Big congrats to Idun! I wish my future looked as stable.
I'm probably in pretty good shape as far as job opportunities go, if my recent success with getting interviews is any indication. The two companies that responded immediately were Interac and AEON. I did some research on them and they both have some pretty strong drawbacks attached to them. I'm curious to get some DL opinions.
So Interac has some nice plusses to it:
1. It's an ALT position, so it's very similar to what I'm doing now. It's comfortable, familiar, easy-to-do. Comparable, though slightly less, pay to the JET Program. Only 25 teaching hours a week (like JET). They also seem to be chomping at the bit to hire me.
2. They definitely have positions open in/around Tokyo. My major problem with my JET assignment is living in the fucking middle of nowhere.
3. I have friends in Interac, they seem generally active and happy. They tell me that Interac helps them out adjust to a new living situation.
Interac's got a few MAJOR 'oh shit' factors, too:
1. It has a terrible reputation for abusing its newcomers.
2. People are already calling it the next NOVA - crooked business practices up top means that it might collapse any time, though the company keeps telling its employees not to worry (just like NOVA). Unsure how true this actually is, though.
3. They may not actually give me a location in/around Tokyo.
AEON has some good points, too:
1. Pays more than Interac, about the same as JET.
2. New, exciting English conversation (more one-on-one) job. Somewhat different than the ALT position I have now. Could be exciting.
3. Almost certainly going to be stationed in/around Tokyo.
4. They have been around for a long time and aren't likely to collapse anytime soon.
AEON's downsides are less extreme, though definitely worth considering:
1. Almost 50% MORE required hours per week (36), and lots of (usually unpaid) Overtime. AEON keeps you busy.
2. The secret part of the job is that I have to not only teach, but essentially be a salesman of AEON's study materials/classes. Not just assess the needs of my students, but to basically try to force them to buy things they don't need/aren't ready for. Not particularly thrilled with this idea.
3. Very inflexible about taking time off.
4. They don't seem quite as eager to hire me.
I applied to a few other companies, but haven't heard back yet. I'm probably going to apply to some more. The big problem is that the Japanese school year starts in April, but my JET contract ends in August... So it's hard to find jobs now that will wait for me to finish up my contract.
Thoughts?
