Going to Japan in December!!

[Evo_Lee]

Jess, they must have changed their rules back or just not abiding by them because I know quite a few guys who have joined Nova with no uni degree...not a problem.

As I said some are genuinely helping, others aren't and I know about the interactive lessons where your talking to yourself when if the connection is lost, because they maybe able to still hear and see you! Or talking to a kid which is only 2-3 years old = baby sitting over the internet!

[Informer]

Informer is incorrect,  there are many asian teachers with Nova.  To score a job at a high school you dont have to be a qualified teacher but you do have to have pretty decent japanese.  A few mates have left nova for teaching in High schools...  but Im lovin the part time life atm

lamtran,  no problem with chicks in your apartment as long as its ok with your room mates.  tip would be to get the hell out of the nova apartment ASAP and move into a place with your girlfirend.  You will save heaps and have privacy plus be able to be with your girlfriend full time.

Well I'll tell my side of the story.

Previously there weren't that many Asians working as English teachers here. You would have to be something special or lucky to get your foot in the door. Japanese seem to like Japanese Americans though so who knows.

Now, it seems to be a lot easier because I'm seeing Indians, Phillilipinos and Vietnamese coming to Japan to teach English. They don't speak English that well, but good enough to pass as conversationalists. You need a degree to get a job as a "teacher", so where these guys get their degrees I don't know.

I was rejected at the main office in Tokyo when I was already in Japan so I guess I was unlucky even though I had experience teaching (not just English) and had a good qualification. I'm not ugly either. I'm Asian, born in UK and brought up in UK and Australia. I don't speak a lick of anything else but English.

Now I have a job I want, not getting a lot of money but I actually enjoy teaching.

Lamtran, if you got the job, great! Good to see things have changed. Whether you will like Japan is another thing. Good luck!

[Informer]

informer, i'm from Poland, been living here all my life too, no one even realises i'm not aussie until I tell them my name. so your saying you think i'll have issues being accepted for a position because I'm a foreigner ?? i doubt what your saying is correct, accept for situations where the person still has an obvious accent.  

out of curiousity, are you in a big school like nova yourself? how is it ?

i'm looking to apply for JET but I wouldnt jet over to Japan till mid next year, which is aaages away

Probably. Its not me that's judging you, its the Japanese. Be prepared for it when they do because they'll do it a lot.

As long as your English is clear enough, slow enough, satisfactory enough, then it shouldn't be a problem. There are many cases where the teachers are not native English speakers (some are from Sweden, Denmark, Germany etc etc).

[Rezz]

You do need a degree or equivalent (in anything) to teach full time at Nova. Part time is, I think, one or maybe two years of tertiary education minimum eg TAFE, uni short course etc.

Yes, this is what I was told too... in fact the school I work for has had many an ex-Nova teacher pass through with them all complaining about how tight they are, not only with class allocations/locations, but with teacher student interraction out of class or lack of! About 30% of our student base are ex-Nova, all complaining of strict classes and low on the fun factor... which is why they join our school - the complete opposite. Hell even our schools owner is ex-Nova!

I a nutshell, Nova doesn't have a good reputation with teachers OR students in my experience and Nova seem to be doing business strictly on the fact they they are the biggest and most widely known school... the "corporate" tag also helps with the image too I guess.

I'd last 2 minutes in Nova before being sacked wouldn't I Troy?

[Streeter]

I dont have a degree Troy... as I said all you need for part time is one or two years of Tertiary education. (although cause I have 4 years tertiary education they said I could apply for a full time position but bollocks to that!! LOL)

I hate the kids lessons and dont think I could handle their internet based teaching "ginganet"

Rezz - yes they are really strict, doesnt mean you cant break the rules, just means you cant get caught LOL Not many people follow the rules but the rules are a really good excuse not to have to meet some of the "special" students.

Informer - The freinds who have gone to teaching at High schools have done it privately at private high schools and I think speaking Japanese is virtually a must. As none of the high school staff can speak english, everything like contracts, timetables etc are all in Japanese.

If you are trying to score a job at a private school you can make up any story you want as most of the managers/owners of the schools have terrible english. I had a friend in Kochi who was german and his english was TERRIBLE but still managed to convince a school his english was good and scored a job LOL

[lamtran]

Well thanks for the tips Streeter, very informative.. my main aim over in japan is to make lots of money so that i can travel to china, vietnam (where i am from) thailand and sri lanka (where the mrs is from) when u say find a job during the day. is the demand for english conversational teaching a lot? also what else can i do??? heheh... my English is very good, no accents except for the aussie one so im not one of those fobby English speakers.

guys i have no degree, although i have been to uni for 1 year studying full time and also at TAFE for 2 years with a diploma...

the requirements for Nova was

full time: must have bachelors degree

flexi time or part time: must have at least 12 years schooling and at least 1 year tertiary education...

[Streeter]

Yeah there is enough demand that if you look around you will find extra work easily. Alot of Nova teachers actually teach private lessons out side of Nova for extra cash as its alot better than Nova`s overtime rates.

[Polski]

Well thanks for the tips Streeter, very informative.. my main aim over in japan is to make lots of money so that i can travel to china, vietnam (where i am from) thailand and sri lanka (where the mrs is from) when u say find a job during the day. is the demand for english conversational teaching a lot? also what else can i do??? heheh... my English is very good, no accents except for the aussie one so im not one of those fobby English speakers.

guys i have no degree, although i have been to uni for 1 year studying full time and also at TAFE for 2 years with a diploma...

the requirements for Nova was  

full time: must have bachelors degree

flexi time or part time: must have at least 12 years schooling and at least 1 year tertiary education...

Lam you can be a gaijin model for extra cash hehehe

[lamtran]

hahahaha... dont tell everyone here what my day job is man...

[Laurence]

Completely off topic, but your username always makes me think of Lambtron from the Chinpokomon episode of South Park!

Roku chin chin...

p.s. It was one of those interesting cultural moments when I asked Streeter's wife if she had seen Chinpokomon... Learning is fun

[lamtran]

So who else here is situated over in Tokyo and would be willing to show me and my gf around the place? it would be greatly appreciated guys...

[bartonkohler]

So who else here is situated over in Tokyo and would be willing to show me and my gf around the place? it would be greatly appreciated guys...

Likewise

My gf and I are arriving in April both with NOVA, anyone who wants to catch up please let us know. We think we are going to be placed in Tokyo, havn't heard the confirmation yet.