Michigan English School Interview Scheduled

I received an email from Michigan English school, requesting an interview. Booyah! It is going to take place on Saturday night. EFY is still my top pick, but if they reject me, I need other options.

As for Kensington, since I have to wait until November, I should probably just assume I won't be working for them. I will probably have a job by then. At least... good God, I would hope I have a job by then!

Now I need to prepare for the Michigan English School interview, with what little information I have about them.

Wish me luck!

Last Night's Interview, and Back to Waiting

The English for You Interview went pretty well last night. The webcams didn't work - I'm guessing we had incompatible versions of MSN Messenger. At first, they could only see me, and not hear me at all. Then, I could only see them and they couldn't see me. I talked to 3 different people, and I feel like they were pretty receptive to me. I hope.

I feel... that I have about a 50% chance. Maybe a 60%. I had my usual butterflies.

But I am positive about it regardless. Gotta stay positive! They said I would hear from them in a week to a week and a half. From my experience, that means like two weeks. I'm going to send them a note thanking them for the interview - it's a good idea to keep me fresh in their mind.

Still haven't heard from Michigan English School. I'm thinking about emailing them back.

An update - EFY Interview, Kensington

My EFY interview was rescheduled to this Tuesday at 11pm. It's a webcam interview - my first. And I'm pretty sure my interviewer this time is Japanese, so... I'm taking a half day off of work to prepare/relax.

I heard back from Kensington, after sending an email. They said that my application was still favorable, but that they wouldn't be able to reach a decision until around November, and that I should start looking elsewhere, so I wouldn't be waiting around.

I also received an Email from Michigan English school, with three or four questions. I answered the email - and then didn't hear from them again. It has only been a couple days, though, so I'll keep an eye out for them.

Wish me luck on the EFY Interview, anyhow. Starting to lose a little steam on the job search, but that's okay. I have to keep trying! That's what you have to do when you care about something, is keep trying until it works.

Waiting... And Another Interview Scheduled

I got a request for an interview from English for You. I remember being really impressed with their site and employment package, so I set up an interview for Monday night. They haven't gotten back to me about it, actually... Maybe I should follow up again.

In addition, I haven't heard back from Kensington yet - just that he would need more time to make a decision. I am debating whether or not I should follow up today or Monday. He said my application was "favorable" - that's good!

Otherwise, I've been keeping myself busy with other work. It has been very easy for me to save money this way. Worse comes to worse, I'll just go to Japan on my own, with my own money, and see how I fare in the job search there. It would literally raise the amount of jobs I can apply to by 9x.

I got a letter from my host family, it had pictures and everything. I'm going to write them back tonight... maybe, if I do go on my own, they would let me stay with them for a little bit while I find a place and get a job. We will see.

Kensington Interview

The interview on Saturday morning went well. I get better every time I do an interview. Even though I was nervous, I feel like I got my points across. He seemed very receptive, anyway. He had a heavy British accent, so sometimes I didn't quite understand what he said; then I would just repeat the question back to him and then answer it. Seemed to work well.

I got an email today from him saying that he will take longer with deciding who to take for the job, but that my interview was "positive" and my application was "favorable." I'll try not to get my hopes up too high, but I feel good about it. If I get my hopes up too high, I'll just be really, really disappointed when I am rejected.

So I'm just waiting to hear from him.

Interview Postponed to Saturday.

Due to a misunderstanding with time zones and my own inattentive cell-phone watching, I had to reschedule my interview with Kensington to tomorrow morning at 10 am. Boy, did I feel stupid. Mr. Cook is being very understanding.

I typed up a document with everything I need to know and everything I want to know about the school and the living arrangements. I've been thinking of possible questions that they will ask me, too, so I am somewhat prepared. I just wish I didn't get so nervous, I don't speak as well when I'm nervous or upset. I'm trying to think of responses to possible questions, and what I am going to say.

To be honest, I'm thinking that at this point, face to face interviews might be easier for me.

INTERVIEW CONFIRMED! HOORAY!!!

I have an interview scheduled for tomorrow night with Kensington English School. I hope my boorish American English doesn't discourage them from hiring me! Wish me luck!

Now, to come up with a list of questions for the interviewer about Kensington English School...

A Consulting Job

So many of these jobs require you to live in Japan. I'm basically looking for any good sounding postings that allow for visa sponsorship. Also, some require international driver's permits. I don't really want to drive or have to deal with a car in Japan. Not at all. Anyway, I applied for this consulting job today, from People Search:

People Search K.K.

Salary - from
300,000/Month Negotiable Commission based Incentives, Profit Sharing, transport allowance & etc.

Location -Tokyo Uchisaiwai-cho

Required English Level - Conversational

Required Japanese Level - None

Date Posted - 2006-07-06 13:32:31

Requirements
Conversational English level

Description of position
Due to continued expansion, PeopleSearch is looking for Consultant in to grow us. This is an excellent opportunity for entry into a career path in executive search and placement.

RESPONSIBILITIES :* Source qualified candidates and match to clients hiring needs* Interview candidates to assess skills and match them to employment opportunities* Develop new business opportunities, and relationships with clients

REQUIREMENTS :* Previous recruitment or sales experience is an advantage but NOT necessary.* At least 1 years of professional experience in one of the following industries: finance, pharmaceuticals, chemicals, IT, consumer services, banking, manufacturing is strongly desirable.

WHAT YOU CAN EXPECT :* You will receive a very competitive base salary, incentives, housing allowance, profit sharing, bonus opportunities, medical insurance and other perks. In addition, we offer strong internal advancement and growth opportunities globally.

HOW TO APPLY :* If you are interested, please contact us or submit online application

Let's see how that pans out. If they can sort through the 300 other applicants, get to mine, and choose me. -_-

I'm considering calling up my networking contacts and asking for some help. I always feel like such a friggin bum when I do that, like I can't find a job on my own. Well... what if I can't?

I don't want to be a crony, either.

An Editing Job, and a Response (gasp)

Also applied for an Editing job - for student applications to English speaking Universities. Seems right up my alley:

Ivy League Consulting

***Company introduction
Study Abroad Application Support helps Japanese with every step of the process of applying to foreign graduate schools.

***Type of work
Virtually all of the work would consist of editing foreign students’ graduate school application documents, such as application essays, letters of recommendation (with the explicit permission of the Japanese recommender who cannot write it for language reasons), and resumes for English grammar and usage, writing style, content, etc.

If offered an editing job, you would come to our office in Tokyo for about 2 weeks of paid on the job training, but after that most or all of the editing work could be done at your home.

***Hours
One of the most attractive parts of the job for current and previous staff has been the flexibility. There are no fixed hours and, after the initial paid on the job training period, no office to go to. Within a firm deadline set 1-2 days after you receive a job (most of which take 2-5 hrs to complete), you can set your own schedule to complete the work. Within this flexible work schedule, editors are expected to commit at least 8 hours a week to the job.

***Requirements
1) Excellent writing and editing skills.
2) Able to meet deadlines
3) The ability to pay attention to details (like formatting, the spelling of people’s names, and other issues that raise a document from a well-written one to a highly polished one that you yourself would be proud to submit).

***How to apply
Here are the steps in the hiring process:
1) Submit your resume through GaijinPot
2) You will be invited to take a written interview consisting of editing several short passages
3) Applicants with strong written interviews will be invited to begin work

It seems that they would want people who are already living there, though. If they don't offer Visa Sponsorship, then that's the end of that.

There's this other really interesting sounding school - an English and Dance school! - that I'm considering applying to. They need a driver's permit though, and I still haven't sent my application in to AAA to get mine. That's something I can do today. It's probably a good thing to have if any other employers ask.

Oh, and I heard back from Kensington already - in an automated email. Unless their principal is an insomniac. I replied - let's see what happens!

More Applications!!! Weeeeeee!

I haven't heard from the applications I made last week, or the week before. With all these teaching positions starting soon, I am wondering if I should just go ahead and start the visa application process without the Certificate of Elegibility. Which sucks, but I'll do it if I have to. How long does it take these companies to review all these resumes anyway?

I wish I worked in HR so I could crush people's hopes and dreams. Oh wait, no I don't.

Anyway, here's my application for today, at the Kensington English School (sounds snobby, doesn't it). From gaijinpot:

Kensington English School, Kakamigahara City, Gifu

Summary:

This post is available from SEPTEMBER 2006

Kensington English School has now been established for almost 20 years, and were one of the first schools in Gifu City. We pride our reputation on the excellent level of teaching, together with a lively and fun atmosphere. Gifu City is centrally located, only 30 minutes to Nagoya and 2 hours to Tokyo. An excellent base for teachers who really wish to experience working and living in Japan.

Details:
We are seeking applicants (single only please - due to accommodation limits) with an excellent knowledge of the English language, preferably with previous experience in Japan, although it's not essential. Teachers will be required to teach both adult classes, and children classes. Some experience in teaching young children would be requires. There will be a maximum of 27 teaching hours per week, based over a 5 day week. Most classes are of 50 minutes and all classes are taught "in-house"(no traveling!) Teachers will be required to prepare classes through designated EFL books, and to add additional material as appropriate to make classes more enjoyable. A set curriculum is in place for all classes, however we do encourage teachers to use their own ideas and variations for all classes.

The position is ideally suited to those who can work on their own (together with Japanese staff), and who can intergrate well with both Japanese culture and society. This post is located in our Kakamigahara school, which is 30 mins away from Gifu City. The location is slightly rural, but is convenient to both Gifu and Nagoya.

Qualifications:

We require a lively, well spoken, and dynamic teacher to apply for this position..The applicant will also need to be highly creative, and to be able to motivate students on all levels. The applicant will also need to be fully aware of international affairs, and have an outstanding general knowledge capability. TEFL qualifications are prefered, but University degrees are essential. Please Email a JPEG photo of yourself taken in the last 3 months, together with your application. This is essential for a prompt response.

Compensation:

An excellent starting salary from Y260,000 per month will apply, together with 5 weeks paid holiday a year. A fairly large fully furnished apartment is available for about Y60,000pm including aircondition, furniture, TV etc, and is only a few minutes by bike from the school. A working Visa will be provided for the suitable candidate. We offer in-house training, a warm and very friendly environment, but a totally professional approach to teaching. Please note that a "refundable" Y60,000 will be required for the apartment, and reimbursed to the applicant once final inspection has taken place at the end of the contract period. There is no key-money. A Y60,000 resigning bonus will apply for second year contracts.

I also applied to this other one, Asahi Language Academy (Japanese site), but I am skeptical. Their job description was only 4 lines of text:

Asahi Language Academy has F/T English teaching positions in Aichi Pref.
Monthly salary is 250,000 yen for 80-110 hours.
About 7 days paid vacation 3 times a year.
Send your resume and photo.

Bizarre? Yes.

I applied anyway. So did 50 other people, it seems.

More Applications Today.

Some more applications that I made today - Michigan English School, Abroad English Center, and Suwa English Academy. Here's their descriptions from gaijinpot:

Michigan English School:

We are seeking a creative, energetic individual who is motivated, responsible and eager to accept challenges. Applicants must also have a love for teaching children(as 80% of our students are children). Also teaching English experience in Japan is preferable. Responsibilities include teaching demo lessons, organizing special events such as holiday parties and summer camp, creating new materials and curriculums, and driving to various locations in Gifu. The selected applicant must be available for training 10 days to 2 weeks prior to the actual starting date, and we would like to hire as soon as possible. Limited use of company cars, visa sponsorship, training, fully furnished apartment are available.

4 years' degree and intermediate level of Japanese is required. The headquarter of the company is located in culturally rich and financially economical prefecture-Gifu. This time, our brunch in Takayama has an available position as well as in Gifu city. Takayama is called 'little Kyoto'. It's very beautiful and famous tourism spot. People are kind and food and air is good. There are express direct buses running to Tokyo, Osaka and Nagoya (Aichi). New Zealander says 'Takayama has very similar atmosphere to that of Queenstown in NZ. I can feel at home.' Takayama is located in the contryside rich with nature and historical sites.

Abroad Language Center:

Abroad Language Centre is located in the heart of Nagoya between Sakae and Fushimi stations on Hirokojidori. We are not just your average English school, as we teach 15 languages! We are looking for an energetic native speaker of English to teach our 45 (and growing) English students. Our students are mainly professional women working in the Sakae area and we teach with a combination of textbook and conversation. Our working hours are from 11:00am to 9:00pm, Sunday to Monday, but teachers are expected to be at the school only seven hours a day. Actual teaching hours are about 25 hours a week, with a maximum of six lessons per day.

We are prepared to offer a very competitive salary to the right candidate, with salary commensurate upon experience. In addition, we offer some exciting job perks as well, including being able to join group lessons for other languages! If you are interested in a multi-national, foreign owned and exciting school in an ideal location please send us your resume. Only successful candidates will be contacted. Due to strong interest, reply times may be long so your understanding is appreciated.

Suwa English Academy:

Private English School teaching all ages and it is possible you will be teaching at an Elementary school for a few hours a couple times a month. 250,000yen a month salary and 10,000yen a month for apartment rent.

New Formatting. I like this better - I managed to screw up the navbar in the other formatting, so I changed it. It is a little dark, but I don't care. I should put a picture up.

For my application to AEON Corporation, they want an essay entitled "Why I want to Live and Work in Japan." So that's what I'm working on now. That, and it seems like every company requires a recent photo. I have one up on Gaijinpot.com, but for applications outside of gaijinpot, I need another photo. I'll get Julian to take one of me in the one suit that I own. Hey, maybe I can put that picture here!

I really, really want to hear from English For You. They seem like a really close-knit, good group to work with. I had better get on my ABC Plus application too, they seem like a good company too.

I'm starting to wonder if maybe I am doing something wrong with my applications or my resume. I'm not getting very many responses, and the ones I do get are rejections. Maybe it doesn't seem like I want it enough. I'm trying really hard to not get discouraged. I find myself setting ultimatums like if I don't get a job in Japan by October, at the rate I'm going, I'll just take a break, work a "whatever" job, and save money to go by myself.

I signed up for a monster.com account too. Haven't used it that much. It can be a little overwhelming, looking at huge lists of job after job. And for some reason my resume wouldn't upload last night. Kept saying that it was an application and not a .doc. I tried .rtf too, and it still didn't work. Then, I gave up for the night. I'll try again today when I get home.

I signed up again at Affordablehost.com too for a web domain and some space. I can put my documents up there.

I could always take the proficiency exam, or work my way up to proficiency level 1.

On a side note, many friends have asked me the big question: "If you go to Japan, will Julian go with you?" Truth is, I don't know. And that's what I tell them. He has said yes and no, so I simply don't know. There are pros and cons for him going and him staying. It is really up to him at this point.

A new job opportunity that I applied for today (from gaijinpot.com):

English For You, a conversation school in Nagano City, is hiring for two positions. Candidates should be energetic, love working with children (over 70 % of our classes are children with the PLS method), and have experience teaching ESL/EFL. Sponsorship is available. Some Japanese language ability is preferred. Please send CV /cover letter and photo to Azusa.

Teaching positions at English For You entail approximately 25 teaching hours per week during a five-day workweek. Work hours are from 12:35 to 9:15 weekdays (11:00 to 8:00 on Saturdays), with a 1-hour lunch break given on all days. The salary is \250,000 per month during the initial two-month training period, and \260,000 per month afterwards.

The school is centrally located, only a few minutes walk from Nagano Station. Nagano is a lovely temple city located in the mountains of Nagano Prefecture in the Chubu region of Japan. Nagano is famous for its fresh fruit and vegetables, internationally renowned ski & snowboard areas and its hot springs.

Nagano is a very affordable part of Japan, with the cost of living much lower than in the big cities. The school provides a private apartment for teachers, including a washing machine, refrigerator, heater / air conditioner, and a bicycle. We cover all deposits and key money involved, but the teacher must pay monthly rent. Health insurance is also provided. A performance-based bonus will be awarded to the teacher at the end of the contract year.

We are a friendly English language school with a staff of 6 foreign teachers and similarly sized Japanese staff. Our school is committed not only to language teaching, but to providing our students with the tools they need to communicate confidently with people anywhere in the world. We are serious about our work, and we are looking for someone who is highly motivated, loves teaching, and wants to be part of a great team. We offer extensive training at the start of the contract, as well as weekly teacher workshops and feedback throughout the year to help all our staff to continue to improve.

Prospective teachers should be available for an interview at the school.

You see that last line! D'OH!

Well, I applied anyway. Maybe they will accomodate me with a telephone interview. I can't afford to fly to Nagano just for an interview... But damn, it sure sounds like a sweet deal. Here's their website, it's in Japanese: http://www.efy.jp/.

I also applied to the CIA as an OSO (aka Media Analyst), but I really doubt I will hear back from them. They seem pretty hardcore.