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chaz47
Joined: 22 Apr 2005
Posts: 157
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 Posted: Mon Oct 30, 2006 12:00 am Post subject: Westgate vs. JET? |
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I have a 15 months of teaching experience in Korea. I have just passed the 3rd month of my first contract in a public school. Things are a lot less professional than I had hoped for and I am considering putting in my notice and moving on.
I was thinking about making the jump across the pond to Japan. With my experience I think I would be making about 270,000 yen from Westgate, which is about what I make in Korea but I have heard about the cost of living being higher in Japan.
I studied in Japan briefly and one of the professors in my program was an American who had been a JET teacher for a number of years before getting his MA. He speaks very highly of JET. How do the two compare?
What sort of income would I need to be able to save $1000 a month as I do in Korea? |
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furiousmilksheikali
Joined: 31 Jul 2006
Posts: 1660
Location: In a coffee shop, splitting a 30,000 yen tab with Sekiguchi.
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| Posted: Mon Oct 30, 2006 12:57 am Post subject: Re: Westgate vs. JET? |
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| chaz47 wrote: |
How do the two compare?
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Like apples and oranges. Or at least they compare like two things that are very different from each other.
There have been alot of threads on Westgate and JET on this forum. They're fairly easy to find. Also look at the websites for each company and you'll see they are very different. |
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ripslyme
Joined: 29 Jan 2005
Posts: 481
Location: Japan
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| Posted: Mon Oct 30, 2006 1:40 am Post subject: Re: Westgate vs. JET? |
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| chaz47 wrote: |
I studied in Japan briefly and one of the professors in my program was an American who had been a JET teacher for a number of years before getting his MA. He speaks very highly of JET. How do the two compare?
What sort of income would I need to be able to save $1000 a month as I do in Korea? |
From a purely financial standpoint, your best bet would be to do the JET Program. Not only is the salary higher, but you also get roundtrip airfare and possibly subsidized housing as well. My 2 cents, I did JET and had enough to save (rather, pay off student loans  ), travel and party.
However, it is possible to save $1000 a month on a 270,000 monthly salary. (I hope you like cup ramen....)  |
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kdynamic
Joined: 05 Nov 2005
Posts: 562
Location: Japan
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| Posted: Mon Oct 30, 2006 2:44 am Post subject: |
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| JET has a long application process, more competative acceptance rates, and you have to fly home for the interview and departure to Japan (in case you weren't aware). |
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chaz47
Joined: 22 Apr 2005
Posts: 157
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| Posted: Mon Oct 30, 2006 2:51 am Post subject: Re: Westgate vs. JET? |
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| ripslyme wrote: |
| chaz47 wrote: |
I studied in Japan briefly and one of the professors in my program was an American who had been a JET teacher for a number of years before getting his MA. He speaks very highly of JET. How do the two compare?
What sort of income would I need to be able to save $1000 a month as I do in Korea? |
From a purely financial standpoint, your best bet would be to do the JET Program. Not only is the salary higher, but you also get roundtrip airfare and possibly subsidized housing as well. My 2 cents, I did JET and had enough to save (rather, pay off student loans ), travel and party.
However, it is possible to save $1000 a month on a 270,000 monthly salary. (I hope you like cup ramen....) |
I got my own rice cooker now, that helps save a bit of cash and is a bit more healthy than cup ramen. |
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wildfire
Joined: 01 Oct 2005
Posts: 37
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| Posted: Mon Oct 30, 2006 8:29 am Post subject: rice |
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i worked in japan for many years...
i would say that the two companies are slightly different.
u need to DECIDE what u can live with...
and look at the fine print.
in JapAn u will work A LOT and be very effecient.
haha...
the process is a sign of how life is here.
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Toosey-Jay
Joined: 09 Jun 2006
Posts: 28
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| Posted: Fri Dec 08, 2006 12:04 am Post subject: |
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Never heard of Westgate..
Last edited by Toosey-Jay on Sun Dec 10, 2006 1:44 pm; edited 1 time in total |
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Glenski
Joined: 15 Jan 2003
Posts: 12844
Location: Hokkaido, JAPAN
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| Posted: Sat Dec 09, 2006 12:49 am Post subject: |
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| Quote: |
i worked in japan for many years...
i would say that the two companies are slightly different. |
First of all, sheik has given good advice. These two employers have been discussed at length here.
Second, JET is not a company. It is a government sponsored program.
Westgate Corporation is a dispatching agency with programs at the university level and kids level. They are not "slightly different". As sheik pointed out they are very different.
WC offers 3- or 7-month contracts and a different sort of visa sponsorship. Contracts are not consecutive (at least for the uni program). They pay airfare in 2 installments taken out of your paychecks. Salaries are dependent on your qualifications, and it looks like you really need teaching qualifications of some sort to work with them.
JET has a 1-year contract that you can renew usually for 3 total years (5 in some cases), and the visa is different. You are an ALT in (usually) a public school (or schools) and usually in a rural area. A bachelor's degree in any subject will land you a job. G Cthulhu has pointed out that in recent times, JET is looking more favorably with people with teaching backgrounds, but I think his/her last post on this stated that only about 10% of JET ALTs are hired with them at the present time. (I hope he/she clarifies this.) With JET, you might get lucky and have rent paid for, but this is totally case by case. |
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