Hello everyone,

                   I'm about to embark on my new adventure to work in Japan. The company I've gone with is Interac. If you've done the 100hrs/120hrs TEFL with i-to-i and opted to take advantage of they job assistant in Japan then the likelihood is you too will be going with Interac too.

So if you have any questions about Interac, the application process, where you can teach, what the company is like, pay, accommodation, schools then please ask below and I will try to answer them as best as I can.

I will also be writing regular blogs about my time in Japan so if you want you can add me as a friend to keep up with all the gossip there

Hope to hear from you all soon!

Hi Paul

I'm working with i-to-i and applying to work with Interac myself. Any news or updates would be great - people are always asking questions about Japan. You might find me referring people over to you in the future.

That is no problems...send them my way and I will be happy to help where I can.

Good luck with your application!!! There can be a lot of waiting to hear things BUT its all worth it :)

The process is normally filling in the online application - a bit like an online resume/CV

Then you get a phone call lasting about 10-15mins (mine happened at the end of my lunch break, luckily i didnt get into trouble)

After that you are invited to attend an interview in your country (this happens in various location, mine was in York)

---The interview is all day starting with an introduction to the company, you can ask questions etc (very relaxed). Then you have the actually interview with lots of questions, such as, why do you want to teach, why japan, what do you know about japan, what age groups do you want to teach. Then the scary bit happens. You have to stand in front of a camera and introduce yourself followed by a short lesson pretending your in a classroom with student (you'll feel really stupid doing this, i pretended to play a game and would go off camera to collect an item as though a child was giving me it...very bizarre). If thats not enough, whilst others are being interviewed you have a mini spelling and grammar test...oh I also forgot a personality test too...that was fun too!!!---

Then you wait and eventually you are told whether they want to employ you...

If they say they want you you then have everything else to sort out (they help of course). You have things like VISA, CRB check, another online resume they use for schools, health checks (make sure you have had your TB). Eventually they will contact you about placements (usually 2months before your start date). Normally you need to drive, if so you have to get a international driving licence (from the AA) - there are some places you dont have to drive so if you cant just let them know -

After all this you then have you flight and insurance to sort out

Above all, whilst all this is going on you must save save save!!!...I can not state this enough. A TB test can cost about £100, CRB is about £50, Visa £6 (plus transport to london cos you have to go in person), flight about £500, International Driving permit is about £11. You also need about £2-3000 for initial set up for accomodation etc because your first pay day is not till the end of the second month (interac though can arrange a ¥200,000 loan - about £1000)

Any questions about this or anything else just ask :)

PS dont let all this put you off, load of people go through it world wide (most of interac intakes are from the UK and US), its all worth it

Hi Paul,

My name is Emma and I am really interested in doing a TEFL and teaching in Japan however I have never been that far from home for so long and it terrifies me!! How easy did you find it to fit in? What kind of assistance did you get finding somewhere to live and are you with other English teachers? Im a bit nervous that I will be literally sent off on my own with nobody to talk to and no place to sleep!!

Cheers,

xxx

Hello Paul, What is a CRB?

Excellent!  Thanks.

UPDATE:

I`ve had a few questions left on my profile relating to Interac so i thought i would answer it on here so that it will be useful to everyone.

Firstly I did the 120hrs course with i-to-i because they offered assistant in a job placement. I knew i wanted to travel to the far east and luckily for me they offered assistants for Japan. At the time I did not know which company it was with until I got the ball rolling and luckily for me it happened to be Interac.

I-to-i do carefully choose who they are going to partner up with and here in Japan the to leading ALT providers are Interac and the JET program. The difference between these are with Interac you are employed by them but with the JET program it is through a school, area or BoE.

Interac offer a lot of benefits but for me its the constant help and support they provide. I had a online group predeparture confrence, then a one weeks orientation when i arrived in Japan, they sorted accomodation out and also my apartment. They paid for the accomodation for the weeks orientation, also the train to where im living and also the first night in the hotel before being picked up by a local helper and taken to my apartment. The same helper introduced me to the other ALTs in the area, showed me around, helped with all the paperwork and documentation, was a translator for me because i speak hardly any Japanese at all, i was taken to meet my schools, helped with my introduction speach, support given to getting a cell phone and setting up internet. If thats not enough they also ahve regular training and have an online archive of lesson plans to either use or spark the imagination.

Most other companies will offer support in finding accomodation but thats it.

The pay is normally around ￥230,000 but you can get bonuses depending where you are living. Also some positions are driving and others are not. Transport is paid for and if you have a car they pay for most of the rental charge.

Just like with any company there are limited places BUT dont give up. Unlike the JET program you can apply keep applying. My advice is be flexible about where you want to teach and the level you want to teach. I asked to be near osaka and teach high school without driving. I`m actually in Iwate (its very nice) i do teach at 3 high schools but its a driving position. Be happy, be willing and have fun.

Some people ahve also asked if its possible to save. Well this depends on where you live. If you live near or in a big city you are going to be more tempted to by things. If you want to eat out, eat western food, travel, go to parties etc then you wont be able to save. However, i live in the north, my accomodation is about ￥45,000, bills (phone, net, elect, gas) are about ￥20,000 and general living expence is about ￥10,000... so about ￥75,000 a month. I get paid about ￥240,000 a month...so you can save. However, you will need to bring about ￥300,000 with you and take out the ￥200,000 loan via interac to help for the first 2 months because the pay is pro rota and the first pay is half due to starting mid month. You also accomodation set up is a lot due to key money, deposit, 2months rent, agent fees = ￥200,000 (about). Most accomodation is Leopalace so basic funiture such as table, chair, tv, aircon, fridge/freezer, microwave and stove are included but if like me you have to rent a private apartment then all this will cost about ￥100,000-￥150,000. Also if you plan to stay for 2 or more years then its easier to save...just depends on the exchange rate if you go back home.

My plans for the future is to maybe be here for 2 years and then see what happens...I would love to work for Interac in their offices but also i have my eye on saving up to teach in a Budhist Monestary somewhere and then eventually move closer to home and teach in France.

My final advice for any one thinking of teaching is - Stop thinking and do it.

As my mum told me, its a big change, you`ll be far away from home, noone in the family has done anything like this, it will be hard, a hugh challenge BUT if you dont do it you will spend the rest of you life wishing you had...and if you get there and it doesnt work out you can always return home and try another country.

Hey everyone! 

I taught with Interac in Japan for 11 months (2008-2009). I was based out of Yokosuka (1 hour south of Tokyo). I had my own apartment there and met tons of international friends. If you have any questions about the company or the application process I'd me more then happy to answer them! 

Brittany 

Here is some interesting reading about Interac.

http://www.debito.org/?p=2993

As someone who works for Interac I find this mind boggling why John123 has posted this.

Reading through it there are quite a few things that dont stand true...

The first being the letter...Interac will only write a letter of recommendation if requested...if school wishes to make some good comments about you interac will either call or email but mostly dont pass the message on because they are usually too busy...certain too busy to write up a letter.

This person also mentions that he only phoned up for certain things but not trivia things like lesson changes...in fact it states in the contract agreement that because you are employed by interac and not the school or BoE any changes to your schedule, even if a few minutes before a lesson, you must contact interac.

It also states that in any emergency you must contact interac because they are the employer.

Its like if you were at work and you run out of work without telling anyone where you are going or what you are doing. In England, no matter what the reason, that is a sackable offence. This person did just this...Interac make it perfectly clear from day one that you are employed by them and so are guests in the schools.

Most schools only know some english and so they probably never properly understood why he was leaving.

It was unfortunate why he had to leave but he did everything wrong, not just from interacs perspective but from any employers perspective. He had left in the middle of a lesson and didnt inform his employer until almost 24hrs later. He was in fact late on several occassions without informing his office and he never made an attempt to inform interac, his employers, of the situation.

Mistakes were made and granted maybe interac could have been a little more sympathetic but this is a one off incident that ended badly mainly because the person didnt inform interac of anything.

finally as regards to the forms at the end...all contracts are in Japanese (your in japan) if you dont understand they you have to ask for them to explain, they will also give you a few days to take it away and to look over...

Also it is in the contract that if you have any deaths of grievance in the family you are permitted to have time off...ive had a few problems over here and interac have been very helpful from finding me a car, personally visiting me to make sure im settling in, regular phone calls to monitor the problems i were having and also checking to see if i was ok because my aunt died...

Some people have had a few problems along the way, other people have had none...its not to do with the company its sometimes just rotton luck, thats all.