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brokenarm22
Joined: 15 Aug 2010
Posts: 35
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 Posted: Mon Feb 27, 2012 12:08 pm Post subject: Interac training confirmed for March 19. |
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| However, I still have not gotten my placement...Should I buy my ticket anyway? |
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surendra
Joined: 09 Feb 2012
Posts: 82
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| Posted: Mon Feb 27, 2012 3:48 pm Post subject: |
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Hey, I was accepting by Interac but they are being their standoff-ish self that I have heard of. Ford has not responded back to any of my 4 emails since Jan 23rd.
How have you had a training confirmation w/o placement?
Wouldn't that mean you know one of the 2 "areas" you would be placed?
Also, I haven't even received my CoE yet... I know it does not matter until I get a placement really but I am getting a little annoyed. Every night, I just set by my phone and twiddle my thumbs. Let's just say I am glad I have the mind set and started to follow up on my backup plan with a Korea company (even though I <3 Japan ^_^). |
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ultraman111
Joined: 17 Sep 2011
Posts: 148
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| Posted: Mon Feb 27, 2012 9:44 pm Post subject: |
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God help you all  |
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rxk22
Joined: 19 May 2010
Posts: 1629
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| Posted: Tue Feb 28, 2012 4:57 am Post subject: |
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| ultraman111 wrote: |
| God help you all |
Indeed. I came over with Interac, and they dropped the ball, hard. Lost my, and other people's contract upon arrival. had to live in a business hotel for a week. I was lucky. Others just like in that no where place for months.
They get away with it, becuase, we take it. I wouldn't if I were you.
Persoanlly, if I were young and single, I'd try not Japan. |
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surendra
Joined: 09 Feb 2012
Posts: 82
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| Posted: Tue Feb 28, 2012 2:41 pm Post subject: |
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| I totally understand you both. I would not try to teach in Japan but the BIGGEST reason I want to live/teach abroad, is to learn Japanese. Although, I do have Korean companies to fall back on if Interac drops the ball with me. I am taking Interac as a hit-or-miss company. There are stories of ppl lucking out and being taken advantage of. We hear more of the negative b/c they choose to post as opposed to those that are happy and sit easy. So again, with a 50% chance of getting a good contract and my love of Japan, I am willing to take this chance. |
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rxk22
Joined: 19 May 2010
Posts: 1629
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| Posted: Tue Feb 28, 2012 2:46 pm Post subject: |
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Why Japanese? It is pretty useless as languages go. Korean is prolly more practical, as oddball languages go. As you can find more Korean speakers outside of Korea.
Japanese is a hard language, with little to no payoff. Save for being to read manga before it gets scanned, and some of the more obscure MMA organizations broadcasts.
I speak Japanese, and have a Japanese wife. That being said, I wouldn't recommend learning it. A LONG learning curve, and little to no payoff.
I've worked for Interac for 3 years. They aren't bad as far as companies
here go. In the US, I'd rank them pretty low, as the avg here is a tad retail level in the US.
Why not China/Hong Kong or Vietnam if you like Asia? |
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surendra
Joined: 09 Feb 2012
Posts: 82
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| Posted: Tue Feb 28, 2012 3:16 pm Post subject: |
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I completely disagree with you on Japanese as a useless language. I think you grossly generalized it. Japanese and Korean are both useful, just depends on where you are. Also, with Japan being a top, developed nation, I'd argue it is more useful. But...
I already speak conversational Japanese and a goal of mine is to reach JLPT N2 and be able to work for a real Japanese business, and not watch anime and so on. Definitely, Korea looks more attractive from a contract pov, but I'd take $200/month less to work Japan any day. And Vietnam will not work due to poor conversion rate.
And back to the topic, if you worked for Interac for 3 years, that has to be a good sign. You said had something happen initially, but I guess nothing detrimental in those 3 years to make you go back home. |
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rxk22
Joined: 19 May 2010
Posts: 1629
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| Posted: Tue Feb 28, 2012 9:39 pm Post subject: |
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| surendra wrote: |
I completely disagree with you on Japanese as a useless language. I think you grossly generalized it. Japanese and Korean are both useful, just depends on where you are. Also, with Japan being a top, developed nation, I'd argue it is more useful. But...
I already speak conversational Japanese and a goal of mine is to reach JLPT N2 and be able to work for a real Japanese business, and not watch anime and so on. Definitely, Korea looks more attractive from a contract pov, but I'd take $200/month less to work Japan any day. And Vietnam will not work due to poor conversion rate.
And back to the topic, if you worked for Interac for 3 years, that has to be a good sign. You said had something happen initially, but I guess nothing detrimental in those 3 years to make you go back home. |
Would disagree with you, strongly. Japan is industrialized, but that does not necessarily mean that it needs people who can speak Japanese. They graduate tons of Japanese from language colleges here, every year, who will work for super cheap.
The conversion rate is lower for China/Vietnam, but since you get paid fairly well there, you can save almost as much, while living.
It's the least worst job that is easily obtainable. As I said, in the US, I wouldn't put up with the conditions at Interac. Unpaid training, and 4 months with reduced pay, are not imho acceptable. |
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Amarok
Joined: 02 Jun 2009
Posts: 47
Location: pineapple under the sea
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| Posted: Tue Feb 28, 2012 10:44 pm Post subject: |
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| surendra wrote: |
I already speak conversational Japanese and a goal of mine is to reach JLPT N2 and be able to work for a real Japanese business, and not watch anime and so on. Definitely, Korea looks more attractive from a contract pov, but I'd take $200/month less to work Japan any day. And Vietnam will not work due to poor conversion rate.
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You are DREAMING and need to wake up. I came to Japan at the Japanese level you're *aiming for*, with the hopes of passing the level 1 JLPT and getting a job at a "real Japanese business." Well, I passed the test and have 100% confidence in my Japanese fluency, but I couldn't get a normal job despite that, and I learned pretty quickly that "real Japanese businesses" don't want to hire foreigners, regardless of how good your Japanese is. You have little to no hope of getting out of the English teaching bubble even if your Japanese is fluent, so what are you expecting to do after spending a lot of time just getting to intermediate/N2? It's not a good bargain or a good way to spend your time.
If, of course, you happen to have a strong background in engineering or IT, that's another story, and you can get a job in those fields, but I'm assuming you're like most people who come over to teach.
Learn a language like Chinese or Korean if you want something that will actually be profitable for you. |
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rxk22
Joined: 19 May 2010
Posts: 1629
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| Posted: Wed Feb 29, 2012 12:37 am Post subject: |
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| Amarok wrote: |
| surendra wrote: |
I already speak conversational Japanese and a goal of mine is to reach JLPT N2 and be able to work for a real Japanese business, and not watch anime and so on. Definitely, Korea looks more attractive from a contract pov, but I'd take $200/month less to work Japan any day. And Vietnam will not work due to poor conversion rate.
. |
You are DREAMING and need to wake up. I came to Japan at the Japanese level you're *aiming for*, with the hopes of passing the level 1 JLPT and getting a job at a "real Japanese business." Well, I passed the test and have 100% confidence in my Japanese fluency, but I couldn't get a normal job despite that, and I learned pretty quickly that "real Japanese businesses" don't want to hire foreigners, regardless of how good your Japanese is. You have little to no hope of getting out of the English teaching bubble even if your Japanese is fluent, so what are you expecting to do after spending a lot of time just getting to intermediate/N2? It's not a good bargain or a good way to spend your time.
If, of course, you happen to have a strong background in engineering or IT, that's another story, and you can get a job in those fields, but I'm assuming you're like most people who come over to teach.
Learn a language like Chinese or Korean if you want something that will actually be profitable for you. |
This. Japanese companies don't hire many gaijin in general. Also N2 isn7t enough to get most jobs anyways. You really need N1.
You can get out of the teaching bubble, but is it worth it? I turned down ajob at East West consulting, as the hours just suck. I don't want to be a salaryman here, working 10-12 hour days. The quality of life just isn't worth it.
With most companies, they hire the people who graduated form language schools, as they work for cheap. That, and the econ here is not growing, making it as a business language, dead.
BTW most Japanese don't like their jobs. Japan isn't a bad place to live, by any means. It just sucks to live here, as there is no work life balance. Maybe a foreign company would be good to work for, such as IBM. |
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OneJoelFifty
Joined: 06 Oct 2009
Posts: 463
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| Posted: Wed Feb 29, 2012 5:44 am Post subject: |
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Thought I'd chime in here as it's vaguely on topic. I think anyone that is coming to Japan to try and work in an office needs to seriously consider their priorities. Teaching English is generally a good job (note I said 'job', and not 'career'). While the pay can be on the low side, the balance between work hours and free time is generally very good, and there's often no taking your work home with you.
There is no way I would want to work in a Japanese company. One of the main reasons is that employees feel pressure to stay late at work every day just to give the impression that they are busy and dillgent workers, even when in reality they have very little to do. |
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brokenarm22
Joined: 15 Aug 2010
Posts: 35
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| Posted: Wed Feb 29, 2012 1:58 pm Post subject: |
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| surendra wrote: |
Hey, I was accepting by Interac but they are being their standoff-ish self that I have heard of. Ford has not responded back to any of my 4 emails since Jan 23rd.
How have you had a training confirmation w/o placement?
Wouldn't that mean you know one of the 2 "areas" you would be placed?
Also, I haven't even received my CoE yet... I know it does not matter until I get a placement really but I am getting a little annoyed. Every night, I just set by my phone and twiddle my thumbs. Let's just say I am glad I have the mind set and started to follow up on my backup plan with a Korea company (even though I <3 Japan ^_^). |
Yes, I got my COE the other day and its at the Japanese consul right now. I am training in Tokyo. I would suggest calling Ford. I guess they get as many emails as a celebrity. I called Ford and got right to him. WHere are you from? |
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surendra
Joined: 09 Feb 2012
Posts: 82
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| Posted: Wed Feb 29, 2012 2:58 pm Post subject: |
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Hey! I found out that they lost my Offer of Employment signed letter, so I had to send that off yesterday. Ford called me and told me. Chances are I will be sent as an alternate  I am from Washington, D.C.
To others that posted, I am not going to start a "war". I just want to say I disagree with you saying that Japanese is not a useful language. In addition, I said Japanese business not business in Japan, so I think there might have been misunderstandings. |
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Vince
Joined: 05 May 2003
Posts: 559
Location: U.S.
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| Posted: Wed Feb 29, 2012 3:13 pm Post subject: |
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| Surendra, do you mean that you ultimately want to work at a US office of a Japanese company, or at a Japanese company in Japan? |
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brokenarm22
Joined: 15 Aug 2010
Posts: 35
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| Posted: Wed Feb 29, 2012 3:36 pm Post subject: |
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| surendra wrote: |
Hey! I found out that they lost my Offer of Employment signed letter, so I had to send that off yesterday. Ford called me and told me. Chances are I will be sent as an alternate I am from Washington, D.C.
To others that posted, I am not going to start a "war". I just want to say I disagree with you saying that Japanese is not a useful language. In addition, I said Japanese business not business in Japan, so I think there might have been misunderstandings. |
What does that mean exactly, being sent as an alternate? |
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