Jet Program Questions

Hello Everyone!

I am getting read to apply for the Jet Program, and I have some questions. First a little information on me: I have Bas in International Relations and Philosophy, as well as a Masters in applied ethics. I lived and studied in Japan for a year, and I am applying with my very good friend, who I met while living in Japan. We were hoping to both be placed in the same area, so we could visit - preferably in the Nagasaki/Saga area, since that is where our host families live. So, here are my questions:

What percent of applicants get accepted?
What can I do to improve my application?
What are our chances of being placed in the same area?
If we are in the same city, can we room together?
If we ask, will it lower our chances of being accepted at all?
Is there a lot of competition for placement in Nagasaki?
What are the interviews like?


Now, should I be accepted�c

What is the job really like? I have gone over the websites a dozen times, and it just doesn�ft tell me what people are really doing on a daily basis.
What kind of work is involved?
Is knowing Japanese helpful?
Is it possible to take night classes in Japanese while doing the Jet program?

Okay�cI think that is about it. Sorry for so many question, but I could REALLY use some help. Thank you.

Me too I want to apply for JET. As you might already know you can do JET (Japanese English Teacher) or CIR. If you decide for JET you teach English in middle school. A friend of mine how did JET in Saitama had classes at three schools with about 300 kids names to remember ^^. You might be choosen even without having a qualification for teaching. But be aware that in the interview part you might be asked to do same class role play about difficult situations in class. Next to teaching you have to attend special occasions like sports day, culture festival etc. This means extra work even at weekends. About the placement: Even if you are married that seems to not be reason a put people in the same place. Ecxactly that is my problem. I mean I wont do the job if im not placed where I want. But I read from some Ex-JET (who is or was part of the jury in interview time) who said that if someone says ''I wanna go ...because of my spouse'' he will put the person in some other place. He does not want people mix work and private and as this job is ''professional'' ...balblabla.

Schw0490 - I recently responded to some similar questions in the thread below:

http://www.japan-guide.com/forum/quereadisplay.html?0+37349

The number of applicants who are accepted depends a lot on your home country and the consulate or embassy you're applying from. It can also vary from year to year. When I applied to the JET programme, about 120 JETs were chosen from my nearby consulate. The following year, only 80 were chosen. I can't explain exactly why, but the numbers can change a lot from year to year.

You're chances of getting placed with your friend or the city you'd like (Nagasaki) are slim, but it can happen. Instead, I always recommend that people apply for rural or semi-rural settings instead of an individual location on their applications. The majority of JET placements are in such areas and you'll increase your chance of acceptance by expressing your willingness to live there up front.

My interview was more intense than others, I think. There was a former JET and a man from the consulate interviewing me. They asked me a range of questions from my teaching experience, English-language knowledge, Japanese history and geography, and personal questions. Some actual questions were:

- How would you explain the difference between 'see' and 'watch'?
- Who is the prime minister of Japan?
- What are some current Japanese news stories?
- If a student touches you in an inappropriate area, what would you do?
- Will your girlfiend join you? (note: I wasn't seeing anyone at the time and I had never mentioned anything to the contrary. The question was totally out of the blue).
- Can you do a personal introduction in Japanese?

I hope that helps!

I just finished 3 years as an SHS ALT on JET so maybe I can help answer some of your questions.

What percent of applicants get accepted?

This totally depends on which embassy you are applying through. I applied through San Francisco and we were told that about 30% were accepted. It is supposed to be one of the tougher embassies as the competition is high. Some countries however only have 1 or 2 people coming each year so I would imagine that the competition is even higher there.

What can I do to improve my application?

Teaching experience never hurts although it isn't a guaranteed in. Even if you aren't a trained teacher you could do some volunteer tutoring to show that you have an interest in teaching.

What are our chances of being placed in the same area?

I would say that it is possible but not high. Your best chance will be to both put down the exact same location requests and the exact same reasoning to request those placements.

If we are in the same city, can we room together?

Most likely yes, but you will initially be placed apart. You will usually be taking over for someone who is already there and not placed into a brand new situation. After you guys settle in you can move in together. Occasionally your Board of Education will not let you move. I think they can't technically prevent you from moving but they can strongly discourage you. They may just refuse to help you with the move. Also, moving in Japan can be very expensive as there are a lot of extra expenses like key money.

If we ask, will it lower our chances of being accepted at all?

It will make no difference. They only place people together who are married. I would say its best not to ask as it may imply that you will be more difficult to place and might hurt your chances of getting in.

Is there a lot of competition for placement in Nagasaki?

It is a big city that everyone has heard of so I would say yes.

What are the interviews like?

This varies from embassy to embassy. Mine was rather simple with the hardest question being ''How would you describe America to a Japanese person in one word.'' I was also asked how I would explain why we were going to war with Iraq.

Other people have had to do sample lessons on the spot for the admissions people.

What is the job really like?

Also varies by person. I was really busy with 24 classes a week. My neighbor had 12 and was bored most of the time.

I have gone over the websites a dozen times, and it just doesn�ft tell me what people are really doing on a daily basis. What kind of work is involved?

Teaching English and writing lesson plans, maybe. Sorry can't be more specific because again it differs from person to person. What I can tell you is that you won't be involved in any administrative or advisory work with the students. Probably.

Is knowing Japanese helpful?

Definitely useful, learn as much as you can. You may choose not to use it in class but it definitely smooths things out with the teachers and around town. In regards to admissions, it doesn't matter if you speak Japanese or not.

Is it possible to take night classes in Japanese while doing the Jet program?

Of course. Your nights are your own.

Thank you, yllwsmrf and chan_konabe; the information you gave is very helpful. I just have two more questions.

1. I have done some tutoring, but only for high school and college level kids. I have never really taught an entire class, and never anyone younger then 14. Do you think I should mention my tutoring, or will it not matter, since it was for older kids.
2. Do you think my friend and I would have better luck getting placed together if we both asked for Saga, instead of Nagasaki? Do the coordinators really look at people�fs 2nd and 3rd choices?

Thank you again for you time and help!

1. I have done some tutoring, but only for high school and college level kids. I have never really taught an entire class, and never anyone younger then 14. Do you think I should mention my tutoring, or will it not matter, since it was for older kids.

Definitely mention it. Any teaching experience you put down will help you get into the program, which should be your first goal.


2. Do you think my friend and I would have better luck getting placed together if we both asked for Saga, instead of Nagasaki? Do the coordinators really look at people�fs 2nd and 3rd choices?

Basically the less popular the place you request the better the chances are of you getting it. Having a good reason, for example, having studied there as a student, helps too.

I just spoke to a former Jet ALT and she told me something very disturbing about the application process of the Jet Program. She said that a good part of the consideration is the physical look of the applicant. She said how shocked she was when she arrived for orientation in Tokyo, to see all these really good looking people walking around. She did not see one overweight person the entire time she was there. Nor did she meet anyone who was less than �gpretty�h many absolutely beautiful. This greatly worries me. I�fm sure I�fm about 30 lbs over weight, but I am totally healthy. Will this count against me? Obviously, for interviews, one needs to present themselves in a professional manner. I can understand being judged b what I�fm wearing, how I act, and my manners, but my weight? My facial features? Are these really considered?

I have ex-JET friends who help conduct the interview process for the JET Programme every year. They don't consider one's physical appearance whatsoever when selecting future participants. I suspect that if there are more attractive people at the Tokyo orientation, that is more the result of everyone dressed up nicely in suits or other professional clothing. Also, some countries tend to be more fashion-conscious than others and such people stand out more in a large crowd. Moreover, it is a reality proven by studies that both attractive men and women achieve more professional success than their unattractive peers. Although the interviewers may not consciously select attractive participants, unconsciously, they may recognize the self-confidence attractive participants often project. Therefore, don't worry about your appearance - as long as you remain professional and confident, you'll do just fine.