Job Discussion Forums

[LaurenQ]

so i'm yet another person on here toying with idea of teaching english abroad. here are a few questions i have:
- schools: which of the "big 4" is the best? i've read different things on here and, after checking out the websites, i'm thinking of aeon. i'm thinking one of the big 4 schools because i have zero start-up money and want a low-risk way to try out teaching. aeon looks good to me because it has decent vacation time and you can work a year and a half, which would be ideal.
- culture: so, on all the websites, they show smiling english teachers wearing full business suits. is this the general attire? is it a totally corporate environment? i have a job now where i have to cover my tattoos and all that, so i can hang with it if i have to. just wanna know what i'm getting myself into.
- money: how much are people, on average, able to save? i'm not looking to make a fortune or pay off any debts, but i'd be thrilled to have enough money after a year or so to travel around asia. i'm pretty frugile and don't drink, so i'm able to save pretty well...
- what cities are the best? obviously this depends on the person and his/hr particular interests. i'm a pretty urban person, lived in cities my whole life, and am in to "cultural" things--art, music, etc. osaka sounds pretty cool to me...

thanks in advice; sorry for the tedious questions.

[markle]

[Glenski]

Many people rank the big four as AEON or ECC at the top, followed by GEOS, and NOVA at the bottom (only of the big four). At present, NOVA would be in the red for scores now. One chief complaint at AEON would be that you have to pay for the apartment they provide, even if you choose to set up a different place on your own.

No, not everyone wears starched suits at eikaiwas.

No, it is not a corporate environment in all cases. Mom and pop shops are certainly not like that.

How much people save will depend on many factors, as mentioned countlessly here. Rent will eat the most. On the most general of averages, expect half of a 250,000 yen/month salary to be used for basic necessities of rent, food, utilities, and phone. If you have no debts to pay back home, you then have 125,000 yen to use every month for whatever else you like. Insurance and haircuts are regular things, but the amount you pay will vary depending on what insurance you have and how you do your hair. Anything else is case by case here. If you go out a couple times a week and drink conservatively, you can blow 50,000 a month, leaving you with 75,000. I usually say that people should have little problem saving 50,000 a month, but it all depends on you, your lifestyle, and your situation.

What city is best will also depend on you. I like Sapporo and recommend it a lot, but people who don't like winter and snow will disagree. People who prefer the hustle and bustle and amenities of the more cosmopolitan Tokyo will also disagree. People who don't like to spend money to travel off Hokkaido first in order to see the rest of Japan will also disagree. But, they will also have to deal with hot, sweltering summers and typhoons and perhaps more crowded public transportation.

[callmesim]

Regarding cities, I lived in Osaka and loved it. If I were ever to go back though, I'd want to live in Tokyo (because it feels alive) or Sapporo (because I hate summer and the city's beautiful and I found the people to be very friendly). That said, as someone who travelled a lot within Japan, I'm glad Osaka was my base. It's wonderfully central. In about an hour you can get to Kyoto, Nara, Kobe, Wakayama and Himeji. 90 minutes by shinkansen will get you to Hiroshima and in 2.5 hours on the shinkansen you're in Tokyo.

So from that point of view, I'm glad my first home was Osaka.