEOS longer than you can for JET. JET has an age limit (somewhat flexible, yes, but still a limit, and there are very few people hired over that limit), while GEOS does not.
JET locations are assigned wherever the schools need someone, and sometimes the schools actually request certain nationalities or people with certain "qualifications". If you request to be assigned in Tokyo, good luck. There are few people there. If, however, you say that you'll be happy with a rural posting, you are more likely to get it. GEOS says they'll consider your requests, and I'm sure some people have been placed where they wanted (for whatever personal reasons they gave), but in the long run, you go where GEOS has its vacancies. |
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