Pros
Pay is on time Travel expense is unlimited. Some contracted schools are incredibly easy. All the schools I have worked with are nice Nagoya staff are very happy. Company president is accessible. The company is owned by a big gas company, so you are financially secure. Health insurance and pension.
Cons
DO NOT TAKE A TOKYO POSITION. Nagoya is fine. Management is overworked. Company is racist. Will not hire you if you're a POC, unless you're half white. High turn over rate from experienced teachers. You have to fill out a travel expense form, the people at the office can help but they are short staffed and overworked. It is more than an 8 hour work day at most schools. You are not allowed out during break time, and a lot of schools have no break room or break time. Some schools do not mind if you do this but the company is against it. You are dispatch, the company has a policy that we are below Japanese people. You are expected to ask for permission from the company just to use things such as a fridge. Some schools have no AC. I was told that there is no uniform, only to find out that vantage has a compulsory skintight uniform. You have to show up to school in formal clothes and change in the school. Some schools have no changing rooms so if you have tattoos prepare to wear two layers at least. You are lied to about the job in the interview. The "work from home" day suddenly changes into a "various day" You are told things in the interview then it suddenly changes in training. It would have been better if the interviews were more honest. They are churning teachers like crazy, over half of the new teachers from a recent intake left within 6 months. There are many inexperienced teachers in the company, these people are held to a pedestal by the company. Many of the "veteran" teachers were former ALTs who need to do real teacher training. Many teachers have no real experience. There is no teaching methodology. Vantage just wants you to play games and sing songs. It is often to see a school where students cannot speak a word of English despite taking lessons for 5 years. Office is overworked so they try to get things over and done with quickly. Some schools are three hours away. You can expect calls from vantage from 5pm-9am requesting cover. Very difficult to negotiate salary raises. Some schools are owned by vantage so those teachers have many eikaiwa students, since the school has an incentive to promote it. Your chances of getting a raise comes from how many eikaiwa students you have. Starting salary is no longer competitive. Especially since you will be working 12 hour days. Some peoples scheduals are unfair. Some teachers have two lessons a day some have non stop lessons. Toxic work culture. Many other teachers are known for gaslighting and bullying. The company is a zombie company. Many teachers debate whether Vantage even makes a profit. Schools are way too far spread. Expect to go to Chiba one day and shibasaki the next. There are no dedicated cover teachers. The company claimed to have had been searching for one but couldn't find one, at the same time they managed to hire three new teachers within a month to replace old teachers. Online lessons are not on your job description but you'll be given them immediately on your second year. Training is a joke. It is unprofessional to go to work while sick. Standards for mens clothing and women are different. Men are expected to wear formal clothes, while management will go around in tight legging shorts in some schools. Some teachers held to a pedestal strut around with visible tattoos whereas vantage will complain about you being sick. If you dont fit in the clique it can be tough. Management issue will be never addressed as no one qualified to be a manager will take the position. Very Japanese company. Former president cares about education, company doesnt feel money driven and seems to care about kids. Management is always accessible. The Nagoya branch manager is definitely made this experience more bearable. Working weekends. No time to lesson plan.
