My life as an ALT in JAPAN with ALTIA CENTRAL 🇯🇵 

Thank you so much 〜 😆 And welcome welcome! Kyoto is beautiful I'm sure you're going to love it if you aren't already 😁🇯🇵❤️

@@vaninjapan yes it's amazing here!!! So happy and grateful for this opportunity 🥰

​@@KatiePrescottcan you explain JET?

Hello! Thank you so much for watching my video! :) I hope it goes well! 🙌🏻 Good luck!

Hello Andrew! That's so cool! I have a friend living in Setouchi so I've been out that way a few times! Thanks! I just started so I'm trying to get more content out!

Was it Doneisha by any chance? Lol

@@andrewellicott6140 Yesssss 😂 lol

How did you get on? I had an interview last week!

Hello Shaira! I'm sorry to reply so late! Did you already have your interview?? Also just in my small town alone two of our teachers were Filipino so that definitely shouldn't be an issue! 👍🏻😊 And thank you! I'm glad if you found my videos helpful!

@@vaninjapan Hi, thanks for your reply. Yes I did. Now they're on the process of contacting my referees. 😊

@@PatrickTCAPIreland Hi just saw your message, they're now on the process of contacting my referees. How about you?

Hello, thank you I'm glad if you found my video helpful :) And that you for your question! So I'm not quite sure how ALTIA would go about this situation so I can't give you a definite answer. I would be honest with whoever you are interviewing with and ALTIA will definitely be very honest with you. They won't give you the passive aggressive runaround. I feel especially in kindy and elementary, running around with the kids is considered part of the job but like I said I'm not sure. I personally do stand all class long. Writing on the board, demonstrating things, playing games, walking around to check work etc. Maybe when we do the listening portions in the textbook in classes 3rd-6th there would be chances to sit but not really in Kindy-2nd. There are also stairs but schools do have elevators so I feel like you could just use them! You might honestly have more chances to sit during classes for the upper levels (junior high/high school) since they are doing more work work and less games and activities. When it comes to how I personally got placed I specifically asked for kindy/elementary bc I thought it would be more fun and ALTIA accommodated my request. I'm not sure how helpful this was 😅 It seems you know how Japan can be when it comes to accommodating anything out of the "norm." But I think maybe with the right schools it's doable so I would definitely ask. 👍🏻

Oh neat, whereabouts in Okayama Prefecture will you be in?

Hello! 👋🏻 I'm glad if my videos have been helpful! :) Thank you for watching! If you don't mind telling me, what town in Okayama? I lived in Takahashi (an hour outside the city) the first year and now Soja (30 minutes) and I've been able to make a wonderful group of friends actually! Most ALTIA ALTs are contracted in rural cities in Okayama but we meet in the city often! You should be added to the ALTIA LINE/Facebook group message when you move! The regular Okayama group FB page is great too! As for night life, Aussie Bar, Bars 11 the Rock, and Matador are great places to meet a lot of people, Japanese and Foreigner alike! 👍🏻

Hello Savanna, thank you for your kind words a few months ago. I am in Japan now, but not in Okayama. Thank you for the videos, they were very helpful during my application period. Have a good day!

Hello Jesse! I'm glad if you found my video helpful! :) It seems with your qualifications you are most likely overqualified to work for ALTIA if anything. There are many ALTs over 35 including two whom I personally work with (in their 40s). The official age cut off from ALTIA is 60 I believe though it may be 65 ("retiring age" here in Japan). Also to answer your last question, unfortunately ALTIA does not give yearly raises. However, they do increase your end of the year bonus each year. Additionally, every now and then there are chances/openings to work higher up within the company if that's something you have interest in.

Hello, thank you for your question! 😊 I had never taught English before but I had worked with kids in multiple different settings, coaching, summer camps, after school clubs, etc. And I minored in Japanese and had studied abroad in Japan so I could speak Japanese HOWEVER I don't want you to feel like you have to have these things! Being an ALT is largely a personality based job! They want friendly, lively applicants who enjoy working with kids and will finish their contracts. Living in a new country can be difficult and a lot of ALTs quit before the year is up. Also, a lot of placements are very rural and would be hard to navigate if you don't speak Japanese BUT there are plenty of ALTs who work for ALTIA that do not speak any Japanese some of my friends included. If you are friendly, want to work with kids, want to live in Japan/interested in Japanese culture, could handle living in Japan for at least a year away from home, and have a bachelor's degree then I think you are plenty qualified and should totally apply!

Thank you for your reply! This is a relief to hear 😊🙏🏽

Hello! Thank you for watching my video! I'm glad if it was helpful in any way :) So it's definitely not a requirement! I just think ALTIA asks because they don't want ALTs leaving before they finish their contracts due to culture shock or homesickness etc. So as a rule people who have already lived in or visited Japan before are less likely to leave due to the above reasons! That's all! 👍🏻 Just reassure them you plan to stick out the whole year and you should be fine!

Thank you!! 😆👍🏻 I did yes! I minored in Japanese in university and I studied abroad for a year before applying to be an ALT. I passed the N3 before moving here if that helps to gauge my level at the time. I passed the N2 this last December. With my company there is also an interview in Japanese since there are some placements with limited/zero English but Japanese is not a requirement! It will just make everything a little easier.

Also is 8000 yen all you have to pay to have the car on the personal plan? Does that pay for lease and insurance?

Hello Taylor! I'm glad if you enjoyed my video! 😆 Firstly congratulations! Sorry I'm not sure what you mean by acoso scene? But I think when it comes to making friends it will depend on where you live. Luckily for me there was a pretty big group of people (both Japanese and Foreign) that I was added to! I know there are Facebook and Line groups too yes! During training with ALTIA you should be added into a few! :) For Okayama at least the nightlife was never really closed except for a couple weeks maybe. COVID is on the rise again here but I don't foresee any closures happening though everyone still wears masks and what not. As for the car yes it's only 8000円 a month plus paying for your own gas of course. ALTIA takes care of everything else. Though you're technically "not allowed to" drive it farther than 100km because the insurance only covers that range. Hope this was helpful! :)

Hello Chris! What kind of experiences would you want to hear about specifically?? 🤔

Hello! Thank you for watching I'm glad if it was helpful! :) The rent including internet for Leopalace is taken out of your paycheck each month and is about 48000円 if I remember correctly. Could be a little cheaper. Then water, gas, and electricity are all separate. Water I believe is capped around 4000円？ but the other two will just depend. Gas can get pretty pricey during the winter especially. I hope this helped! :)

@@vaninjapan Hi. Yes thank you. It helped a lot. Thanks for responding so soon.

Thank you for watching! I'm glad if it was helpful! :) The company actually uses different makes and models so I can't give you a definite answer. However I personally drive a 2017 Daihatsu if I remember correctly. All the cars are pretty bare minimum. The one I drove the first year had manual crank down windows, no radio, and no charging port so... But you can always buy your own car if you want to!👍🏻

@@vaninjapan Fantastic! Thanks for the answer and keep it up with the great work!

Hey! Thank you so much for your question and subscribing! 😆 Sorry to hear you're forced to study something you aren't interested in. Most ALT companies do require you to have at least a bachelor's degree but it does not really matter what you get it in! I know ALTs who have theirs in physics, math, psychology, etc. I personally majored in International Studies and minored in Japanese! 👍🏻

I have a bachelor's degree in Guidance and Counselling and i want to apply to school after watching this beautiful video. How do I apply from Nigeria and what are my chances. I am a professional teacher over here as well.

@@chinezeoforjebe1146 Hello! I wrote a reply once but I'm not sure what happened? 🤔 I may just be writing this twice so sorry if that's the case! To my knowledge any person of any nationality can be an ALT if they are native level/fluent in English! ALTs are dispatched through companies and you can apply on their individual websites! Some popular examples are: ALTIA Central Interact Borderlink Heart Corporation *There's also the JET Programme which is not a company but connected with the Japanese government. It's probably the most prestigious ALT job and the one that pays the best. You can also be directly hired by the school or board of education ( including conversation and international schools) This link below has a good list of the easiest methods/websites etc. to use for applying for jobs in Japan if you want to check it out! matcha-jp.com/en/9851

Hello Megan! :) It's the first, English interview yes? Is your interview going to be with Graham by chance? It's pretty much a conversation, they want to know why you want to work with kids and why you're interested in Japan specifically and if you think you can handle living abroad. It's all pretty casual. Then they ask you what you think your role is as an ALT and it's pretty much modeling the English language and also being a cultural ambassador for your home country. It's less about correcting their English grammar etc. If that makes sense. They also asked me to choose 3 adjectives to describe what I considered to be a good ALT and why. Then during the Japanese interview they asked me to do a self introduction. After that they asked me similar questions about why I wanted to be a teacher and why I was interested in Japan. They also asked me what my hobbies were and if I was able to eat school lunches (which I don't so it's not a deal-breaker). Then at the very end they asked me to write my name in katakana. I hope this helped! If you have any more specific questions feel free to ask! :)

@@vaninjapan thank you so much for taking the time to give me a response. It really helps! I have my first interview next week! 🤞🏼

@@megumi8682 No problem, glad I could help! 👍🏻😁 Good luck you're going to do great! 🙌🏻😊

Hey, glad to hear you got an interview with Altia! If you don't mind me asking, how did it go?

@@chrisl2773 I have a second interview tonight! So hopefully this one goes well. It’s going to have a Japanese speaking portion so 🤞🏼😅

Hey! So if a company sponsors your visa like ALTIA does they do the application for you and you get your visa when you go through customs at the airport on arrival to Japan. It's really simple on your part. When it comes to getting a work visa when you're already in Japan I'm not sure but I've heard it can be a pain if your company doesn't sponsor your visa or make you do the application yourself. Japan does most everything by land mail/in person and in my experience at least in Okayama, there will not be someone to help you in English at the immigration office.

I'm working on that video now! :) 👍🏻

Hello! ゼラチン is one of the 28 main allergens here in Japan so it should be listed for sure on the food label. :) Also I find a lot of jelly products here use agar and not gelatin. 👍🏻 I think if you can read the label and or ask about the ingredients if you're eating out you should be okay! :) I have made a comprehensive list of all the ingredients you have to watch out for as a vegan which might help you for avoiding meat! My one vegan video got deleted from my phone and I haven't remade it yet but I can send you the list via Instagram if you'd like! When it comes to cosmetics (make up, sunscreen, conditioner, etc) I find most products use animal collagen tho 😅 so I end up buying a lot of products from iherb. But you can always google to make sure! Some brands are labeled as vegan or plant based too!

@@vaninjapan thank you so much, that would be a huge help, I’ll reach out on Insta!!

Helllo! If I'm not mistaken JET may be the only ALT dispatch company that helps cover living expenses! The apartments ALTIA set you up in are Leopalace apartments! You can ask them about it in the interview but they also go over things in training about it. They pretty much handle all of it and the rent comes straight out of your paycheck. (You do pay utilities etc tho) However I do not believe they are pet friendly. You could definitely find your own place but most Japanese apartments require you to have a Japanese person as your guarantor and moving in fees can be hefty depending on the place. ALTIA also doesn't help you find a different apartment but I'm sure they would connect you with other ALTs in the area if you wanted to ask them for help. 😅 Your supervisor also might help a bit but it's not their job so they might not..... Sorry I personally have never taught middle or high school (I requested elementary and Kindy) so I'm not sure? 🤔 It's to my knowledge that there are openings all year round bc people quit etc but since the beginning of the calendar year starts in April in Japan most people probably apply around October. (Or at least I did) ALTIA is kinda under staffed in the office I'd say so it usually takes them a while to reply. But I can't remember how long it took them in my case bc it was awhile ago. I do remember that I emailed them to ask for updates at one point!

@@vaninjapan Thank you so much for taking the time to reply to my comments~ It gave a lot of clarification about what I wanted to know. :) Do you have an instagram by chance that I can follow?

Whoops sorry I didn't see this reply! Of course glad if I can help! Also yes I do my Instagram handle is Vanna_gwynn :)

Hello! :) Thank you for watching! I have another video going more in depth about ALTIA'S qualifications and interview process if you want to check it out! ru-vid.com/video/%D0%B2%D0%B8%D0%B4%D0%B5%D0%BE-f2j-IRb0AWw.html It's to my knowledge that as long as you're a native English speaker it doesn't matter where you are from! I could be wrong though so you could always contact them to ask! They are very responsive. 👍🏻

Hey! So with ALTIA most contracts are from 8:30am to 4:30pm with no overtime. But this may change based on where you are placed and that includes how much downtime you have. You're technically "not allowed" to study at work but I do it all the time (I personally have a TON of downtime at my schools). When it comes to being a non-native speaker, I'd like to say it wouldn't matter but I can't answer your question with confidence 😅 you'd have to talk with someone within the company.

I think ALTIA requires 12 years of study in English but other ALT companies only require English ability (although the pay and conditions will not be as good). Eikaiwa/conversation schools can pay well and you just need to be good at English.

Hello Cleora! I hope you apply for Altia I'm sure it will go well! 🤞🏻 Love love love to see a fellow vegan 😆❤️🌱 of course I'd love to give you recommendations! Also have two vegan related videos coming soon〜

@@vaninjapan I am applying for it now, I am waiting on my professor to write up a reference letter. But I really really hope I get it. I also look forward to seeing those vegan videos.

Of course! 👍🏻 Congratulations! 😆🎉 I applied in October for a position in April so you're already pretty early! So it should be fine granted they have non diving positions open! I took a driving placement so I'm not sure how many non driving placements the company has!

@@vaninjapan Thank you greatly. 💖

This really depends on what you prioritize! JET is connected with the Japanese government while ALTIA is a small private company. There are pros and cons to both sides! JET pays more (including the flight), gives you a raise every year, and is more prestigious so it provides way better opportunities for alumni. ALTIA on the other hand, does not pay as well offers no raises but your bonus goes up each year, however, none of your pay is prorated even during your long breaks. JET makes you come in during the summer and other breaks when essentially there is nothing to do at school while you get ALL the breaks completely off with ALTIA. JET is also way more competitive so the interview process is way more rigorous. JET is also way bigger so you do not get to choose where you would like to live while ALTIA will work with you regarding this. I also feel you get way more support from the company as a whole with ALTIA vs JET. Another thing to note is if you are in a rural prefecture, JET does not supply you with a car while ALTIA does. 🤷🏼‍♀️

Hello! The interview process as well as, finding a placement, applying for a visa, going through training etc take quite a bit of time so I don't think it could be done in one month. I applied in October and started in April.

@@vaninjapan 😀 thankyou so much for your response

I mean some things you're used to they aren't going to have but they do have import stores here that do have some stuff. For what brands of everyday items, medicine, etc. are good I just googled in the beginning!

Hello! I feel since ALTIA is a small company they genuinely care about their employees and will definitely help you or at the very least get you in contact with another ALT in the area who will help you! I personally use Sakura Mobile for my phone since they cater to foreigners and it's all done in English. The bank account was tricker but honestly that will depend on the bank (I use Japan Post ゆうちょ) If you want to stay in the company apartment (Leopalace) they literally set everything up for you (except your futon lol). If you don't want to stay in Leopalace they won't help you find another place though. I personally stayed in Leopalace the first year bc it was easiest then I asked other ALTs about apartment rental companies after that. I used ピタットハウス and they were kind to foreigners (at least in Okayama) but did not speak English.

@@vaninjapan thank your for all the information! I never heard about these apps and companies so I'm very thankful for that. If i can ask another question, can you please tell me the first steps that you did when you arrived in the airport in Japan, like how did you find the location of your house, did someone help you get there? or you had to do everything by yourself, like take a taxi or bus by yourself? or was there someone to help you a soon as you arrived??

@@troublemakers9760 Hey! Glad if I can help! :) ALTIA will give you the location of the hotel you'll be staying in for training and if you get lost you can always call the English hotline but yeah you'll be finding the way yourself. The airport will have English signs and most likely people who speak English if you get lost. I personally looked up videos on how to use the trains etc before I got there then just used Google maps. (If you use Sakura Mobile you can pick up your sim card/wifi in the airport so you'd be able to use your phone). Hope this answered your question! 👍🏻 (At training you'd be given details on your apartment and car if you have one)

@@vaninjapan thanks a lot! you've been a great help!

Yes you can I just got an interview and I was learning Japanese so I can do self introduction at least

If I remember correctly training was 3 or 4 days long?

No sadly not to tourists yet! 😣 Only to visa holders and other business related visitors.