I Never Expected to Gain a Teammate…! | How I Met Ms. Koh

Hi,
This is Shingo Ito from International Tutor Osaka.

We are pleased to announce that Ms. Koh has newly joined ITO!

Honestly… I think this will be the most surprising thing that happens to me this year.

I had lightly thought, “Maybe someday it would be interesting if the team grew and became an organization.”

However, for the time being, I fully intended to continue running everything on my own.

That is why I had not even posted any recruitment information, so I never imagined I would receive an inquiry saying, “I would like to work with you.”

Ms. Koh sent me an email saying:

• “I had been thinking about leaving the school environment and starting private tutoring, and while researching, I found ITO.”
• “I have never seen another tutoring service specializing in supporting international school students with developmental differences.”
• “I realize you are not advertising any hiring opportunities, but may I ask if you have any plans to hire a new tutor?”

To be honest, I initially declined.

I told her, “For now, I plan to continue working on my own.”

However, she then asked, “Could I at least hear how you started your business?” so I agreed to meet with her.

Once we started talking, we found that we had both worked in the same field of international education combined with developmental support, and the conversation became so engaging that our one-hour meeting quickly turned into two hours. lol

She told me that at her previous workplace, she had proposed improvements to the school’s organizational structure to the principal, and that many of her former students continued to stay in touch with her even after graduation.

From that, I strongly felt she was a passionate teacher and someone who had earned deep trust and respect from those around her.

So, in a way that is unusual for me, I made a quick decision and said, “Well then, would you like to work together?”

I had never hired anyone before (although this arrangement is on a contract basis), but I also felt that bringing in someone new might create exciting new possibilities, so I decided to welcome her aboard.

And right away, we received three requests for trial lessons specifically asking for Ms. Koh!

I am still trying to process this unexpected turn of events, but I am truly excited to see where things go from here.

A new chapter has begun for International Tutor Osaka, and we sincerely appreciate your continued support!