Hello, just like many threads here are about, I'm considering Westgate as a place to work for. I'll share what I know so far, and I would appreciate it if someone can add, correct, or help me answer some of my questions. I'm especially interested in learning from those who are/were teaching at Westgate. Here's what I know:
- Their contracts are 3~5 months, depending on the semester.
Q: How long is the visa duration? And can you open up a bank account, get government health insurance, etc.?
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You can choose to live in their housing arrangement, which is like 98,000 for a studio apartment. I think that's not a bad deal for Tokyo if I don't want a 2-year contract + deposit/key money. I tried looking for monthly mansions, but I couldn't find anything cheaper than this.
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The salary/cost of living makes it seem like there will be little to no room for savings, so I'm guessing it can only work for those who want to live comfortably in Japan without touching their savings, or am I worse in saving money than I thought? XD
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I read that they expect teachers to make the lessons. Personally, as an ESL teacher of 5 years (not in Japan), not only do I not view this as a bad thing, I actually welcome it. Anything I didn't catch there?
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For those who previously taught there, how did you get by during the interims? Did you leave Japan? Did your visa status allow you to get another job? My info is that you cannot stay in Westgate's housing even if you want to.
That's about it for now. I appreciate your answers.
by BadWolf3939