Job Discussion Forums

[alicat_blue]

I'm considering taking a job in Nagoya and I was hoping that I could get some tips from more experienced ESL teachers. The job is at a place called ACC Advantage English. Does anyone know anything about this school? They're offering me 250,000 yen salary, and a flight over. I pay for the apartment; 48,000 a month. About 25 "contact" hours per week. Is this a good deal?

[markle]

I'm not familiar with the school but they seem from their website to be fairly reputable.

The package on offer is not bad but like most things the devil is in the detail.
Things you might want to find out:
How do they pay for the flight over?
What is the accomodation like (48,000 is not bad for a one bedroom apartment)

Still intially this looks worth chasing.

[sethness]

Nagoya is a Big City (one of the top 5 in Japan), with very little that could be called "countryside" anywhere nearby.
I say this because the rent is rather low-- 48000 yen per month? I assume that's just a studio or 1-br/1kitchen apartment, or out in the suburbs, or possibly a share?

The "250,000 yen / 25 contact hours" contract is an absolutely normal starting point for a fresh-off-the-boat English teacher. As another poster said, the devil is often in the details. For example, 1) are you expected to pay the "key money" and non-refundable cleaning fee/security deposit on the apartment? This can be a crippling amount-- often schools will waive it.
For another example, 2) find out how much commuting and non-contact office hours you're expected to handle. Frequently, unkind schools will have you spend more than 10 (unpaid) hours a week riding around in buses, cabs, and trains to get to your classes-- or perhaps you'll be required to keep office hours and be kept busy when you're not teaching. Both of these forms of uncounted work can vary tremendously from employer to employer.