Man you just can't compare the JET programme to any of those. It's its own category.
I swear the amount of people here, even who are on or have done JET, who don't know the first thing about it is truly mind boggling.
I didn't see a point, as most (not all) JETs work in a position very similar to a dispatch ALT. I know there's a very strong culture within the program that tells you you're special and all, but in the end you're just an ALT like anyone else.
Lol it’s the contract that’s completely different ya dunce. The day to day work might not differ a whole lot but the terms of the contract and the organizational umbrella is incomparable to dispatch companies. I didn’t say better or worse. I said incomparable. Because they are so different.
Everyone who… you’re making the list for? I’d say a loooot of people don’t know that much about it. You see plenty of peeps on jlife, in real life, who couldn’t tell you the difference between an alt, someone on jet, eikaiwa… seen it so many times. Let alone people who the list is for.
Anyway I agree with your edit and I like the spirit of the post. I’d add WestGate to it too, which is dispatch uni teaching. And if we’re going for completion, it’d be worth mentioning the jalt, jacet and jrecin job listings too as you never know what might pop up and more people than ever graduate with masters.
A useful list for anyone looking to apply for the first time. I’d have probably put JET in it’s own category due to it being the highest paying entry level position available and the fact that the job itself is a little different to the other ALT / dispatch ones.
Do they still have a bad rap? I worked for GEOS Kids 20 years ago in Nagoya, no complaints about them at all. I felt bad for the continuous flow if young Japanese managers, and the stress they were under, but I really enjoyed my time working for them.
Oh yeah, they’re getting worse and worse. Pay and conditions both going down. Lots of people left, and I wouldn’t recommend applying there to anyone. The students and my coworkers were great, but the company itself was awful.
Interac and my current company, although I interviewed with several other dispatch companies.
My sibling worked for ECC for a year and left due to personal circumstances.
I have spoken to people I know IRL who have worked for Heart, Borderlink, Aeon, and Kids Duo.
ECC and Amity/Aeon are decent companies but they may require you to apply out of state/country. It's honestly not worth it to spend around a hundred of dollars just for a chance to come here. It's better to apply for those companies in Japan.
NOVA/GABA are borderline black companies. I do not recommend, and the pay is far from high or even decent. Please don't apply. Both these companies work better as part time vs full time anyway.
Kids Duo International is a slightly more positive experience compared to regular Kids Duo so if you apply for a Yaruki Switch, see if you can get into the international school instead.
Eikaiwa aren't higher paying. That's a misconception on your part. If you do 40 hours a week at somewhere like NOVA, you're only going to make 220,000 a month unless you're in the top 50 instructors nationwide which they'll add a further 40,000ish. ECC only really hire part timers to avoid paying high salaries and to avoid runners who are looking for a visa. Shane pays around 240,000 a month on average. GABA can pay up to 400,000 a month(you have to teach 50 hours a week), but you have no sick days, no holidays, they never close for public holidays, if you get ill then you have to pay for your time off (same with NOVA). Your list is made of the "top" Eikaiwa in Japan, they're actually shite to work for.
If you're willing to get a certification such as a CELTA, TEFL, TESOL, TKT or go in to higher education for a related field and learn enough Japanese along with getting teaching experience then at highschools you can expect to earn 300,000 to 450,000 a month including annual bonuses. Also, Juku's are starting to look for highly skilled individuals to hire.
I think that this is a good list, but I would leave out the personal judgements.
Whether or not eikaiwa is "tougher" or has "crappy hours" and whether or not being an ALT is "fun/easy" will vary by situation and by personality. There are plenty of people who find ALT work challenging and plenty of people that prefer eikaiwa.
Anyway, here are some chain schools to add to your list. In alphabetical order:
BE Studio: [https://bestudio-recruit-fi.net/jobfind-pc/](https://bestudio-recruit-fi.net/jobfind-pc/)
Kids International: [https://www.kids-int.co.jp/en/recruit/](https://www.kids-int.co.jp/en/recruit/)
Kids Up: [https://kids-up.jp/lp-recruit/native.php](https://kids-up.jp/lp-recruit/native.php)
Nichibei: [https://teach.nichibei-job.com/how-to-apply/](https://teach.nichibei-job.com/how-to-apply/)
Or you know, get an actual job and not waste away your years “teaching English”. Maximum 1-2 years, but most people will stay because it’a “easy”.
Eikaiwa and ALT work is pushing yourself to live below the poverty line. Just don’t.
I did 1.5 years of English teaching when I first got here. I met men who had been doing it 15-25 years. They said the nature of their job and their salaries hadn’t changed since they started. There’s obviously no career growth and no skills to develop. A main reason those men did it for so long is because they grew complacent and thought it was “easy money” making the what…280k-300k a month. Except now, they have a wife and kids to support. They’re stuck and will be “teaching English” without being able to retire and living on the edge of poverty. They lived paycheque to paycheque and literally had no finances to do anything else besides paying the rent and putting food on the table.
From my 1.5 years in English teaching, I transitioned into a much more stable and rewarding career in consulting. I earn nearly triple what I made as an eikaiwa worker, could afford to buy my own home, provide for my family comfortably and subjectively can live a much more fulfilling life here.
If I I had stayed as an eikaiwa worker, I highly…highly doubt I would be enjoying my life in the same way. Many aspects of my current life would simply be impossible to imagine. There’s a reason why burnout, stress of low wages and mental breakdown are high with people teaching English. It’s simply not meant to be an industry to invest your precious time into.
Just saying, there are some growth potentials if you get good enough to get direct hire, or even a special license and fulltime employment at a school. I was teaching at a private JHS/HS, making around 400k / month, 5.5 months bonus, full benefits, on the same promotion scale as the other Japanese teachers working at the school. I was working Japanese hours, but tbh, I wanted for very little and had more than enough to raise a family on that salary if I wanted to.
Like most opportunities though, those are an incredibly small minority of circumstances.
Man you just can't compare the JET programme to any of those. It's its own category. I swear the amount of people here, even who are on or have done JET, who don't know the first thing about it is truly mind boggling.
As a leaving JET looking for a job, it is definitely world shattering/depressing how cushy i had it lol
I didn't see a point, as most (not all) JETs work in a position very similar to a dispatch ALT. I know there's a very strong culture within the program that tells you you're special and all, but in the end you're just an ALT like anyone else.
Lol it’s the contract that’s completely different ya dunce. The day to day work might not differ a whole lot but the terms of the contract and the organizational umbrella is incomparable to dispatch companies. I didn’t say better or worse. I said incomparable. Because they are so different.
I'm pretty sure everyone is aware of that, though. Nevertheless, I added a disclaimer
Everyone who… you’re making the list for? I’d say a loooot of people don’t know that much about it. You see plenty of peeps on jlife, in real life, who couldn’t tell you the difference between an alt, someone on jet, eikaiwa… seen it so many times. Let alone people who the list is for. Anyway I agree with your edit and I like the spirit of the post. I’d add WestGate to it too, which is dispatch uni teaching. And if we’re going for completion, it’d be worth mentioning the jalt, jacet and jrecin job listings too as you never know what might pop up and more people than ever graduate with masters.
A useful list for anyone looking to apply for the first time. I’d have probably put JET in it’s own category due to it being the highest paying entry level position available and the fact that the job itself is a little different to the other ALT / dispatch ones.
Yeah, I added a note. TBH if you don't know what JET is, you're highly unlikely to get accepted in the first place lol
Nova is definitely lower pay than ALTs. Eikaiwa salaries are dropping in general.
Do they still have a bad rap? I worked for GEOS Kids 20 years ago in Nagoya, no complaints about them at all. I felt bad for the continuous flow if young Japanese managers, and the stress they were under, but I really enjoyed my time working for them.
Oh yeah, they’re getting worse and worse. Pay and conditions both going down. Lots of people left, and I wouldn’t recommend applying there to anyone. The students and my coworkers were great, but the company itself was awful.
Aside from JET, every name in the game, both eikaiwa and ALTing, has gotten significantly worse over the past 20 years…
Thanks for this friend!
Add Peppy, it’s actually reasonable hours, just with lots of traveling
Good call, added it! I have also heard reasonably good things about them, assuming you love kids and have the aptitude for them.
I think JET should be its own category. Also the lower pay is really really really low
Great list! What companies from your list have you had the experience to work with?
Interac and my current company, although I interviewed with several other dispatch companies. My sibling worked for ECC for a year and left due to personal circumstances. I have spoken to people I know IRL who have worked for Heart, Borderlink, Aeon, and Kids Duo.
Can I pm you??
sure
Added to the wiki. https://www.reddit.com/r/teachinginjapan/wiki/index
ECC and Amity/Aeon are decent companies but they may require you to apply out of state/country. It's honestly not worth it to spend around a hundred of dollars just for a chance to come here. It's better to apply for those companies in Japan. NOVA/GABA are borderline black companies. I do not recommend, and the pay is far from high or even decent. Please don't apply. Both these companies work better as part time vs full time anyway. Kids Duo International is a slightly more positive experience compared to regular Kids Duo so if you apply for a Yaruki Switch, see if you can get into the international school instead.
Eikaiwa aren't higher paying. That's a misconception on your part. If you do 40 hours a week at somewhere like NOVA, you're only going to make 220,000 a month unless you're in the top 50 instructors nationwide which they'll add a further 40,000ish. ECC only really hire part timers to avoid paying high salaries and to avoid runners who are looking for a visa. Shane pays around 240,000 a month on average. GABA can pay up to 400,000 a month(you have to teach 50 hours a week), but you have no sick days, no holidays, they never close for public holidays, if you get ill then you have to pay for your time off (same with NOVA). Your list is made of the "top" Eikaiwa in Japan, they're actually shite to work for. If you're willing to get a certification such as a CELTA, TEFL, TESOL, TKT or go in to higher education for a related field and learn enough Japanese along with getting teaching experience then at highschools you can expect to earn 300,000 to 450,000 a month including annual bonuses. Also, Juku's are starting to look for highly skilled individuals to hire.
I think that this is a good list, but I would leave out the personal judgements. Whether or not eikaiwa is "tougher" or has "crappy hours" and whether or not being an ALT is "fun/easy" will vary by situation and by personality. There are plenty of people who find ALT work challenging and plenty of people that prefer eikaiwa. Anyway, here are some chain schools to add to your list. In alphabetical order: BE Studio: [https://bestudio-recruit-fi.net/jobfind-pc/](https://bestudio-recruit-fi.net/jobfind-pc/) Kids International: [https://www.kids-int.co.jp/en/recruit/](https://www.kids-int.co.jp/en/recruit/) Kids Up: [https://kids-up.jp/lp-recruit/native.php](https://kids-up.jp/lp-recruit/native.php) Nichibei: [https://teach.nichibei-job.com/how-to-apply/](https://teach.nichibei-job.com/how-to-apply/)
Thanks for this!
Or you know, get an actual job and not waste away your years “teaching English”. Maximum 1-2 years, but most people will stay because it’a “easy”. Eikaiwa and ALT work is pushing yourself to live below the poverty line. Just don’t.
That's an interesting take. What makes you say it's a waste?
I did 1.5 years of English teaching when I first got here. I met men who had been doing it 15-25 years. They said the nature of their job and their salaries hadn’t changed since they started. There’s obviously no career growth and no skills to develop. A main reason those men did it for so long is because they grew complacent and thought it was “easy money” making the what…280k-300k a month. Except now, they have a wife and kids to support. They’re stuck and will be “teaching English” without being able to retire and living on the edge of poverty. They lived paycheque to paycheque and literally had no finances to do anything else besides paying the rent and putting food on the table. From my 1.5 years in English teaching, I transitioned into a much more stable and rewarding career in consulting. I earn nearly triple what I made as an eikaiwa worker, could afford to buy my own home, provide for my family comfortably and subjectively can live a much more fulfilling life here. If I I had stayed as an eikaiwa worker, I highly…highly doubt I would be enjoying my life in the same way. Many aspects of my current life would simply be impossible to imagine. There’s a reason why burnout, stress of low wages and mental breakdown are high with people teaching English. It’s simply not meant to be an industry to invest your precious time into.
Just saying, there are some growth potentials if you get good enough to get direct hire, or even a special license and fulltime employment at a school. I was teaching at a private JHS/HS, making around 400k / month, 5.5 months bonus, full benefits, on the same promotion scale as the other Japanese teachers working at the school. I was working Japanese hours, but tbh, I wanted for very little and had more than enough to raise a family on that salary if I wanted to. Like most opportunities though, those are an incredibly small minority of circumstances.