I interview for ECC on Monday, any tips??

[tomorris]

Hi,
I interview for ECC on Monday in Chicago....does anyone have any advice? I want to be placed in Tokyo, so I can live with my Japanese friend...any help would be appreciated.


-- tom

[Taro Toporific]

I interview for ECC on Monday in Chicago....does anyone have any advice? I want to be placed in Tokyo, so I can live with my Japanese friend...any help would be appreciated.

Try reading an ESL/EFL textbook for teaching just to get some terms under your cap. If I remember what American Oyaji said about his sucessful interview with NOVA, the management seems to like to show off their mastery of jargon. ECC has even more pretensions about their "Method" and in-house materials.

Try reading ...
ESL Syllabus for Teaching

Japan Association for Language Teaching (JALT)
http://www.jalt.org/

Teachers of English to Speakers of Other Languages (TESOL)
http://www.tesol.org/

[mercutio]

<mode="sarcasm">
hmmm....tips for getting a job teaching engilsh at one of the big 3 in japan.... well

be a native speaker
have a pulse


oh and apparently usually it helps if you have a number of psychological issues or a complete lack of self-esteem <mode="sacasm off">

[kamome]

oh and apparently usually it helps if you have a number of psychological issues or a complete lack of self-esteem

So true, so true. Might I add, "being a lost soul"?

Actually, I would be very directly ask about ECC's compensation practices. I have heard horror stories about E-teachers not getting paid, or getting paid late, or getting less than they thought they would be making. Don't just take their first answer at face value: really probe their responses and find out as much as you can about the nature of the contract, dispute resolution procedures in the event of non-payment, what they consider as trigger conditions for non-payment of wages to teachers, what they consider as reasons to fire a teacher, performance standards, etc.

Also ask whether they will provide assistance in finding housing for you, whether they will sponsor your visa, whether they will pay relocation expenses (both ways), and whether they pay overtime.

Unfortunately, most Japanese companies don't have a lot of articulated guidelines and the "contract" will be nothing more than a 2-page offer letter. You may not be able to get satisfactory answers to many of the above questions, which should give you pause before coming out here.

[tomorris]

hey,
so do you know of any good local eikaiwas in Tokyo, or do you know of a good way to switch jobs once I get there? Am I just delusional in thinking that working at ECC will be OK?

They say it is only 30 hrs/wk, so it doesn't seem that hard...maybe I am just naive. If anyone has any more advice, I would appreciate it....

from what I've read on other sites, ECC doesn't seem to be that bad, but also I feel kind of like I'm going to work at McDonald's for a year. Does anyone know of a better way to get a job in Tokyo?


-- tom

[Taro Toporific]

I feel kind of like I'm going to work at McDonald's for a year. Does anyone know of a better way to get a job in Tokyo?

Yep, except Tokyo McDonald's pays what-about 650 yen/hour.

If ECC will give you housing, get your visa, pay to drag you over here to live here in the Land-o-Concrete(tm), it's a fair deal for the first 6-to-12 months. After you get settled in, you can try to escape....most people do. Finding that "next" job is the pisser. If you're a real hustler or damn lucky escaping McJob at ECC will be easy. ON THE OTHER HAND, 80% of the western FG wannabes that come here are gone after one year, either because they gave up or wised up.

[tomorris]

Hi,
I think I wasn't clear before, but I am only going to live in Japan for 1 year. After that, I will go back to the US to go to law school, and I won't live in Japan again. So, what do you recommend if that is the case? I am just working at ECC to basically explore Japan and live in Tokyo for 1 year.... do you still think that it is such a bad idea then? I am not trying to pose as a "FG" who is there for life; I am only going to live there for 1 year...so what do you recommend then?


-- Tom

[GomiGirl]

[quote="tomorris"]Hi,
I think I wasn't clear before, but I am only going to live in Japan for 1 year. After that, I will go back to the US to go to law school, and I won't live in Japan again. So, what do you recommend if that is the case? I am just working at ECC to basically explore Japan and live in Tokyo for 1 year.... do you still think that it is such a bad idea then? I am not trying to pose as a "FG" who is there for life]

Hi Tom,

While you are here you will be an FG.. like it or not. Afterwards, "you can check out anytime you like, but you can never leave!!"

[Taro Toporific]

After that, I will go back to the US to go to law school, and I won't live in Japan again.

Do NOT tell ECC that. Say a couple few years, otherwise they won't bother to offer you the job unless you are real cute (ECC management can be gay).

Otherwise, one-year-&-run sounds like a fine plan. I have one friend who hustled a series of teaching and biz jobs here using his preppie looks. He stayed here for 15 months before he parlayed that "experience" into impressing the admissions interview staff of Tucks MBA program of Dartmouth. That's a good scam for guy who had marginal hope of getting into the Ivy League. Then again, he was a remarkable person who just needed that one good break (he's now CFO of a French company at age 33).

[kamome]

[quote="tomorris"]Hi,
I think I wasn't clear before, but I am only going to live in Japan for 1 year. After that, I will go back to the US to go to law school, and I won't live in Japan again. So, what do you recommend if that is the case? I am just working at ECC to basically explore Japan and live in Tokyo for 1 year.... do you still think that it is such a bad idea then? I am not trying to pose as a "FG" who is there for life]

Are you sure you want to be applying to law schools while you are in Japan? The postage costs are very high to send those thick packages back to your home country. And it will be that much harder to contact/research schools because of the time zone differences. And have you checked the deferral policies for the schools you want to go to?

[Taro Toporific]

...have you checked the deferral policies for the schools you want to go to?

Yeah, "deferral policies": smart kamome, I forgot that. My Tucks MBA buddy spent a small fortune in plane fare going back for interviews, and lost one good (sales) job with Jardin Flemming here over his absences.

[bejiita]

Just make sure you buy one of these t-shirts and wear it to your interview to show how badly you want the job.

[bejiita]

If you do intend to go to law school and all you want to do is experience Japan for a short time but not too short, go to law school first. Then, when you've got your financial aid from your student loans, do a Spring Abroad semester at Temple. That should give you at least 5 months, 6-7 months if you decide to stay the summer.

Yeah, some people will say that Temple is not that great of a school, but who cares, you'll only be attending it to experience Japan.

[kamome]

If you do intend to go to law school and all you want to do is experience Japan for a short time but not too short, go to law school first. Then, when you've got your financial aid from your student loans, do a Spring Abroad semester at Temple. That should give you at least 5 months, 6-7 months if you decide to stay the summer.

Yeah, some people will say that Temple is not that great of a school, but who cares, you'll only be attending it to experience Japan.

I personally wouldn't go this route. The Temple program isn't that good (so I hear from people who've done it), and given that he will have only 4 semesters to cram in all of the electives he wants to take after the first year of required courses (including bar-related courses like Trusts & Estates, Evidence, etc.), he probably should make the most of those courses offered by his own school.

He probably should just do JET for a year but apply to schools before his one year contract starts.

[Big Booger]

My tip:

Get yourself an economy sized unit of vaseline:


And bend over.

[tomorris]

Hi,
I'd like to do my year in Japan first, so I can start working right out of law school. I am not too worried about money, because I got a big scholarship for my college that I'm in now, so I have a lot of money left out of my college fund for law school....the JET deadline was in October, so it is too late to do that this year...

So, what do you recommend based on that? I am not going to do a bad law school program in Japan just to live there....I would just like to be in Tokyo for 1 year before I go to law school....what do you recommend (besides lube)?

-- tom

[Big Booger]

http://l-school.hbi.ne.jp/recruit/recruit_en.html

Something like those are not so bad. The only thing is the Visa deal. That is why ECC and the like are popular amongst those coming over on the boat

You should be working in a better environment than at an English assembly line type deal like at ECC, Nova, Geos, etc....

The downside is some of those corporate students don't give two rats asses about learning English. They are there because they have to be.. usually.


Maybe someone else can give better advice that what I have given.

[Taro Toporific]

http://l-school.hbi.ne.jp/recruit/recruit_en.html

Something like those are not so bad. The only thing is the Visa deal.

Also, what the HBI recruiting ad does not say is that they really prefer hiring females....Specifically US military wives since they rotate out every 2 years to provide them "fresh" teachers. Most of these corporate in-house schools want the applicant toi have a Spouse Visa, in the case of HBI they demand it since greatly reduces their risks and management hastles.

Business International Ltd. provides various language-related services mainly targeting corporate clients, and is looking for language instructors, interpreters, rewriters in Tokyo, Kanagawa and Chiba areas. If you are interested in responding to HBI about these positions, please fax your resume to:
03-5259-5529. We will contact you in about 2 weeks.

[tomorris]

Hi,
Also, another problem is that I can't start until I graduate from college, which is in the end of May. I take the LSAT in early June, so I wouldn't be able to go to Japan until mid to late June....if anyone has any other ideas, i would greatly appreciate them. from my reading on this and many other sites, ECC is supposed to be much better than NOVA and the other mega-eikaiwas...i'm not expecting some great job, though.

-- tom

[japslapper]

Well when we all are a lot richer lets start up a decent eikaiwa ......hmmm "Japslappers Academy", which treats workers well and ultimately sent ECC and Nova down the tube!!

[kamome]

Hi,
Also, another problem is that I can't start until I graduate from college, which is in the end of May. I take the LSAT in early June, so I wouldn't be able to go to Japan until mid to late June....if anyone has any other ideas, i would greatly appreciate them. from my reading on this and many other sites, ECC is supposed to be much better than NOVA and the other mega-eikaiwas...i'm not expecting some great job, though.

-- tom

I don't know, you've kind of painted yourself into a corner on this one. You haven't even taken the LSAT yet, right? Suppose you feel the need to cancel your score because of a bad performance on that day...you would have to stay in the US to take it all over again.

In other words, you are in too precarious a position now to plan any trip to Japan. I wouldn't start planning a Japan trip until my LSAT scores were solid and my applications to schools were in. At this point, you might want to look into short-term homestays with a J-family to get your Japan fix, so that you can run home whenever you need to take care of more important things like school.

[tomorris]

Hi,
I don't think that the LSAT/Law school thing will really be a problem. With the LSAT, they average whatever scores you get over multiple tests, so I highly doubt that I will take the test a second time... also, I know that I will go to law school in either NYC or LA, so that narrows my field down quite a bit of where I want to go... I don't mind flying back for an interview or two. I just feel like if I don't do my "year overseas" thing now, I will probably get stuck on a career path where I won't ever want to....Also, I am applying to the Peace Corps as a backup plan to ECC...does anyone here have any experience w/ the Peace Corps?


-- Tom

[mr. sparkle]

tommy,

just do a freakin' banzai mission when you're ready.

what IS a banzai mission? here's the sparkly low-down.

1. get an open ended round trip ticket to Seoul with a stop over in Tokyo.
2. bring bunch of money
3. go stay at a gaijin house
4. look for a job, say that you'll go to korea to get the work visa
5. go to Korea and get your work visa and live it up for a few days there.
5. return to japan and go to work, do your j-thing.
6. return to the US for law school when you're ready.

this way you can be a bit more choosey about the job. that is, if you can find someone to hire you even though you're not currently a resident.

i think it can be done this way, can't it guys?

good luck!

mr. sparkle

[kamome]

Hi,
I don't think that the LSAT/Law school thing will really be a problem. With the LSAT, they average whatever scores you get over multiple tests, so I highly doubt that I will take the test a second time... also, I know that I will go to law school in either NYC or LA, so that narrows my field down quite a bit of where I want to go... I don't mind flying back for an interview or two. I just feel like if I don't do my "year overseas" thing now, I will probably get stuck on a career path where I won't ever want to....Also, I am applying to the Peace Corps as a backup plan to ECC...does anyone here have any experience w/ the Peace Corps?


-- Tom

Tom--

You're misinformed on a number of counts.

Yes, your LSAT scores are averaged over multiple takes, but there also is the option to cancel your score within 5 days in case you have the "hunch" that you didn't do well. Cancellation within 5 days means that score will not be averaged with the score you earn the next time you take the exam (basically they will ignore your cancelled score and just send your second score to the schools of your choice--on the downside, you don't have the opportunity to evaluate your score in those five days before choosing to cancel). I think you should leave yourself that option in case something goes wrong on test day. Your LSAT is not something to f--- with or take lightly.

Second, there is no such thing as law school interviews. They base admissions solely on the written application packet you send in plus LSAT scores. Thus, the issue for you is getting those apps in before you leave for Japan.

Third, you won't get stuck on any kind of career path even if you don't go to Japan right away.

However, here's an option for you: don't take the LSAT yet and don't apply to law schools yet either. After graduation, do your year in Japan teaching English. While in Japan, study for the LSATs and be ready to take them when you choose to come back. You can also do all your preliminary research for your apps online and start drafting personal statements, etc. Of course, there still will be a lag between your return from Japan to the next admissions period.

[altar]

http://l-school.hbi.ne.jp/recruit/recruit_en.html

Something like those are not so bad. The only thing is the Visa deal. That is why ECC and the like are popular amongst those coming over on the boat

They offer JPY 250000, but do they provide an appartment with that? If not, is it really possible to live on that in Tokyo?

[altar]

Well when we all are a lot richer lets start up a decent eikaiwa ......hmmm "Japslappers Academy", which treats workers well and ultimately sent ECC and Nova down the tube!!

Muhaha! It would probably start well but surely end up worse that with local institutes!! Rob Pongi would not only refuse to dress decently but to dress full stop... Japanese authorities would have to create new charges like "teaching under the influence"... It would probably end up in multiple murder!

[Taro Toporific]

[
They offer JPY 250000, but do they provide an appartment with that? If not, is it really possible to live on that in Tokyo?

JPY 250000/m GROSS salary is nearer the low-end of the pay scale. You could spend 40-50% of your NET salary on sub-standard housing. However, there are plenty of Japanese OLs who live on on less than 200,000yen/m in Tokyo.

Via Terrie Lloyd's "Job Tips"

http://www.daijob.com/wij/en/colum/terrie_111.html

Looking at informal English teaching (versus getting a job in a proper school or university) first, generally you work in the evenings and thus have scope to hold down a second job or to pursue training for an alternative career. You can expect a salary of JPY250,000-350,000 per month for about 30 hours a week....

Manual labor is a tough route to go, especially now that so many able-bodied Japanese are out of work. Nevertheless, the Immigration Bureau says that there are about 350,000 legal foreign factory workers in Japan - so obviously there is still work available. Generally speaking, you will need a friend or relative to help you find a job, and although you may not speak Japanese to begin with, it won't take long to pick it up. You can expect a wage of about JPY230,000-300,000 for a factory job, with scope in some industries for overtime.

[American Oyaji]

Working for NOVA can be a good deal if you can get out of the city.

Yeah sure all the exciting stuff happens in the city, however its expensive as hell.

Most NOVAites that lived in worked in the more remote areas of Japan, like Aomori have been pretty pleased with the results. Yeah you get sponsored housing, but you will NOT be stuck in a craphole of an apartment. When you are out in the countryside the apartments you get put up in are very nice compared to what I hear about in the cities.

I'm talking about a 2 or 3 bedroom apartment (of course others will be in the other bedroom) but you'll have a bedroom to yourself and you'll get a full kitchen and bath whereas you might get put up in some place in Tokyo with NO kitchen and you might have to go to a hotbath to get clean and the fridge is a communal fridge with about 10 other people in and out.

[tomorris]

Hi,
Just wanted to say 2 things: I am pretty much just trying to break even monetarily, and also I have a person in Tokyo who I will probably be living with, and if not, he will help me find an apartment.....I'm not trying to look at the world through rose-tinted glasses, though.


-- tom

[Big Booger]

http://l-school.hbi.ne.jp/recruit/recruit_en.html

Something like those are not so bad. The only thing is the Visa deal. That is why ECC and the like are popular amongst those coming over on the boat

They offer JPY 250000, but do they provide an appartment with that? If not, is it really possible to live on that in Tokyo?

If you look on the ad, it says transportation provided. I figured that you'd get a place on the outskirts of Tokyo and commute, seeing as they pay for your transportation, that shouldn't be a problem. And if you look around enough you can find a decent place for under 100000 yen. 150000 yen, is not a whole lot, but for 1 person, it should provide you with the basics.