Let's Japan.org Debunking Eikaiwa and Ramblings in Japan

There are times when I think about resurrecting the Ask the Sensei column. Today is one of those times. There appears to be an endless supply of bright-eyed and bushy-tailed university graduates desperate to work in Japan. The latest request for work to land in my inbox comes from Josh.

I found your site through google by typing in "I want a Japan job". I'm in Canada right now and I've been trying to get a Japan job teaching adults for a while now. I have over 4 years of English teaching experience in South Korea. I also look good with a smile and a suit on me. Plus, I have the CELTA certification.

Can you find it in your hearts to help me through your various connections?

If you want, I can send you a recent smiling, suited up photo and my resume.

Thank you for your time

Josh, thanks for the note. Glad to hear you found Let's Japan by typing "I want a Japan job" and scrolling passed all of the job advertisements until you hit LJ.

I'm glad to hear that you can smile and that you look good in a suit because these are two crucial qualities that make an eikaiwa instructor. It's also good you appear to be motivated because that's perfect for teaching seven classes in a row in a highly competitive environment where you need to sell, sell, sell! Might I suggest investing in a plastic hammer and adding a ball toss game to your repertoire if you haven't don so already?

Sadly you've come to the wrong place. LJ isn't in the business of helping people find jobs. You say you have CELTA. Any qualifications or certificates you have will be wasted teaching eikaiwa. Anyway, it sounds like you missed 2007. Not only has the teaching English market been contracting for the past two years, it's flooded with teachers fighting for low-paying jobs. May I ask why do you want to teach in Japan? You need to seriously think about that question. Eikaiwa is drudgery.

PS. No need to send me a picture of your smiling mug. I don't swing that way.

The blog Tofugu has an interview with a current neo-NOVA employee. There's not a lot you haven't heard before, but it's still worth a read for its summary of the aftermath of NOVA's collapse and the perspective on what it's like working for NOVA now.

If you're thinking about working in Japan, the word on NOVA is simple: Don't bother working for them.

5. Would you recommend anyone coming to Japan to try and get a job at G. Education?

Honestly? At this point, no. Come to Japan and try to get a job, sure. But don’t try with G. Education… too much is up in the air at this point, the company hasn’t really figured out what the hell it’s doing and is still not turning a profit as of yet. We’re all still sort of holding our breath for the second grand finale, though that is by no means for sure what’s going to happen. The bottom line is that the future is uncertain, and the management is clueless. I shudder to imagine the mixups and lack of help someone brand-new to Japan would have, all on behalf of G. Education.

Best bet is to get a contract with one of the other big eikaiwas before setting foot in Japan, unless you’ve got a significant savings and don’t mind tightening your belt and not indulging in the tourist experience until your situation gets a bit stable. You can build a decent schedule that will support a comfortable lifestyle, including partying and touristy stuff, but it takes time and multiple small companies.

Amazingly, this teacher has fond memories of NOVA:

Old NOVA, while a typically evil corporation out to squeeze every bit of profit it could from its customers and its employees, was at least reasonably efficient and under control. When management told us something, we generally could feel it was reliable (up until the spiral into bankruptcy, anyways). It knew how to manage foreign employees and had a system set up that took care of all the little details that foreign instructors would have to deal with, moving to a foreign country. The new NOVA is lacking in reliability, know-how, awareness of the differences between foreign and Japanese management style / work expectations

So, old NOVA was evil, and the new NOVA is a mess, but as long as the paychecks keep coming in everything is OK. That's an awful justification. You have three choices when you work for an employer like this:

1. Fight for your rights and take them to court if necessary
2. Quit and find another job
3. Give up on your life in Japan and return home

Sadly, it seems this particular teacher has chosen a fourth option: do nothing. G.communication and schools like it will continue to limp along for a long time so long as they have a steady supply of compliant teachers suckers. Don't be a sucker if you want to teach in Japan.

The opportunity for me to teach English in Japan seemed like a great experience. I have always wanted to go to Japan. I initially came into contact with Nova through my University and I held onto the information for years always thinking I should send them my resume. After spending a few months working 60 plus hours for an internet startup I applied for a job with Nova. After jumping through some hoops of interviewing and paperwork I was hired and had a confirmation date to go to Japan.

The Japan Times ran an article on finding a job after you're done with eikaiwa. If you're new to Japan, start planning your life after eikaiwa lest you end up like ex-NOVA drone Tom Griffin using up your savings and borrowing from your parents just looking for a job.

Discussion about this article can be found in this thread in the forums

Link to the story on the Japan Times web site

THE ZEIT GIST

A friend who taught in Japan for 3 years sent me some advice on things to do...and not to do should I make to move to teach in Japan. I thought Id pass her advice your way, to see what you think, and if you'd add anything.

Well here it goes this is my first ever post on Let's Japan, a friend told me about this site and it's a refreshing change from all crap out there. I used to be hooked on www.japantoday.com then realized the news was fake and message boards were full of racist bigots.

My traveling companion, Amy, and I arrived at Tokyo airport approximately one hour and fifteen minutes late. We had questioned the GEOS trainers about whether or not two hours connection time was enough to make our second flight and were told "No problem." Now 45 minutes, this is a different story. We managed to find an airport employee who could understand what we were trying to tell and her ran with us through the airport and we got to skip the line for immigration. Then we found our way down to our baggage platform only to informed that our luggage was also late.

When I received a call from GEOS in the beginning of July I was incredibly excited! At this point I was no longer concerned with which eikaiwa hired me, only that one did in fact hire me. I eventually had interviews scheduled with NOVA, GEOS, AEON, and ECC. However, after doing more research on all the schools, I decided to cancel the interview with NOVA as I was put off by 1) the no-socialization rule and 2) the idea of paying the same rent as with other companies to share an apartment with one or two other people. So I headed off to Toronto to interview with GEOS first.

I've always had a fascination by Japan and visiting the place but I never thought that I'd actually consider doing it. But, get a guy to work in the same crappy job and live in the same old place for long enough and he begins to think some crazy shit. And have that same guy think about crazy shit for long enough and you never know, he may actually do it. Just take a look at Michael Jackson's face and you get the picture.