Hello, me again..

So I did the interview and I got an offer from Shane English to go and work there. I have until the 28th to reply. The more I hear about it, the less sure I am, though, so *sigh* I guess I'm going to look at some other options as well while I go through the contract some more.

Has anyone heard much about James English School based in Tohoku? There have been a few reviews online which seem relatively positive and the main criticism is that they're somewhat disorganized but they do pay on time.

Or ACC? Teaching Positions // Current Job Information // ACC ENGLISH SCHOOL, Japan

Congratulations! I don't know anything about them, but a little disorganized and pays on time sounds pretty good to me.

Thank you, MMM. I may well end up taking the Shane contract as it's getting pretty late in the year now for EFL, but I figured I might as well scout out some back-ups too.

Shane is better than 90% of the English conversation schools out there. I'd take that job if I were you. If I remember they pay significantly better also.

There are Shane schools located just about everywhere, and from their literature it seems they wish to one day operate 800 schools in Japan. Shane specializes in what they call "British" English, though most Japanese students don't know one kind from another. I am often surprised when people ask me if I'm from the UK or Australia...

Most Ekaiwa schools being the same, you should expect about 200k yen in pay each month after apartment rent and other deductions. It's not so bad for a single person, even in the metro areas. In the countryside it's actually a solid middle-class income.

If you stay in Japan longer than a year, you can expect to pay residency tax based on your income and location, this tax can be as high as 200k yen for one year. If you plan on staying for a few years, make sure you put away money for this tax.

Also, if you decide you like Japan well enough to settle down here, enroll in the national health care plan and the national pension plan. Shane will probably offer national health care as an option, but they will recommend a private provider whom they have a contract with. If you are staying temporarily, the private provider coverage will be find, but if you stay longer, you really should get the national plan.

Never lose any paperwork you get from your school, keep copies of everything; your contract, apartment contract, travel expense documents, and the like. All ekaiwa schools push (or cross) the edges of legality with these contracts, and you want to be prepared if something goes wrong.

I have quite a few friends who work at the various schools, and I've heard enough stories to know that you should keep your eyes open to what your employer is doing.

All in all, I hear that Shane is a decent enough place to work, better than places like Nova, or some of the smaller schools which are operated by sharks dressed as Japanese. Shane will provide you with the everything you need to get by, and the work schedule should provide you with plenty of time to go out and see the country. You'll get to meet some interesting (and not so interesting) people. Despite Shane's marketing of "British English", they hire teachers from all English-speaking countries, so you'll get a chance to meet people from pretty much everywhere.