Job Discussion Forums

[gwynnie86]

Hi guys,

I have my interview with Interac in a couple of weeks. I was just wondering whether anyone could give any advice/tips...
I'm going in smart/formal dress, I shall be polite, I have some knowledge of Japan and Japanese that I could conjure if they asked I suppose... What kind of things are they likely to ask?

[seklarwia]

BE EARLY! If you get accepted, you'll have the pleasure of hearing the saying "5 minutes early is 5 minutes too late" from every trainer. I arrived first so had time to leave an impression whilst I helped her set up her equipment.

Be friendly, be genki and keep your demo really simple but be aware of your body language and use lots of gesturing. Take in some form of visual aid.

I did colours and just brought in pictures of 7 coloured splats which I stuck on a board. Make sure you have some kind of activity and that you don't drill for the entire 5 mins, but you don't have to teach the actual activity rules in the demo. I just pretended that the kids had played the game before and knew the rules and just gave a quick example of how colours would be used in the game. Don't use too many words to explain.

In the group presentation do try to participate (without being disruptive, of course), whether that is sharing knowledge or asking questions. Ours turned into a fun little discussion on reasons why there is always more male applicants than female (some years the difference in numbers is quite huge).

The one on one interview is not so bad. Some questions about what you have been doing up til now, why you are interested in Japan, how will you cope with being so far from home (she changed the question for me slightly since I had already spent a significant time abroad including a year in Asia already. I was asked to talk about any issues I was confronted with and how I over came them). She also asked me to tell her a couple of positives and negatives about Japan (be careful how you word the negatives if you get asked) and could I tell her a couple of faux-pas in Japanese culture.

You'll have to do a short spelling and grammar test and wierd personality test. I thought the second was really strange, but the interviewer had to work out my results for me because I couldn't make any sense of what to do with my answers. I thought it was BS but she was able to half of my results just from having spoken to me before the others had arrived so... I don't know.

Just stay calm and you'll do fine. Good luck!!!

[gwynnie86]

Thank you seklarwia!
I'll have to give my answers a think before I go there... as well as planning a simple colour activity! I'm sure the teaching resources and other forum answers will give me some ideas...
Any idea on massive interview faux-pas? I guess being late, rude etc... Just I was so confident about getting on CCUSA last year and then I got rejected, I'm worried the same will happen...

[cornishmuppet]

Don't ask about health insurance.....

[seklarwia]

[BobbyBan]

Interview faux pas?

Well, I haven't worked for Interac but an interview for almost any work in Japan means dress as conservatively as possible (no loud shirts, comedy or novelty ties, jeans/jacket combos, eye-popping cleavage of either the front or rear etc...). If you're a man you'd better take out all piercings wherever they are visible. Short haircuts are preferable to long hair and be clean shaven.

In other words it would be a faux pas or many to turn up with earrings (if you're a man) or a nosering (whoever you are) with long unruly hair and a beard.

As mentioned above, if you do have tattoos then don't show them or talk about them.

[seklarwia]

[Glenski]

[BobbyBan]

[seklarwia]

[wayne432]

As has been said, don't show up late... but my advice is not to show up too early (this is more for individual interviews I suppose, but works for all occasions). If you show up like 30 minutes in advance, you can throw people off their schedule, because they feel they have to accommodate you.

My advice is to show up to the area early (not the interview place, but the surrounding area)... shoot for about 30 minutes early, and then head into the building 5 minutes or so early.

[seklarwia]

They'll have the presentation so you don't have to worry too much about the scheduling there. Of course, try not to turn up silly early (if you can help it, but if the last train/bus to get you there in time is going to get you there an hour early and weather is so bad that wandering outside is going to leave you looking like a drowned poodle, so be it) but you want to have enough time to compose yourself, get a drink, visit the toilet, freshen up or simply to give your clothes and appearence the once over in the mirror, especially if you have had to make a longer journey to get to the interview.

Aim to get on site about 30 mins before to sort yourself out (more if you really think you'll need to) but don't head into the presentation room more than about 10-15 mins early. I wouldn't suggest 5 mins either though; Interac really does have an issue with cutting things too fine. They'd much rather you turn up super early rather than too close to time or a minute late.

All of the UK interviews were held in hotels, so if you arrived too early, you could just go get a coffee, have a calming ciggy or find a quiet corner to run over your demo lesson.

[gwynnie86]

Again, thank you ... to clarify a couple of things, yes, I'm a girl, and yeah, the interview is at a hotel. I have to train all the way to York (from Manchester) so I've planned to have a lot of time to find the venue, grab a coffee or maybe lunch, check myself over etc...

It's silly, I've read up a LOT on Japanese culture, values, etiquette and all that, and yet when I try to think of how to answer a question about it I go blank. Same with the positive/negative thing... what kind of negative things can you say about Japan without risking offending them??

[Apsara]

You can say that for the average person in the large cities, living spaces are small, commutes are long and crowded, working hours are long for many people, often without overtime pay, and that waiting in long queues can be a fact of life.

All things that Japanese people will readily admit to, and unlikely to offend anyone.

[BobbyBan]