Comments on: Should you work for Nova?

By: Timothy Berg

Timothy Berg — Fri, 16 Nov 2007 16:59:32 +0000

YOU SHOULD THINK ABOUT KOREA!

I have taught in Japan(NOVA) and Korea and my Korean experience was so much more enjoyable. I actually want to return, whereas Japan is not high on my places to revisit. I never did go to Tokyo because I was further south in Nagoya and Osaka.

Most people have misconceptions about Korea. It is a highly westernized country, especially in the major metro areas. They LOVE American culture over there. The language is so much easier to learn, unlike Kanji, Hiragana or Katakana.
The cost of living unbelievably cheaper. You could realistically live on 500USD a month comfortably and your pay is about 2300 a month. You do the math on your surplus income:)That is impossible in Japan.
ALL Korean schools require a degreed professional before even considering looking at them. Any school that does not want this is disreputable. All schools will fly you there and back after your contract is finished. Your apartment is paid for! There are no transportation costs because the walk is ten minutes at most from home to work.
Unlike the Japanese, who love to go to English school on national holidays, Korean schools give all their teachers the day off with pay. There are quite a few national holidays in Korea thanks to the history between Korea and Japan. This is on top of the ten days personal vacation you will receive.
Finally, if you are a North American, you will receive all of your pension that was taken from your check at the end of your contract on top of a severance payment for completion of a contract.

KOREA IS THE BEST PLACE FOR ESL!
timothy.berg@gmail.com

By: Henna Gaijin

Henna Gaijin — Fri, 09 Nov 2007 03:59:11 +0000

Teaching English is Japan used to be a lucrative job because as long as one was white or white looking and spoke English, one could get hired by these Eikaiwa sweat shops. This attract a lot of social rejects and jobless people from US, Canada, Australia, etc. Since when did sweat shops have any concerns for its slave labor ? The bottom line has always been money. Why complain about the working conditions in Japan when one is unable to get a decent job back in one’s own country ?

By: Bob

Bob — Sat, 03 Nov 2007 01:53:43 +0000

I started Nova on Oct. 2001, just after the terrorist attacks and I was happy to be in Japan. I don’t remember much from my arrival (more on that later) because I was jet lagged and still hadn’t slept for a day. But overall, Nova was a great place to work for because of the people I worked with, teachers, students, and staff. Even some of “those” students I reflect, smile and laugh. I do have something I want to mention and I would like former teachers to reflect back to the day you signed your housing agreement in Chuo-ku at the headquarters. Remember? It was just after that mind numbing experience in the Osaka subway.

I was led into a not so impressive building and taken to a not so clean room (that had furniture stacked in corners and plastic chairs you would find in a sweat shop lunch room). I was with a group of people who were also tired; a couple from Texas (man and wife of course), and a few others. Two fat Japanese men came in only to deal with the couple who had some kind of special living arrangement. The rest of us signed (a Japanese document “with english translation to come.”

I might have been tired. I might have been jet lagged. I might have been hungry. I might have been scared. I might have been intimidated by having to buy an older model phone for twice the retail price. I might have been in the top private English education company in the world, but it didn’t look it. Hell, I kinda wonder if I might have been in a yakuza den.

I left in 2003 for JET because a former teacher recommended it to me. I liked NOVA at the time but he told me the hiring process takes nine months. I was in JET for three years and they have been the best years of my life and I never had so much fun. But you have to have fun talking to people, unlike the comment posted above. Not all work is shit, but to all former-NOVA teachers I express my hope that there are privates, elementary schools, and other avenues for employment. As a former NOVA teacher who got busted with a student and reprimanded by a married district manager with a kid who was banging NOVA teachers on the side, my heart goes out to you.

By: Jennifer

Jennifer — Thu, 18 Oct 2007 16:10:15 +0000

If Woody Allen were to make a movie about the art of second language teaching, he would film it at Nova. Nova is a living, breathing comic tragedy. I lived in Japan for 5 years (2 years ago) and worked for Nova for the first 6 weeks of my 5 year stay. The friends i had who worked for JET ended up the least numb of all. Apply for JET (just change the guitar lessons to ESL teaching on your resume…trust me, no one will know the difference).
And if, by some twist of fate, you find yourself at Nova one day, face all lit up in the flouresent light of the windowless teacher’s closet, just remember it’s not real and smile pretty for the camera.
P.S. The key to happiness is part-time work. Outside of JET, never sign a full time contract in Japan-land. Get screwed part-time and get private lessons for the other part.
Have fun and be good.

By: Kuma

Kuma — Thu, 11 Oct 2007 03:24:51 +0000

I worked for Nova. And it really is a shit company. Then again the experience is what you make of it but the job doesn’t help. Anyway, I don’t know if all of this matters now the company is facing bankruptcy…Time will tell!

By: Brandon

Brandon — Tue, 09 Oct 2007 08:03:32 +0000

If you are the kind of person who wants to experience and grow, is interested in Japan, and does not have an immediate “way in” to Japan, Nova IS the best option.

The work isnot greatly taxing, but then I found that you can make the lessons challenging for you and your students, even if like me, you had no intention of a teaching career (I am now back in the UK working as an Environmental Consultant!).

People criticise Nova, the teachers who work for them etc, I must admit from my experience I would have to criticise some of the students, who appeared to come not to learn english, but to get other things from the lessons…

It was an incredible experience, and even now 4 years after leaving I still miss Japan loads. Do it!

By: Brick

Brick — Sun, 23 Sep 2007 02:15:45 +0000

Four years ago I was using the internet to search on Nova and what working conditions were like. I hardly found anything negative about the company and what accounts there were, were clearly out of date.
In recent months there has be so much on the internet of people listing accounts on their time at Nova.
It seems that Nova are lossing control and can’t keep up with the spot fires that are breaking out.

By: joe

joe — Sun, 16 Sep 2007 15:35:30 +0000

Dont work for NOVA, I think they are going under.

By: Mike

Mike — Fri, 24 Aug 2007 21:50:24 +0000

Guys im curious to know is Amity a safe way to go with Aeon? I know i must sound VERY ignorant on this subject, mostly because i am, but i am trying to find out if working at Amity would be a good or bad choice of action. Thanks for you help in advance! ^.^

By: Pamela

Pamela — Sat, 28 Jul 2007 08:15:57 +0000

Well i think that question should also say do you want to be in Japan?My son Steven is currently working for nova and has been for the past 2months, his only reason for going there in the first place was because apart from his girlfriend being Japanese he struggled to find a job here, he graduated with a 2-1 in sports science,then went on to complete a masters in buisness studies..Like many other students he was so disapointed and frustrated at trying to find the first rung on the work related ladder, there wasnt one, most want 2years experience!! so to cut a long story short he and his girlfriend Eriko decided to take drastic action, he applied to Aeon, wasnt sucessful so applied to nova, got the job..
Steven is most definatly a stay at home person, he likes being around family so imagine that this move was not a first choice by any means and he would never have gone had he not had Eriko…having said that i hear him telling me about how glad hes doing this, hes had great feed back from students and although he says he dosent love his job he does like it, the days just fly past.
At first he found lesson planning a nightmare as do all at the beggining but he was assured that it would fall into place and it did.He gets out of Nova what he puts in, by Japanese standards the pay is not that bad and teachers are well respected.
He has joined a local football team and is fitting in more and more as the days go by. Yes he will return home when he has completed his year there but i know he will be all the more richer for it and by that i dont exactly mean money.
If youre young,have no comitments, have an open mind,can comunicate easily and have a good sense of humour then id say go for it, what have you got to lose? if anything after a year you will have extra life skills and perhaps add brownie marks to your cv…good luck