Job Discussion Forums

[LadyK]

Since I would have never been as prepared as I was for my job interviews without reading EVERYTHING I could on here about Aeon and ECC interviews, I thought I�d pay it forward and write about my experiences, in order to help others the way this forum helped me.

ECC
My interview took place in San Francisco in early November. The recruiters were John Berrie and Dustin Green, two very nice guys who definitely put the group at ease. There were 19 applicants at the beginning.
FIRST TIP: Mingle with the others in your group! This was even part of the itinerary that they had posted. Being personable and able to communicate is a big deal, so chat up the other applicants. Everyone says this, and it�s true: SMILE, and smile a lot! (but don�t be fake about it.)
After mingling, there will be the information session. I had read that they want you to ask questions, and this is true as well. But they also want to make sure you�ve done your research, so read up on that big packet of information they send to you. They�ll ask questions like, �What are you responsibilities other than teaching?� You should know this stuff! Lobby talk, counseling students, etc. are all a big part of the job. Know your stuff. I ended up only asking one question, and answering one, and later during my personal interview John said it was noted that I was fairly quiet during the information session, but that I was smiling a lot, so I guess I got some brownie points for that. If I were you, try to think of a question that is optimistic, and that will lead to an answer that paints the company and experience in a positive light.
TIP: DON�T BE NEGATIVE OR HAVE AN ATTITUDE! In my group there were two guys who were asking extremely negative questions, and basically arguing with the recruiters!! One guy went on and on about the fact that you don�t sign a contract until after training in Japan (which is true), but he wouldn�t shut up about it and, frankly, I knew that even if he got 100% on the English test he would not be there after the cut. (And I was right.) Honestly, I think you�d have to screw up pretty bad for ECC to put you through training and then say, �No, you don�t get the job.�

After info comes the dreaded ECC test. STUDY!!! I am an English major and I got an 89%. There are several sections (five, if I remember correctly), including �word choice,� �redundancy,� and some others. There are sentences with underlines under sections, and you have to choose what part needs revision. Some of them are VERY subtle, and some of them I just couldn�t figure out. I recommend reading them several times in your head, or even whisper them out loud, and try to figure out what tiny little detail is wrong.
There is a vocabulary section, which I had no problem with, (just know what a sommelier is) and spelling. The spelling can be tricky because there are two selections, and you have to pick which is correct. With these multiple choices you start to second guess yourself. I recommend studying a list of commonly misspelled words, because quite a few are words with double consonants that you sometimes mix up. The words I wasn�t sure of I skipped and came back to at the end, and just picked the one that looked right at first glance.
The next section is a paragraph with underlined words, and you have to pick the correct form of speech from a word bank. This is more difficult than it sounds. There are parts of speech like �modal verb� and �participle phrase� that you won�t remember from high school English. STUDY. I used a book called �Who�s (opps) Whose Grammar Book is This Anyway?� by C. Edward Good that was pretty decent. http://search.barnesandnoble.com/Whos/C-Edward-Good/e/9781567315769
The last section is a group of teaching related terms, like �choral reading,� �role play,� and things of this nature. Even if you have zero teaching experience these are pretty easy to figure out.
One thing I found surprising is that several of the people in my group had apparently not done ANY research, and only had a vague notion that there was going to be a test. A few people I talked to had never even heard of Dave�s Caf�. Why apply for a job you know nothing about?

After the test there was lunch, and when we came back in there were posted numbers of all the people who had not made the cut. (All the tests were numbered, so there were no names.) Seven people in my group were axed. Both the obnoxious guys were gone, and I don�t know how grammatically savvy these guys were, but as I said, I think this was not just an English test, but a way to get rid of people they had no desire to see more of.
Next came the demos. We were put into 3 groups of 3 and one group of 4 and given a topic, along with some materials. My group was given Animals, specifically Monkey, Snake, Giraffe, and Tiger. (The other groups were given Emotions and Sports, but I can�t remember the fourth.)We were supposed to teach �What is it?� and �It�s a____.� Our materials were leftovers from previous applicants, so we had some cards with the animals on them, and a few masks. Basically, each person in my group had to get up one at a time and teach for about one minute, and we each had to go three times. They�ll give you a basic structure to use (write it down!), 15 minutes to prepare, 10 to do a dry run within your group, and 10 to present. (You might be timed, and you will be video taped) Each group member is supposed to be doing a separate activity that, together, lead to the acquisition of the target language. TIP: Get the �students� involved! Get them up and moving, involved in the learning, and TALKING. THIS IS IMPORTANT! Your students are supposed to be very low level, most likely kids, and they need to be engaged in the learning process.
After your presentation you will be asked what you thought went well, what needed to be improved. Ours got a little confusing because, with 3 people trying to throw together a lesson in 25 minutes, it can�t be all that organized. But the recruiters know this. PRESSENCE is the most important thing. As long as you�re smiling a lot and encouraging your students, and they are up out of their chairs and involved, you�ll do fine.
The personal interview is very simple, so don�t be nervous. Honestly, its clich�, but be yourself, as long as �yourself� isn�t a complete ass. You�ll be asked about your past experiences, and maybe three words to describe yourself. It�s quick and painless. BE PERSONABLE. That was one of the compliments I was given, which is important because you�ll have to put students at ease.
Ta-da! You�re done! Now comes the agonizing part: the waiting! I got my offer two weeks later, and another guy in my demo group got his around the same time.

On my way to Japan in March!

(Sorry for the VERY long post, but hopefully it contains some helpful information!)

Good luck!

[Ryu Hayabusa]

Thanks for the excellent post!

Congrats on getting in with ECC in this economy. I worked for them in Osaka for 6 months. They are one of the best, if not the best major eikaiwa to work for.

[Threnody]

Glad to hear you had a good experience! ^__^ My ECC interview two years ago was very similar, except they didn't do cuts after the grammar test.

I don't have much other than hearsay to compare with, but ECC treated me pretty well and was a fine place to work. Where are they sending you?

[gonzarelli]

John Berrie is awesome. That is all.

[LadyK]

John Berrie is awesome. That is all

I agree!

[Bumble Bee]

Great post!

I completely agree with everything LadyK wrote about the interview with ECC. Smile, be friendly with everyone in the group, ask questions, and have fun with the teaching demos. I attended the same interview and couldn't believe how many people were completely void of any energy throughout their lesson demonstrations. The reason why certain people even bother applying is beyond me.

Oh, I also think that they use the grammar test to weed out the applicants they don't want. ; )

By the way, LadyK, congrats on getting the job! I leave in March as well.

Oh, and JB and Dustin Green have been marvelous!

[mushroomyakuza]

Congrats to LadyK and Bumblebee - I recommend you both over to the "Goig to Tokyo/Japan in March/April/May" thread.