Former Nova Teacher willing to tell all.

[Brooker]

I'm currently researching cheap travel in Japan, so if anyone has any more info, I'd like to hear it.

I'm new to this board and am a former employee of Nova. If you'd like to know about that company I'll give you some honest info. Nova wasn't great, but it wasn't terrible either. The large amount of disposable income it gave me allowed me to have a very good time while I was in Japan.

 

[Cat]

Hey there, Brooker! My name's Cat. Welcome to the forum. I hope you like it here and intend to stay for a while. I'm sorry that I have no information for you heehee. Well have fun and I'll see you around. bai bai ^^

 

[Glenn]

Hi Brooker! Welcome to our humble cyber-abode.

 

[jeisan]

hiya brooker and welcome, have fun.

 

[mad pierrot]

So Brooker...

What do you think of the JET programme? Some people I knew who were in NOVA told me I had is easy, NOVA has much longer hours, less pay, etc.

Fact or fiction?

 

[playaa]

Welcome to the forum Brooker!

 

[Brooker]

I met some JET people while I was in Japan and they seemed to like it. The drawbacks of JET for me were that the application process takes a long time and I decided that I didn't want to be an assistant in a high school.

At Nova I had my own classes, but it was definately "fast-food English". I taught a lot of classes in one day without much down time, which was a little overwhelming sometimes. My hours and pay were the same as most of the other teachers I met. About Y250,000/month (approx. $2200 US) seems to be the going rate (which is more than I've ever made at a job here at home). You get a little more if you live in a big city, but you'll also spend more.

 

[Satori]

Konnichiwa, Brooker! Welcome aboard!!

 

[dreamer]

Hiya brook ^^
welcome here.
I think maciamo might have informations about what you're looking for, so ask him =)

 

[Grandpa Frank]

CLICK ON THE "PRACTICAL" SECTION (TOP BAR)

and also the practical section of the Forum for a lot of good info!

Frank

 

[Hachiko]

Brooker, welcome to the fora!

 

[m477]

Does NOVA provide you with housing?

 

[mad pierrot]

Only the poor house! (j/k)

 

[Brooker]

Yes, Nova does provide housing, m477. Someone meets you at the airport and takes you straight to your new apartment when you first arrive, which was a comfort. It was the typical J-apartment, nothing flashy, but it did the job. I had roommates, which was actually good, because it was nice to have some partners in crime in a foreign land. After a while I moved into a non-Nova gaijin house which was much less comfortable, but was a much better location. With Nova apartments you don't have much control over the location - it could be a long train ride to work.