Job Discussion Forums

[homesickalien]

Hi there.

On i- to -i's website it states that they offer an opportunity to teach as an ALT in Japan for 7 months starting from August till March I think for around 1000 pounds. Does anyone have any experience with this as I would much prefer to go there for a shorter period than one year and this "sounds" ideal.

However I've noticed interac's website also recruit ALT's in August until March and their method of recruiting and placement appears identical to i ton i's except there are no fees to apply.

I seemed to get the impression that Westgate was the only option for contracts shorter than a year but "i to i" and especially interac seem ideal. Does anyone have any experience with doing a 7 month contract with either of these companies and if so were there any disadvantages compared to doing a one year contract= (i.e reduced wages, benefits etc)

Thanks very much

[fluffyhamster]

A lot depends on what that �1000 covers. If it pays for flights and accommodation set-up, then that might be acceptable if risky (I mean, why not DIY rather than entrust the money to an agent). If however it is just paying for some sort of glorified online cert and the "guarantee" of a job placement, then it really isn't worth it and you'd be better going with Interac (but note that although Interac doesn't charge fees per se, you will still have to pay for flights and accommodation set-up or renewal, though they may assist with the latter in that they'll pay it for you and then deduct set amounts from your paychecks). From what I recall Westgate has expensive housing and quite harsh regs e.g. no overnight guests allowed, plus there may be issues involved in being outsourced labour at universities (schools can be hostile enough to AETs).

The advantages as I see it of starting in August is that you'll probably get a one-year visa at the minimum but still have about four months left on it come the following March-April (should you not have your contract renewed, or be wanting to change employers to e.g. eikaiwa), whereas a visa that ran the more usual academic year wouldn't leave you much if any time in which to shop around. (I just know it was always pretty pressured having to throughout Feb and March set up new jobs starting in April whilst working through to almost the end of March!).

Dispatch AETs get or are freely allowed very few benefits, regardless of what the law or even their contracts say, so I doubt if you will actually be losing out on much with the shorter contract. I wouldn't be surprised however if your permitted vacation days beyond the national holidays etc were very few or even zero, compared to the supposed five or so days for year-long employees after six months FT work. I didn't stay with Interac long enough to avail myself of whatever vacation would've been accruing to me, but certainly the pay seemed no different on a shorter-term contract. (I was replacing a JET who'd left mid-year i.e. just before March-April, what with the JET year running July-Aug, so that particular Interac contract was only until the end of the summer/beginning of the autumn, versus the usual school academic year).

[Glenski]

At today's exchange rate 1000 British pounds is 138,000 yen. I presume you mean the pay for that 7-month contract is this much per month, in which case you are getting paid the lowest I have ever seen in 15 years of posting here. Worst to date for a FT job was previously 150,000.

I doubt that housing or airfare is paid for, but please clarify for us. I would strongly advise against taking such a poorly paid job offer. If rent is not subsidized you will be barely able to break even. And, what about months when school is not in session...?

[rich45]

Avoid i-to-i.

The 1000 pound figure is what you pay to them, I believe I am right in saying.

However, the placements in question are extremely limited to say the least. In fact, it could be argued that they dangle the Japan carrot in front of you so that you complete the compulsory 100 hour TEFL via their website, then they inform you there aren't any more places..."but how about going to Thailand instead?"

Look elsewhere.

[homesickalien]

Hi, thanks very much for the replies everyone, very helpful. Due to homesickness I just don't think I could manage more than 8 months away so these placements would be perfect for me.

Yes, the 1000 pounds or so figure is the amount you pay to i-to-i for them just to find you a job, nothing else and flights, accommodation etc are not included. So basically their service appears to be exactly the same as interac who do their service for free!

I have emailed interac asking them what are the chances of being accepted on a 7-8 month placement instead of a 12 month one. I'm guessing there is less chance as the 7 month placements probably only need filling when previous ALT's decide/have to drop out.

Still-it's good to see that a potential opportunity to teach in Japan for 7 months exists with quite a reliable company.

[sabina]

why on earth would you ever pay to work???
Can't you come over on a WHV? It just doesn't seem practical to pay for someone to find you a short term job.
Just my 2 cents....

[medway garage]

I think you should have a look at this previous thread;

http://forums.eslcafe.com/job/viewtopic.php?t=86753

I also had a friend over here in the UK who was going to do this course, i talked him out of it, that thread is on letsJapan.org ;


QUOTE;The qualification is 'internationally recognised' by the Distance Learning Quality Council'END OF QUOTE ....................WHO????????????

Here's Laura Hunt, i-to-i TEFL 'Expert'[!!!] to tell you [video 3] ;

http://www.onlinetefl.com/tefl-faq/#vid03


I thought Cambridge CELTA and Trinity TESOL were the only internationally recognised initial certs ?

[aynnej]

I agree with the previous poster regarding CELTA/TESOL. There are loads of knock-off 40 to 120-hour courses out there, but CELTA and TESOL are the only certificates that are widely accepted.

I did an i-to-i course before coming to Japan, just because my career change was rather drastic (insurance to ESL) and I felt I needed to pursue *some* sort of initial training. I wasn't able to do a CELTA or TESOL because there were no courses in my area, plus I was working full time. So i-to-i seemed like a good compromise. But honestly, I wouldn't recommend them. I'm not going to say it was worthless, as it may have given me a slight advantage over someone who didn't pursue any certification. Perhaps it did show my sincere motivation to change careers. But it doesn't really amount to much on the resume.

I don't know much about their job placement service, but paying that much to work for Interac or a similar company is unreal. All dispatch companies and eikaiwas are entry level (I work at an eikaiwa myself), so in my opinion, not worth having to pay a head-hunting kind of fee.

The main hiring season here is February/March for an April start. If you're trying to get a job from overseas from one of the handful of companies that hire from abroad, you'll want to start in September or so. The hiring/visa process can take 4-6 months pretty easily. Most contracts are from April to March, but a few teachers do leave Japan in August (some to start graduate degrees and whatnot in their home countries, some just get homesick don't come back after the Obon holiday). So, it is possible to get a job that starts in August. However, most employers aren't going to want to sponsor your visa from overseas unless you intend to work for at least a year.

If you're serious about coming over, you really should consider staying for a full year. Time just flies by, and seven months is going to seem like nothing. Plus, there are a lot of seasonal festivals you'll want to see -- summer festivals, cherry blossoms in the spring, etc.

[Mr_Monkey]

I think it should be made clear that i-to-i actually offer "training" in return for the fee they charge; not "just" placement in an Interac-contracted Japanese (Jr) High School.

I can't comment on the quality of their "teacher training", but I know the last brochure I saw from i-to-i and their "affiliates" had fucking spelling mistakes in it. This suggests something to me; if it doesn't suggest the same thing to you, go fish with the kappa...

[BBQchips]

i think you can do an august to march contract with interac but if you come in during april they likely won:t only give you a 7 month contract. why only 7 months btw?

[gaijinalways]

The OP talked about possible homesickness.
I have to wonder if leaving the UK is such a good idea...