Interac Deferral

Received Monday July 25, 2011 at 4:21am EST

Dear ALT,

We appreciate that you have been waiting patiently now for news of your relocation to Japan. So it is with regret that we are writing to advise you of your current status with Interac Group, and your available placement options and what this means for you now and in the future.

Permanent Resident Living Abroad

For those who don't know, I'm a U.K. citizen living in the U.S. as a permanent resident.  I have a greencard which allows me to live and work here.  Unfortunately, I never became a U.S. citizen so I've faced quite a few hurdles in order to get myself to Japan.  I'd like to cover some of these for anyone who may be in a similar situation.

Interac Application and Interview Process

After getting an offer from both Gaba and Interac, I chose Interac in order to be a larger part of the community.  I mentioned this at the interview and it seemed to go over well :)  It's also something I fully believe in.  I didn't want to be another eikaiwa monkey, I honestly wanted to embed myself into this new environment.  Since I'm working for Interac, I'd rather not spill the beans on the whole process, but I can provide a timeline for other anxious Interac applicants, and some general advice.

AEON Application and Interview Process

I've applied for AEON (pronounced "ee-on", don't get it wrong at the seminar!) twice; the first time was just to see what would happen.  AEON is an eikaiwa as well, focusing on teaching small groups (5-10) of various ages depending on the group.  I probably know the most about this company given that I applied twice.

Gaba Application and Interview Process

For those of you who wish to work for Gaba, you must understand what the company is about.  Gaba is an eikaiwa based primarily around Tokyo.  Each instructor teaches one student at a time, usually an adult, in basically 50 minute segments.  Gaba specializes in customization; instructors must be able to customize lessons to a student's interests and career.  If you prove you can do this, you're a BIG step toward getting an offer.

Start the Countdown!

Hello boys and girls!  You may or may not know me; My name is Ben Brannan and teaching in Japan is my dream!  This blog is meant to document my journey to, and through, Japan.  I also hope to inspire and help others who wish to do the same!  I will be working as an ALT and teaching English--anyone else looking to do this can definitely learn from my coming experience!  But how did a rogue computer scientist end up getting a job in Japan?