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Any Interac ALTs for Spring 2011? 2011/1/21 15:03
Hey Y'all

I'm getting ready for my stint as ALT with Interac for the coming spring 2011. "Getting ready" is a bit of an exaggeration since I'm just sitting around waiting to hear about visa and placement....
How are you all finding this process? I've read previous posts on this forum which make me less antsy about the whole process.
So far I've found the Interac pretty much what they predicted in terms of timelines... but it still is a bit of a drag to not know exactly where you are going to be able to plan properly and/or envision the trip.
Let me know what your experiences with the Interac recruiting has been.....
by AnyaAway  

. 2011/1/22 03:42
Their recruitment is done the way it is done so that new ALTs don't really have the time to pull out of the contract. If they told people where their placement was going to be months in advance, then people wouldn't have already booked their plane tickets. The thing is, while a lot of people get a great placement, there's an inevitable number who will end up in the middle of nowhere or in a placement where they're having to go to 20-25 schools a month, usually just one day per month.

By leaving all the placement details to the last week or so before you go to Japan, it makes it very hard to pull out because you've already left your current job in your own country (if you had one) and bought your plane tickets, so you just end up saying "well bugger it, I might as well go and give it a try." Unfortunately once you're in Japan it's tough to get out until your contract has run its course.

I had a very positive experience with Interac. My placement was great and because I was only with them for a year I never had the problems some of the long-termers do.

My advice is don't get your hopes up about landing a great placement and see Interac as either your way to get into Japan and find a better job, or something to use for a year or two to have a bit of fun and get away from your own country. The only things you should be planning are your funds. If you start thinking "if I'm near Tokyo I can do this" or "I hope I'm in Osaka because it looks cool" odds are you're going to be disappointed.
by Tub (guest) rate this post as useful

@Tub 2011/1/25 02:58
Hey Tub
Thanks for responding to my post. I am relieved to hear of another positive experience with Interac. I'm trying to keep my expectations pretty much open in terms of rural placement and number of schools, but 20-25 schools sound like a heck of alot .... If that happens then I guess I'll have to see how others manage it ... I'm not about to reinvent the wheel...
My main concerns right now are the salary, housing, the start-up expenses, and setting up paperwork.... I know I'm just stressing unnecessarily, but its difficult not to when you have lots of time with very little info and then very little time to make all the decisions ...
I'm sure it will all work out okay .... I hope to be able to ask your advice as the process moves on....
Cheers
by AnyaAway rate this post as useful

Yokosuka 2011/1/25 03:34
Interac called me today and offered me a position in Yokosuka, Kanagawa Prefecture. While I am glad it is close to Tokyo the main thing that is hindering me from accepting this placement is the fact that there is a US Naval base located there.

I just recently left the US Army and would prefer not to be in a city that has tons of foreigners(especially military personnel). I want to experience the culture and language. I get the feeling that Yokosuka would cater to the military personnel and have English in most places. That is something I do not want. While most would see that as a "pro" I see it as a "pro and con".

Also, from what I've read the city is pretty hot and humid during the summers. I remember during my interview with Interac that the interviewer said the Yokohama and Osaka branches are the hardasses and where people usually have the most trouble. Yokosuka falls under the Yokohama branch.

From what I've been told I would actually only be teaching at one JHS, no driving needed, and would be 250,000yen per month.

Being close to Tokyo is a plus for many reasons.

I dunno if I should take this placement...anyone care to give me their opinions?
by Sy (guest) rate this post as useful

Yokosuka 2011/1/25 04:08
Hey Sy
I'm glad to hear that the placement calls have started ...
As for YOUR concern... I think I agree with you that Yokosuka may not be the best for you since it's pretty urban and sounds like it's teeming with military foreigners. I too am looking forward to the full japanese experience and while access to some american stuff and people is great, I dont think I'd want to be posted to a mini-USA. (Also, as an american, I'm sure you can figure out access to the base anyway...) But I am only assuming that that is what the Yokosuka setting would be like... I hope someone placed there or with direct experience of being there responds here....
Mmmm ... kinda odd/great that the pay is yen 250k.. Maybe that's something to do with the BoE part of the deal...
Did Interac give you options? Or did they suggest Yokosuka for you to say Y or N before they offer a different placement? I doubt that they have any shortage of rural/semi-rural placements. I hadnt heard about Yokosuka being a "hardass" placement...
BTW, How are the other bits coming together (certificate of eligibility, etc)?
Cheers
Anya
by AnyaAway rate this post as useful

Yokosuka 2011/1/25 04:26
Anya,

Interac did not give me options. They give you one placement option then wait for you to say Y or N before they go look for another place for you.

Yokosuka isn't the hardass placement, it is the Yokohama Branch that oversees the Yokosuka area that is. My interviewer for Interac said that the Osaka and Yokohama Interac Branches are hardasses and usually only accept people who've been in Japan teaching already so they expect perfect results.

My CoE is going fine. They already submitted it in December so in a few weeks I should get the CoE so I can go up and get my Visa at the consulate.

I am ex-Army and still have my ID so getting on base wouldn't be an issue at all. However, I don't want a mini-USA. I do know a person in the Navy who was stationed there and said you will see a lot of service members and contractors in the city.

The pay is 250,000 probably because of the urban setting.

If only that naval base wasn't there. If I turn it down I do take the chance of being placed really far from Tokyo (although I expressly stated I wanted a placement anywhere from Osaka up to Sapporo and anywhere in between. I told them I would not go anywhere West of Osaka.

Kamakura is close too and that has many historical places, which I love. This is a hard decision lol.
by Sy (guest) rate this post as useful

. 2011/1/25 04:44
250k isn't that great for such an urbanised area. The apartment in a place like Yokosuka will probably be 70k or so a month. It's about 90 minutes from Tokyo by train, and less to Yokohama, which is a nice little bonus I suppose. In terms of the place being Americanised, I doubt it will be like walking around Little New York. I've never been there, but I've been to Okinawa and while there are some places that take advantage of the military bases, most locals are typically Japanese and dislike foreigners, therefore I wouldn't expect much Americanisation. An advantage of the place is that there will be other foreigners around, and trust me when I say this, living in a rural location where you're the only person that can speak English in a 50 mile radius can be very lonely. No matter how much you prepare yourself for rural life, it's very difficult and I wouldn't recommend it to anyone without a good proficiency in Japanese language, despite what Interac may say.

The number of schools you get can vary. In urban places odds are you'll get a JHS or SHS, or maybe 1-3 Elementary. In semi-rural areas you may be lucky and get a single JHS or SHS, or you may end up with a few JHS and a few Elementary (usually rotating between terms or months). In rural areas it can be a real mish-mash. I've known people who have served BoEs that cover massive areas or cover multiple BoEs. This is where you end up with a different school every day, sometimes 2 schools a day. Bear in mind that in some very rural locations they will actually teach grades together in Elementary school and your classes may consist of 3 or 4 kids.

For start-up, I took 500k yen as recommended by Interac and by my first pay date (2 months after I arrived in Japan) I had 250k left. I'd say 300k would therefore be safe, though mine was based being in a semi-rural area, not Tokyo or Osaka. I was paying 45k a month rent, not 90k. You'll have to pay 2 months rent before you get paid as well, and possibly a Deposit of one month if the apartment is a new rent (Interac try to continue using apartments used by previous ALTs, so the deposit sometimes isn't necessary).

Paperwork etc is all sorted out by Interac. They take you to setup your post office account, get your gaijin card, etc etc. If you're lucky the guides that meet you at your placement may even take you to shops etc so you can buy stuff for your apartment (you may not need to do this if you're in Leopalace).

A location with a car is a big bonus. The car costs are small and petrol for work is covered. The big bonus is freedom. While the train network in Japan is great, it can be very expensive for long-distance travel and Japanese towns and cities can be very spread out with little or no internal transport. Local buses are rubbish to non-existent. Only in tourist towns will there be a decent local bus service. Again, I lived in a town that was spread out over quite a large distance. Without a car it would have taken me 40 minutes just to walk to the supermarket, and while some people like cycling, it's a bit of a death trap in Japan in more rural places, since most of the roads are not wide and have poor visibility.

Interac used to pay 250k to people in semi-rural locations, which are the best (I was stationed for 3 years in a town 2.5 hours north of Tokyo). Places like that you can get an apartment for 40-50k a month. But now they only pay 230k for those places since I think they cottoned onto the fact that people need less money in them. All in all the salary is better than what many Japanese people will earn (170k is the average wage for graduates), but you need to be careful with the pennies, especially if you intend to have any sort of social life or do traveling.

In terms of what BoEs pay, they pay the same rate for ALTs to Interac that they do to normal Japanese teachers. This can range between 400k and 600k a month. You, of course, only see 230-250k of this, and also get paid 150k over the Summer holidays and 200k over the Winter holidays (despite the fact the BoE still pays the full rate to Interac).
by Si (guest) rate this post as useful

Interac placement etc 2011/1/25 04:46
I'm in pretty much the same boat. I asked for a place more in the Chubu area...but ended up getting placed in Kansai. Which is fine except that I'm worried about the Osaka branch office being the "hard asses" that I have heard them to be, there are a lot of foreigners in the area and the weather is a bit warm/humid for my tastes...(I got enough of that from living in Florida for several years....). However I went ahead and accepted the position since I wasn't sure how they would handle a decline....I'm pretty easy going though so everything should be find and dandy though. I had heard that the Osaka branch and BOEs generally take the more experienced candidates.....which I'm not really....I've not taught before...but I studied abroad in Japan and did an internship...so maybe that counts... Still waiting on the Visa! Hopefully the papers come soon and I can find out when I'll need to be at orientation so I can get my plane ticket....prices only go up....so I really wish they would tell us that info sooner.
by Chiisa na Koi no Uta rate this post as useful

. 2011/1/25 04:47
One more thing:

Not sure about Yokohama, but Osaka branch are indeed hardasses as well as assholes. They're well known for breaking labour laws. I'd avoid them like the plague.

Nagoya and Hitachi are much better. If you can get an Ibaraki or Sendai placement with Hitachi that's a good one to get.
by Si (guest) rate this post as useful

. 2011/1/25 04:52
It's also BS about the BoEs in Osaka only wanting experienced people. Just an Interac spread rumour to put more pressure on ALTs and give them an excuse for man management and contract cancellation.

All the BoEs get to see of any candidate is a very basic fact sheet with name, age and what country you're from, a picture and the 5 minute video you record in your interview. Interac go to the BoE with these and they then choose which they want.
by Si (guest) rate this post as useful

.... 2011/1/25 04:56
You're making me a wee bit scared to be working under the Osaka bransh O__O
by Chiisa na Koi no Uta rate this post as useful

. 2011/1/25 05:05
Here's my advice to you:

1. Don't think you need to be some super awesome teacher or you'll get fired. As long as you're decent enough, work well with your JLT and get on with your school, you'll be fine. Interac Osaka may try to scare you by saying "well these BoEs only usually take experienced people, but they've made the exception for you, so don't let them down!" but that's crap. They're just trying to scare you into working harder. You don't need to be scared. Just put in a bit of effort and enjoy yourself.

2. Keep your head down in terms of dealings with the branch. Don't question what they say.

3. If you intend to stay more than a year, look for an internal move to another branch when it comes to renewal time. When they ask why, just say you've really enjoyed working for them, but you'd like to see another part of Japan., that way they'll back your transfer. Probably.

Really, Osaka can be total dicks, but keep your head down and put in some effort in your school(s) and you'll be fine.
by Si (guest) rate this post as useful

hmm 2011/1/25 05:09
Haha, ok...that makes me feel a bit better. I do have the problem of speaking my mind though....I'll try not to do that... My experience with working in Japan so far is that it's really not the Japanese higher-ups that cause problems....its the other foreigners working in the companies that tend to be irrational jerks. But I'm hoping for a positive experience!
by Chiisa na Koi no Uta rate this post as useful

Yokosuka 2011/1/25 05:24
I've already looked through Leopalace and the rent per month is 60K and is near Kinagusa station. My initial cost for two months will be around 210K. I am bringing about 600K.

Also I don't have multiple schools(at least not right now). The gentlemen from Interac told me specifically that I was only teaching at one JHS.

Interac usually pays 230K if you do not need to drive, 240K if you are rural, $250K rural and need a car. So it is odd they are paying 250K for Yokosuka.

I am wondering the chances of getting semi-rural if I turn down the Yokosuka offer. Tempted to email them and ask if they can give me another option I can compare this one to and decide haha.
by Sy (guest) rate this post as useful

Hoping for Hitachi, Ibaraki placement 2011/1/25 05:28
Interac has not yet called about my placement but based on my own desires and the info I've seen online from other ALTs, I am really hoping for Ibaraki... Not obscenely far from Tokyo but still some tolerable rural areas ... ALTs seem happy with the overall experience ....
Even with that being said, I'm pretty flexible. Although I have a healthy distrust of Interac (as I should of ANY dispatching company!!), I dont want my pre-conceived notions to limit my overall experience.
by AnyaAway rate this post as useful

. 2011/1/25 05:32
Just bear in mind that Leopalace are tiny and have awful cooking facilities if you enjoy cooking. You'll also have to pay set utility fees regardless of what energy you use.

The pay scales you discuss may be branch specific? Not sure, because I know the person who replaced me in my most recent position came in at 230k with a car and that's 80k west of Tokyo.
by Si (guest) rate this post as useful

@Sy - Yokosuka 2011/1/25 05:35
Yeah, I too thought it odd that they offered yen 250K for Yokosuka .... Thats why I was guessing that it had something to do with the BoE...
I would call them back and ask some questions about other possible placements if the Navy base issue is a big deal for you....
by AnyaAway rate this post as useful

. 2011/1/25 05:37
Yes, Ibaraki is probably one of the better places. Just bear in mind again as I said, they now only pay 230k in Ibaraki, even with a car (confirmed on a job listing I saw on their website last August). Ibaraki is very popular though, especially the cities like Mito, Tsukuba and Hitachi. The Northern Ibaraki locations tend to be a bit more available as people often turn them down, but despite them being quite rural they are still counted as urban so you'd only be on 230k. Once you get above Mito you're also talking about 3 hours on train, unless you get an express for triple the price!
by Si (guest) rate this post as useful

Ibaraki 2011/1/25 05:56
@Si
Sounds kinda arbitrary that the rural area of a prefecture is deemed "urban" simply because that prefecture has many urban areas or because it is relatively close to the holy grail of nippon cities... hmmm ...
I guess we will see how it unfolds when Interac calls.
Thanks a bunch for the heads up though...
by AnyaAway rate this post as useful

. 2011/1/25 06:18
Basically they only really consider places like Iwate, Aomori, Akita and Northern Hokkaido to be rural. There are some VERY rural places in Fukuoaka and Yamagata, but they aren't considered rural due to their proximity to the Shinkansen and cities like Sendai.
by Si (guest) rate this post as useful

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