I have been sending in resumes to different companies and finally got a response to one. I already know quite a bit about Gaba, and have considered all of the warnings against working there. The thing is, if they're going to sponsor my Visa, then I'll take it. Right now my prospect is going to Japan without a job and hitting the pavement. OR I can take a job with Gaba, have the Visa, and have something of an income. Here's how Gaba works:
-You are an independent contractor - meaning they don't pay any insurance or benefits. They won't even pay for your transportation (virtually unheard of in Japan).
-You submit your availability every month and then their "clients" (your students) will book lessons with you. If you don't get booked, you don't get paid. So basically the income is not guaranteed.
-They pay you so little that many consider it below their dignity: 1500 yen/lesson. Unpaid mandatory training, unpaid vacation, unpaid overtime.
Okay, so negatives aside, I see two shining beautiful opportunities:
1. Visa Sponsorship!!
2. Flexible Scheduling!!
So I might not get a lot (any) benefits and my pay is scraps. The good news is, if they hire me, I'll be legally able to work in Japan. That means I can use that visa to apply for part-time kindergarten jobs at small schools (the kind of job I really have a hankering for!). If a school hires me, I simply tell Gaba I cannot work during the hours the school needs me. I still fulfill my obligation to Gaba, and I have supplemental income.
People also complain about unpaid training. I'll just call it FREE training. I have paid for a TEFL certificate, which I am still working on and very grateful for it...but at least with Gaba I'll have additional training that I don't have to pay for, experience in a field of which I have a measly 3 months (in Chile), and it's a way to get to Japan.
I would, of course, like to hear from Epion, Kohgakusha, or Interac. It hasn't happened yet and I have turned in resumes a week ago. I want to "weigh my options", but I'm a beggar...not about to be a chooser!
So I have my first interview via Skype with Gaba tomorrow night. I plan on preparing but as this is my first interview for a job of this kind I'm kind of lost. I plan on having my notes from when I taught in Chile handy, studying my resume and cover letter, and perhaps journaling some answers to questions they might ask. I've heard that almost all of them ask "why Japan?" and "why this company/methodology?", two questions I've kept myself up at night thinking about. I really have faith in myself and hope they will see some potential in me.
Well, wish me luck!
Wednesday, September 7, 2011
Thursday, June 16, 2011
Kyoto!
Paul got his official placement, and we're officially going to Kyoto, Japan! He leaves July 23, and I will be arriving December 1st. I'm spending all of November with family in St. Louis, Springfield, and Santa Cruz, and then I'm off! I'm hugely excited (albeit a little sad that I'll have to say goodbye to my baby for 4 months), and cannot wait to adventurize Japan.
We're going to be in the city of Kyoto (we're guessing), and Paul might be teaching throughout the prefecture-which means he might be teaching different classes at different schools. He will hear from his predecessor after June 20th and find out more about what his position entails. Once he knows for sure where he will be living and teaching, I can start getting serious about my job search. The great news about Kyoto is that the whole area is full of positions for English native teachers. ALSO, Kyoto is beautiful!! The whole prefecture (county) is full of amazing architecture and landscapes. Here's the city:
Click this here link!
And here's a country scape:
Now click THIS here link!
Just google search "Kyoto" and look at the images-I'm going to be up to my eyeballs in Japanese culture and beauty!
Here I come!
We're going to be in the city of Kyoto (we're guessing), and Paul might be teaching throughout the prefecture-which means he might be teaching different classes at different schools. He will hear from his predecessor after June 20th and find out more about what his position entails. Once he knows for sure where he will be living and teaching, I can start getting serious about my job search. The great news about Kyoto is that the whole area is full of positions for English native teachers. ALSO, Kyoto is beautiful!! The whole prefecture (county) is full of amazing architecture and landscapes. Here's the city:
Click this here link!
And here's a country scape:
Now click THIS here link!
Just google search "Kyoto" and look at the images-I'm going to be up to my eyeballs in Japanese culture and beauty!
Here I come!
Tuesday, June 14, 2011
Placement Coming Tomorrow!
Paul just heard from his JET coordinator who informed all of the Colorado JETS that she has just received their placement information, and she will send them all emails by close of business tomorrow! I'm extremely anxious now and I know that tomorrow will be a very long day.
After we know his placement, we will look at the location and see if it's acceptable to us. The best case scenario would be if Paul were placed on Kyushu, which is the south island, for many reasons. One-there's no ambiguity as to whether we feel Kyushu is safe, Two-Uncle Brian was born on Kyushu (Okinawa) and it would give us more leverage to get him as a visitor, and Three-it's so nice and warm there! The ONLY drawback is that it might be buggy...well and it's kind of far away from Tokyo. However, Kyushu has a lot of great cities and beautiful buildings and spiritual sites, so my fingers are crossed.
You will be seeing another post from me very, very soon!
After we know his placement, we will look at the location and see if it's acceptable to us. The best case scenario would be if Paul were placed on Kyushu, which is the south island, for many reasons. One-there's no ambiguity as to whether we feel Kyushu is safe, Two-Uncle Brian was born on Kyushu (Okinawa) and it would give us more leverage to get him as a visitor, and Three-it's so nice and warm there! The ONLY drawback is that it might be buggy...well and it's kind of far away from Tokyo. However, Kyushu has a lot of great cities and beautiful buildings and spiritual sites, so my fingers are crossed.
You will be seeing another post from me very, very soon!
Monday, May 23, 2011
Tuberculosis
Paul just passed his tuberculosis test! Good thing, he studied so hard.
Anyway, that was the last thing he needed to get for the JET program so they could process his paperwork and now we just wait to hear back about his placement.
As an update, Paul got upgraded in the JET program and is now a participant. Provided his placement is what we have considered safe (and the safe parameter for us is much larger than the official Japanese government parameter), we are going to Japan this fall!
The only sad thing for both of us is that, if he goes, it will be on July 23 (yup, one day before my birthday) and I won't be leaving until November. From what I know, strong couples who dream big have to deal with these types of times apart as they pursue great big plans-so I don't consider Paul and I to be the exception.
If all goes according to plan, Paul's leaving in TWO months, and I am leaving in SIX!
I am very excited as I embark on the next phase of life, and experience these things that I'd only dreamed of before.
More info is on the way!
Anyway, that was the last thing he needed to get for the JET program so they could process his paperwork and now we just wait to hear back about his placement.
As an update, Paul got upgraded in the JET program and is now a participant. Provided his placement is what we have considered safe (and the safe parameter for us is much larger than the official Japanese government parameter), we are going to Japan this fall!
The only sad thing for both of us is that, if he goes, it will be on July 23 (yup, one day before my birthday) and I won't be leaving until November. From what I know, strong couples who dream big have to deal with these types of times apart as they pursue great big plans-so I don't consider Paul and I to be the exception.
If all goes according to plan, Paul's leaving in TWO months, and I am leaving in SIX!
I am very excited as I embark on the next phase of life, and experience these things that I'd only dreamed of before.
More info is on the way!
Tuesday, March 15, 2011
Tsunamis and Earthquakes
Poor Japan. What an extremely unfortunate week this has been. According to JapanToday.com, the death/missing person tolls are above 10,000. Whoa. The nuclear reactors are now releasing 4,000 millisierverts of radiation within a 20 mile radius, and 1,000 millisierverts are said to increase the likelihood of deadly cancer by 5%.
I looked up South Korea's radiation levels, and it seems like (because of the direction of the winds) they are unaffected thus far. Here is a news article to help ease your mind. I am going to have a serious discussion with Paul tonight about the possibility that Japan is just not going to work. I want to be with him for a long, long time...and not die of cancer in our forties!
Right now, I would love to either go to South Korea now, or go to Chile first and then go to Asia when things calm down. Either way, we are both set on traveling and living abroad by the time 2012 rolls around!
My thoughts and prayers are with Japan. I really hope they will recover from this tragedy soon. MUCH LOVE NIPPON!
I looked up South Korea's radiation levels, and it seems like (because of the direction of the winds) they are unaffected thus far. Here is a news article to help ease your mind. I am going to have a serious discussion with Paul tonight about the possibility that Japan is just not going to work. I want to be with him for a long, long time...and not die of cancer in our forties!
Right now, I would love to either go to South Korea now, or go to Chile first and then go to Asia when things calm down. Either way, we are both set on traveling and living abroad by the time 2012 rolls around!
My thoughts and prayers are with Japan. I really hope they will recover from this tragedy soon. MUCH LOVE NIPPON!
Tuesday, March 8, 2011
Waiting...
Paul had his JET interview on the 17th of February. This isn't his first time getting an interview. Last time he was put on the "alternate" list which basically means "you're good, but not AS good as the peeps we want to employ". He feels a lot better about this interview so our fingers are crossed!
I must be a lot more nervous than he about the outcome, because I had a moving dream the other night where we both rented uHauls, left our apartments, and realized we had no where to stay. I'm sure the actual transition to a foreign country will be organized and exciting, and won't involve uHauls (can't drive one of them to Japan!).
I'm most likely going to wait until October or November before I move, regardless of whether Paul gets JET or not. If he gets JET, he will be leaving July 23rd (yes, that is one day before my 25th birthday....*tear*).
I'm just sitting and waiting right now, and very antsy to know what our next move is. I can't wait to actually get there and make this blog VERY exciting for all of you. I know it's fun reading about my nervous uHaul dreams and plans for applying for jobs and all...but won't pictures of Japan and stories of karaoke outings be just a little better??
Ciao for now!
I must be a lot more nervous than he about the outcome, because I had a moving dream the other night where we both rented uHauls, left our apartments, and realized we had no where to stay. I'm sure the actual transition to a foreign country will be organized and exciting, and won't involve uHauls (can't drive one of them to Japan!).
I'm most likely going to wait until October or November before I move, regardless of whether Paul gets JET or not. If he gets JET, he will be leaving July 23rd (yes, that is one day before my 25th birthday....*tear*).
I'm just sitting and waiting right now, and very antsy to know what our next move is. I can't wait to actually get there and make this blog VERY exciting for all of you. I know it's fun reading about my nervous uHaul dreams and plans for applying for jobs and all...but won't pictures of Japan and stories of karaoke outings be just a little better??
Ciao for now!
Thursday, February 3, 2011
One down, a million to go!
The JET office decided to forego the opportunity to interview me for their program this year. I shed a couple tears out of disappointment, stood up purposefully and declared "Well then, if they think I'm not a good fit for them, perhaps I am not! The company that I will work for is out there somewhere!", and I moved on.
I have been researching a lot of JET alternatives, and there are plenty of exciting ones in Japan. A couple really important perks of JET that I no longer have access to (in 2011 anyway)are:
1) Interview in Denver
2) Free round-trip flight to Japan
3) 300,000 yen/month salary
That's why JET is so competitive, they SET YOU UP! But another company that I think sounds fantastic is called Kohgakusha. They pay 260,000~280,000 yen/month, they subsidize part of your apartment (which, I might add, is generally twice as big as the JET apartments) and they place ALTs (Assistant Language Teachers) in the metro areas! We're talking Tokyo, Kyoto, and Osaka!! JET is mostly rural, but not as a rule. I think I would love a rural setting, but I'm not about to say no to urban!! Especially Japanese urban!
I need an interview. I'm alright on paper, but this thespian would blow an interview committee away! Give me a chance, people!
Much love, all!
I have been researching a lot of JET alternatives, and there are plenty of exciting ones in Japan. A couple really important perks of JET that I no longer have access to (in 2011 anyway)are:
1) Interview in Denver
2) Free round-trip flight to Japan
3) 300,000 yen/month salary
That's why JET is so competitive, they SET YOU UP! But another company that I think sounds fantastic is called Kohgakusha. They pay 260,000~280,000 yen/month, they subsidize part of your apartment (which, I might add, is generally twice as big as the JET apartments) and they place ALTs (Assistant Language Teachers) in the metro areas! We're talking Tokyo, Kyoto, and Osaka!! JET is mostly rural, but not as a rule. I think I would love a rural setting, but I'm not about to say no to urban!! Especially Japanese urban!
I need an interview. I'm alright on paper, but this thespian would blow an interview committee away! Give me a chance, people!
Much love, all!
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