Job Discussion Forums

[slove3]

I have a interview with them soon so....
Does anyone know anything about this company?
Is it part of Interac?
Has anyone worked for them before?

Yes I used Search but I didn't find any info.

[Glenski]

I know nothing of them personally. What I am about to write, I have digested from their ad on the Cafe, plus their web site.

The ad here implies you are going to be a teacher.
The web site says you are an ALT. In fact, a strange point was written on the site:
All ALT's work side by side with teachers recruited by the JET programme.
First of all, JET does not hire teachers, but ALTs of its own.
Secondly, I've been here almost 9 years and not heard of such an arrangement.

The web site says your health insurance is:
Subsidized Health Insurance Plan
But your working hours are 29.5 per week, which means you are still listed as a part-time worker and therefore not eligible for this (shakai hoken). You will have to pay for all of kokumin hoken yourself. First year is a piece of cake (2500 yen/month), but subsequent years are 10 times higher. At least with shakai hoken, you would only have to pay half of that.

Visa is sponsored by the school, it says. Most of them are public schools. I don't recall what JET does for its public school ALTs, but I believe visas are sponsored by the board of education. What gives here?

Housing is listed as "subsidized". Ok, to what end?

Teaching duties include:
Most ALTs teach approximately 20 to 25 forty-five to fifty minute classes per week.I believe that is more than what JET ALTs teach...? I taught private HS and taught no more than 17 as a full-time teacher.

Training goes like this:
comprehensive and professional training program in Tokyo
Unpaid, and there is no listing as how long this is. Since the company pays, it won't be longer than a couple of days, I would imagine.

Salaries:
Most ALTs qualify for a guaranteed salary of 250,000 yen per month, which includes a monthly attendance bonus component. Why "most"? How does one "qualify" (or not)?

This is basically a dispatch agency, with a unique twist of having you work with JET ALTs (and on contracts 7-12 months long!). I'd have a boatload of questions if I ever interviewed with them. Be on your toes.

[cyclonix]

do you have an interview with them tomorrow morning in toronto? cuz i do.

[Another Guy]

Toronto resident here, I did a phone interview with them a week ago and was basically told that they offer Interac contracts.

Take this as you will, I don't know if they also recruit for Heart or any of the other dispatch agencies as well or if this is something exclusive to Canadians or perhaps just what they're filling for this term.

I didn't find anything shady or disreputable about them, my interviewer was pretty upfront about the large start up costs.

[Glenski]

They do interviews for Interac?

So, they are a middleman for a middleman. Great. Just what we need.