Got a job with Aeon Corp, I will be living in Nagoya...

Originally Posted by Crowley

Huh? It was a humorous comment. Y'know, because japanese people don't buy xboxes and stuff. Lighten up.

I'm not Japanese people. But I get ya.

Along the lines of:



"Oh my god! It's as big as my house!"

[TommyA]

Originally Posted by kokujin

How much do you get payed and were you provided someplace to stay? How much is rent?

255,000 yen a month, with 29.5 hours a week of work, 25 of which are class hours. 3,000 yen per hour after 25 hours of teaching a week.

42,000 yen a month for rent. My apartment will be situated once I sign contracts. They told me it will be no more than 20 mins via subway.

TommyA- 25 bucks per hour, that sounds good as a part time job, meaning you don't work 40 hours a week.

I do have a question though- how do you guys working in Japan take care of the taxes?

[SDSUMarcus01]

From my research you're supposed to be in the office for 40 hours a week, you're just only teaching for 29.5 hours. The other time is considered prep time or something.

And I think you don't have to pay us or japanese taxes for the first year, you may have to pay japanese taxes the second year.

[TommyA]

SDSU, nah it is 29.5 hours a week, 25 hours of teaching a week. I have seen their schedule plans. Pretty much Tuesday - Saturday, days start at 12pm or 11am, and there are either 3 1 hour breaks, a 2 hour and 1 hour break, or 1 big 3 hour break, spent on lunch or prep, depending on how you work. I will be using it for both.

Not sure if the power supply issue has been answered yet. When I went to Europe I was worried about the same thing. I'm not sure the voltage/ampage they use in Japan but check the back of your AC supplies. Most modern devices have a range and have no problem going lower or higher.

Only my Camera charger had a problem with the voltage and a converter only ran me about $15 CND. so its really not that big of a problem.

[jindojim]

I just applied to Amity (a division of Aeon) so that I don't have to rely entirely on JET. But I really couldn't decide between Amity and Aeon, since I could def teach adults and/or children. Which one has the better hours (as in daytime working hrs)?

And I would prob go w/ Aeon (or other eikaiwa) if they put me near Tokyo and JET didn't.

[TommyA]

I didnt care where I got placed, just as long as it was in a big city, and I got it, so I am happy. Amity and AEON have same schedules pretty much, as far as hours I think. I wanted to teach adults and kids so things werent so 1 dimensional.

[six-eight-ten]

I guess I'd be the other person who bought a 360 in Japan, then....

As to the TV prices... I haven't checked lately. Someone else already fielded this question anyway. A projector may be the way to go, but that will also depend largely on your apartment.

[koku]

Originally Posted by TommyA

255,000 yen a month, with 29.5 hours a week of work, 25 of which are class hours. 3,000 yen per hour after 25 hours of teaching a week.

42,000 yen a month for rent. My apartment will be situated once I sign contracts. They told me it will be no more than 20 mins via subway.

Someone else can correct me but that sounds NICE. As in, maybe better than JET pay. Isn't JET at most 300k for a full 40 hours a week?

[TommyA]

Yeah I am now debating on what to do visually for my apartment. I am TOTALLY considering a projector now. I will have a ton of cash come move time, so I can do the projector and ship over my PC 6.1s, and keep em low to keep the neighbors happy. I just am scared of the 20 inch color tv with no cable I am sure to walk in on come July 8th.

One thing though kokujin about the pay and such, JET pays for your flight to Japan, Aeon doesn't, but Aeon does pay for your flight home, plus a nice bonus when you end your contract, almost 3 grand if you do 2 years or more.

[PopCulturePooka]

Plus, TommyA isn't considered full time and will get gyped on health insurance.

Plus, being with Aeon he is locked into the apartment.

Even if he leaves taht apartment for his own digs, he will still continue to pay rent for it. Yeap. Pay rent for an apartment you no longer live in.

[SDSUMarcus01]

Originally Posted by TommyA

SDSU, nah it is 29.5 hours a week, 25 hours of teaching a week. I have seen their schedule plans. Pretty much Tuesday - Saturday, days start at 12pm or 11am, and there are either 3 1 hour breaks, a 2 hour and 1 hour break, or 1 big 3 hour break, spent on lunch or prep, depending on how you work. I will be using it for both.

Yah but from what I've heard a lot of those "breaks" are to be manditorily spent in the office for unpaid small talk, lesson prep, student evaluation, etc.

[fa11en87]

YAY! Good for you!=) Your plans sound good. Oh, and that's a nice, big and cheezy smile.>=)

[TommyA]

Originally Posted by SDSUMarcus01

Yah but from what I've heard a lot of those "breaks" are to be manditorily spent in the office for unpaid small talk, lesson prep, student evaluation, etc.

Hmm my rep never told me it was mandatory. So I will have to do some research. She was telling me people use the time to go home to prepare, go to lunch, do local sight seeing or meeting with friends in between classes. That would be major misleading if I get there and I find out it is mandatory. She was an ex Aeon also and is now an overseas recruiter.

[PopCulturePooka]

Originally Posted by TommyA

Hmm my rep never told me it was mandatory. So I will have to do some research. She was telling me people use the time to go home to prepare, go to lunch, do local sight seeing or meeting with friends in between classes. That would be major misleading if I get there and I find out it is mandatory. She was an ex Aeon also and is now an overseas recruiter.

Dude, the overseas recruiters for all those companies tell outright crap.

Its there job, they need to sell the company to potential new drones.

Chances are, just like NOVA, your working conditions, including breaks, will be dictated by your supervisor. Who can be company toadies and nazis.

[jindojim]

What're the typical hrs for these companies? Like mainly daytime, or evening, nights...?

[PopCulturePooka]

Evenings and nights are busy times.

Expect some 9pm finishes.

[SDSUMarcus01]

Originally Posted by TommyA

Hmm my rep never told me it was mandatory. So I will have to do some research. She was telling me people use the time to go home to prepare, go to lunch, do local sight seeing or meeting with friends in between classes. That would be major misleading if I get there and I find out it is mandatory. She was an ex Aeon also and is now an overseas recruiter.

www.letsjapan.org
www.gaijinpot.com
www.eslcafe.com

There is also apparently major cultural difference in terms of work hour attitudes. Even though you aren't "required" to be there for the set hours, you try telling your Japanese boss that you'll be taking your breaks at home and see what happens. Or even try doing something like studying Japanese in your time off.

You might want also want to find out if those 1.5-3 hours of break time include those 10 minutes before every class. If you teach 8 classes a day, each with a ten minute break between that's 80 minutes. Take on another ten minutes to make one ten minute break into a lunch break and there's your 1.5 hours off... and not so appealing anymore.

I'm not trying to dog you or anything. It's more that I'm trying to burst my own bubble than yours. I've also put a lot of thought into doing it and I will definately say that Aeon is the top of dog poo pile in terms of eikaiwa. I want to do it too but I'm really worried that I'll be screwing up my career options if I do. And I'm sure that a lot of fun could be had for a year but according to the old folks, its not as great as it was ten years ago.

Then again, do I want to work in a field that I hate (finance) just because it pays a lot? I guess my attitude is maybe I can do this shitty job for a year or two just because its in Japan (and is better than a shitty finance related job) because I may never get the chance to do that again.

Originally Posted by jimmyjindo

I just applied to Amity (a division of Aeon) so that I don't have to rely entirely on JET. But I really couldn't decide between Amity and Aeon, since I could def teach adults and/or children. Which one has the better hours (as in daytime working hrs)?

And I would prob go w/ Aeon (or other eikaiwa) if they put me near Tokyo and JET didn't.

I hear that.

[Justin Carr]

Okay. It's official. I'm playing too much City of Villains. I saw the title of the thread and the first thing that pops in my mind is "Hmm... I didn't know that Cap au Diable in the Pacific..."

[Plekto]

Az's experiences are spot-on in this reguard.

You will be working 40 hours a week. They pay you for time worked in-class ONLY, though, being the stingy bastards most corporations are. But yes, you will be working 40 hours a week and overtime and helping out with the school plays and functions and...

Just like teaching full-time in America. Expect 60 hours a week to be common if they give you homework to do. Though, if it's an extension/community school, you likely can hire an aide as opposed to a Jr. High, where there's a shortage of adults as a rule. If you only have one workplace and it's an afterschool/community center type job, then you've gotten a bit lucky - you'll actually go home after 8 hours and not have the extracirricular functions. OTOH, you'll make almost no friends at work - it will feel like teaching at a local Junior College. They come in, you teach. They leave. You go home, too. I personally would rather teach at a school myself, though highschool is definately better from what I hear.

But yeah - you'll put in 40 hours. Lol. You must get in your proper quotient of workplace suffereing like the rest of society, afterall.

EDIT:
www.gaijinpot.com - notice the poor pay and miserable hours and so on for the jobs that don't have the red star next to them? If you are planning on long-term living, think of the job as a first one and move on. But contrary to what the big companies tell you, Fluency is all-but mandatory for better jobs. They say you don't need it, but the reality is that the reason is that while you don't *need* to speak Japanese, the chances of you getting a job in another field and leaving them is about zero otherwise. Of course they prefer people who only have them as an option - such is corporate thinking. Realize that going in and you'll be fine.

Myself? I'd apply for a real job and settle down if I was in Az's place. He speaks fluently and has three years experience, so applying for a full-time non-contracted job might be a possiblity. It's a person like him that people want to hire - and note how many of the jobs on that board are wanting local/in-country hires(like 80% of them!).

P.S. In my company, which deals with foriegn document forensics(legal document processing) - we have people from all over the world working for us. All are fluent in English and we are hiring new people every month as we grow. It's no different in Japan - you speak both languages fluently, and have some technical skills - you'll find work. Speak only one language and it's amazingly hard to find good work. I mention this as data/document forensics is a huge growing field that they need U.S. people in Japan to do - merely being fluent won't cut it when you are dealing with documents from mostly U.S. firms. My company hires a lot of people from around the world here in the U.S., for the same reasons. Knowing German isn't the same as beign German or having a Masters in Linguistics(which ine guy does - speaks 5 languages fluently) Something to look into at least, for those of use with some business background with fluiency in Japanese as well.

[TommyA]

Originally Posted by Plekto

Az's experiences are spot-on in this reguard.

You will be working 40 hours a week. They pay you for time worked in-class ONLY, though, being the stingy bastards most corporations are. But yes, you will be working 40 hours a week and overtime and helping out with the school plays and functions and...

Just like teaching full-time in America. Expect 60 hours a week to be common if they give you homework to do. Though, if it's an extension/community school, you likely can hire an aide as opposed to a Jr. High, where there's a shortage of adults as a rule. If you only have one workplace and it's an afterschool/community center type job, then you've gotten a bit lucky - you'll actually go home after 8 hours and not have the extracirricular functions. OTOH, you'll make almost no friends at work - it will feel like teaching at a local Junior College. They come in, you teach. They leave. You go home, too. I personally would rather teach at a school myself, though highschool is definately better from what I hear.

But yeah - you'll put in 40 hours. Lol. You must get in your proper quotient of workplace suffereing like the rest of society, afterall.

EDIT:
www.gaijinpot.com - notice the poor pay and miserable hours and so on for the jobs that don't have the red star next to them? If you are planning on long-term living, think of the job as a first one and move on. But contrary to what the big companies tell you, Fluency is all-but mandatory for better jobs. They say you don't need it, but the reality is that the reason is that while you don't *need* to speak Japanese, the chances of you getting a job in another field and leaving them is about zero otherwise. Of course they prefer people who only have them as an option - such is corporate thinking. Realize that going in and you'll be fine.

Myself? I'd apply for a real job and settle down if I was in Az's place. He speaks fluently and has three years experience, so applying for a full-time non-contracted job might be a possiblity. It's a person like him that people want to hire - and note how many of the jobs on that board are wanting local/in-country hires(like 80% of them!).

P.S. In my company, which deals with foriegn document forensics(legal document processing) - we have people from all over the world working for us. All are fluent in English and we are hiring new people every month as we grow. It's no different in Japan - you speak both languages fluently, and have some technical skills - you'll find work. Speak only one language and it's amazingly hard to find good work. I mention this as data/document forensics is a huge growing field that they need U.S. people in Japan to do - merely being fluent won't cut it when you are dealing with documents from mostly U.S. firms. My company hires a lot of people from around the world here in the U.S., for the same reasons. Knowing German isn't the same as beign German or having a Masters in Linguistics(which ine guy does - speaks 5 languages fluently) Something to look into at least, for those of use with some business background with fluiency in Japanese as well.

OK wow I am sorry, but I am working at an eikawa, there wont be school plays and such, as I am working in a building that people pay to go to, to learn English.

OK let's say the world is full of liars and BSers, from what I was told, was that she hardly worked any overtime, and shifts were typically 12 - 9pm or 11 - 8pm, the breaks didnt appear attached to the time for class prep, as each class is 50 minutes, and the class times on the schedule I saw, were hour blocks, meaning 10 minutes of prep. I would def like to inform people of the facts once I receive them, instead of internet rumors and myths. It took me a lot of reading and research to find some useful information, and I wish there was always just one reliable source of such info. But of course, ESID with any situation in life. Thanks for the info though.

TommyA, did Aeon require you to know some Japanese or have studied some Japanese in the past?