Hello everyone.
I have an upcoming interview with YSG via Skype (I’m currently in Italy).
I have a MA in English and out of whim I applied for a position as a full time instructor they advertised on LinkedIn.
I have never lived in Japan (but I have lived in several other countries). I studied Japanese at BA level though, and I’ve always wanted to visit, so I thought it would be a nice way to get my foot in the country.
I was wondering if anyone has any experience with YSG and if they can tell me something about them?
What is the job like? Is it mainly with kids or also with older students? Is the schedule really strict, e.g. do you have any time to visit/go around? How are non-native teachers regarded (e.g. is there any “discrimination” towards them)? Any advice on the interview process? What are the hours like?
Did you like the job? 🙂 is it a nice environment and do they assist with visa/documentation/accommodation?
Thank you in advance to anyone who might help 🙂
10 comments
There are many different brands within YSG, I highly recommend talking with them regarding your options.
There’s a lot of different schools in the Yaruki Switch Group, but I’m going to take a guess that the position you applied for is probably at Kids Duo or WinBe.
In which case, you will not be doing any actual teaching. These are not schools, but after-school clubs for elementary and pre-school kids. It’s really just entertainment, not education.
I don’t work at Yaruki Switch but I currently work at one of Kids Duos competitors that has a very similar structure. The job is basically to be an entertainer, play games, make crafts, and deal with kid’s tantrums. No actual real teaching. It can be fun for what it is, but it’s also draining. The hours are unsociable, the pay is low, the kids can be little shits, there’s a constantly revolving door of staff, and the bosses expect you to just shut up and get on with what they tell you like a good little gaijin.
You would be wasted there with your MA. Having a master’s in English qualifies you for much better roles.
Back in the day, Winbe was a typical eikaiwa. Kid’s and adult lessons, 50 minutes each. Games, songs, stories, etc. I had a few friends that worked there and seemed to like it. Not sure what it’s like now.
Kids Duo is an after school program.
I worked a year at kids duo.
They lied about downsizing their staff, laid me off and then hired someone else.
I moved to a more traditional eikaiwa and couldn’t be happier. Kids duo has barely any time for the amount you have to prep, leaves you alone to deal with massive numbers and involves a lot of planning and executing.
If you have an MA, you would be able to get a professor visa and work in university. I’m not necessarily saying that’s better (I work at a uni but I’ve never done conversation school work in Japan – I have elsewhere), but there sure seem to be a lot of teachers trying to make the switch.
You can search this sub. Somebody asks about this company every couple weeks.
More of a babysitting job than teaching
I worked at kids duo for almost two years. Long hours with horrible staffing issues and kids throwing tantrums can make it a pretty draining job. Some locations are better than others but it can be horrible. Kids bullying other kids and teachers, management and parents not doing anything. It’s definitely not something I would recommend for someone with a MA. There are better options even within after school/eikawa/preschool.
YSG is, as the name suggests, a *group* – your answers are going to depend on which brand under their umbrella you’re looking at.
Plus, it will depend if you’re looking at a corporate location, or a third party franchise. YSG have a franchise model on top of running their own locations, and while the franchises have to follow all of the corporate rules, they also have their own policies on top.
If your MA is in Literature, I don’t recommend coming to Japan. You are not going to get a uni job with it. Good jobs are hard to come by, and working conditions are not great. Long term, Japan seems a pretty dicey bet. If you just want to experience the country for a year or two, try JET. Otherwise, don’t waste important years of your life getting being a disposable person in the Japanese education industry