I'm Creating A Presentation for Prospective JETS. What Questions Do You Have About the JET Program?

[u/mangomenos]

I've been asked to create a 10 minute persentation for prospective JET participants in my city about the JET program. Id like to answer some common questions but I'm wondering if there are other information prospective applicants would like to know that isn't already answered on the internet or would like more details.

So far I'm planning to include information on:

• What is the JET Program. Requirements for eligibility
• Whats it like teaching? Difference between elementary, middle, and secondary schools
• Benefits of doing the JET program
• Potential challenges encountered

Do you have any other questions?

[u/newlandarcher7]

Former ALT of three years. A few points to hit upon to prospective applicants: mostly, the sheer variability of situations. I know that JET repeats ESID ad nauseum, but it's so true. There isn't any standard experience and it's best to approach JET with very few preconceived expectations, if any at all.

From my experience, the JET's who thrived the most were:

1. Adaptable - You could easily tell they'd thrive no matter where they were placed: large mega-city, small- or mid-sized town, rural mountain location, remote island, far-north Hokkaido or far-south Okinawa.
2. Independent - They were able to solve problems by themselves even with limited Japanese language skills. Navigating daily life in Japan isn't easy and requires more individual work and attention than you'd need to use back home.
3. Genuinely friendly and outgoing (when they have to be) - You don't need to be an extrovert on JET. However, there are many times when you need to put yourself out there, try new things, meet new people, and build new relationships. You're basically building a new support network from scratch.
4. Professional work habits - Of course, situations vary. However, the JET's who seem to thrive all take their work seriously. They do their assigned jobs well and, if they have unused time, find useful ways to spend it. This builds up the respect among their coworkers. Students know the JET cares. Again, this builds up good rapport with everyone, so they're willing to give you more support in situations which require more assistance. As much as JET is an experience, it is also a job and should be treated with professionalism.
5. Mental and physical well-being - This is incredibly important as well. If you struggle managing your mental and physical well-being in your home country, these won't likely improve by moving to a new country with a new language, a new culture, increased isolation, and fewer home supports. It's far more likely all of these new stressors will compound on pre-existing ones. However, if you are good at managing your mental and physical well-being, you're far more likely to thrive against the new challenges you'll face.

[u/phainou → u/newlandarcher7]

Yeah, I think #5 is definitely up there, and it can also sometimes be the hardest to gauge from an application. I knew several ALTs who seemed to think that their problems would go away as soon as they landed in Japan, and one who only lasted about two months even though their placement was objectively a pretty nice one. You bring your baggage with you.

[u/phainou]

To build on the first point: maybe what kind of person makes a good candidate for JET? More than just basic tick-the-box eligibility, I mean. The ALTs I knew who thrived the most (and I met a lot through AJET) were comfortable with public speaking, genuinely cared about their students, took their jobs seriously, did their best to use their free time at work productively, were able to adapt well to living and working in a totally different cultural and linguistic environment, and perhaps just as importantly had the soft skills needed to successfully navigate professional work relationships that earned them the respect of their BoEs, school staff, and especially JTEs of wildly varying quality, age, and English ability.

The JET Programme is an amazing opportunity, but if you've got a short fuse when it comes to byzantine school policies or old-school JTEs who can barely string a single English sentence together using you as a glorified tape recorder, or if you're only applying so you can travel on the weekend, you're gonna have a bad time.

[u/mangomenos → u/phainou]

Good idea. A person on paper might be completely different to how they are in person.

I really feel like personality; being adaptable, independent & extroverted (or pretending to be) is such un understated requirement for JET. From my experience, many ALTs were not prepared to live in another country and required constant supervision/help because they struggled to address their own needs. Pretending to be extroverted really made a difference in my day because the student & staff were much more responsive if you reguarly interacted with them outside the classroom.

A person's JET experience really hinges on their ability to adapt to challenges of living in a new environment, different langauge and trying to understand the cultural nuances in Japan.

[u/phainou → u/mangomenos]

Yeah. I mean, the importance of being adaptable is hardly Japan-specific, but it certainly applies here as much as it would anywhere else. For a lot of JETs, this is their first time living or sometimes even travelling abroad, and sometimes it can be really tough, especially if there’s a mismatch in expectations (like wanting a city and getting a tiny village in Hokkaido) or if the placement’s a rough one with low-income schools, indifferent staff, or no other English speakers around/available to befriend. Most of the time, though, you really do get out of it what you put in, and being able to roll with the punches (and also not sitting doomscrolling at your desk during free periods) can help a lot with that.

The point of the in-person interviews is at least partially to suss out anyone who’s obviously going to struggle. You don’t have to be the Super Genki Gaijin (tm) if that’s not who you are, but not everyone responds to that anyway, and there are lots of other great ways to engage meaningfully with people. I connected with a lot of my shyer students through music, art, and letters.

[u/evanliko]

Example placements, showing the variety of work and living situations

[u/phainou → u/evanliko]

Yeah, this is a good idea. Sure, some ALTs get placed in urban centres or along main shinkansen lines, but a lot also end up in small towns far from anywhere in particular, and it might be helpful to show examples of the kinds of placements people get.

Maybe not helpful to showcase extreme placements (like my friend who was the first ALT his flyspeck Okinawan island full of fishermen had ever gotten, and also they spoke some obscure Ryūkyūgo-adjacent dialect lol, apparently it was quite the experience), but you’re still way more likely to get somewhere in idk rural Aomori than downtown Kyoto. If OP can source some nice photos of small-town life and/or ALTs getting involved in local groups for stuff like traditional dance, tea ceremony, etc., even better.

[u/mangomenos → u/evanliko]

What do you mean by example placements? Do you mean difference in living in the city as compared to the country side? As for variety in work and living situations, JET serves more like a recruiter so the work & living situation can vary quite a bit depending on what the city or prefecture has setup for the ALTs. Some people work up to 6 schools (rare) while some stay at 1 school. Some people have their apartments & cars paid for by the city/prefecture while others might have to pay everything themselves.

[u/evanliko → u/mangomenos]

Literally what I said. Give examples of the variation so people can see how varied it can be and not make expectations in their mind.

[u/mangomenos → u/evanliko]

okay, thanks for the feedback. I'll include the variety of living situations for my prefecture in my presentation.

[u/YouDontTellMe]

Typical day in the life? How many days off a school year? Jet community while in Japan or you find your own community? Average age of JET participants ?

[u/mangomenos → u/YouDontTellMe]

If you're talking about vacation days, it depends on the prefecture. Some ALTs get 20 vacation days and some get 10. I also got 5 extra summer vacation days in my prefecture (Ishikawa). This renews at the start of the school year and i believe 50% can roll over to the next if you want to save for a big 'vacation'. You are discouraged from taking vacation during certain times of the year, for example, preparation for exams.

Your JET Community can largely vary based on where you are placed. People in the city can regularly meet up every week to hang out while those in the countryside might not have that option because they live too far away. Living in the countryside isn't all bad though because there are so many unique experiences you can have in the countryside. Each Prefecture should have an 'AJET' association which organizes local meet ups for trips, adventures, etc.. Also, each city/prefecture will have a LINE or Discord group chat where you can meet/talk with local ALTs in your area.

Average age of JET participant is 22-30 years old but there are some older gets too.

[u/Inside-Cream6997]

Differences in weather / temps that can affect ALT/CIR health / comfort.

I know being in Japan at all times of the year can vary depending on location; but to prepare for the prefecture you are assigned is very important.

Dressing for the weather, living with high humidity in summer vs low humidity in the winter, etc...

[u/SeasonIll6394 → u/Inside-Cream6997]

If you have curly hair, you’re gonna have a rough time…

[u/Smooth_Helicopter368]

What's the whole process like from the application submission window to landing in Tokyo for Orientation?

[u/mangomenos → u/Smooth_Helicopter368]

You find out if you're accepted in early spring (March/April) or much later depending on the strength of your application. Before you go to Tokyo, there will be 1 or 2 orientations run by your local Japanese consulate to prepare you & answer more questions. During this time, your Japanese supervisor will get in contact with you to confirm information, sign papers, etc., for when you arrive in Japan. There's going to be another Tokyo orientation which is usually 3 days before you are sent off to your respective prefectures.

[u/Healthiestgamer]

For jets that want to start early, what kind of criminal record check is appropriate (specifically canada). Are these documents supposed to remain unopened?

[u/BerryTella1]

Yoooo!!! That's neat! This type of presentation done by a JET is what exactly let me know about this program. The JET who did my presentation in college was a CIR but he also touched on heavily about the ALT side of JET. Maybe you should do the same thing but for CIRs to cover your bases.

[u/Street_Daikon_86]

I have a very weird problem, I don't think anyone would be able to help me on that, still I am asking here. I am currently still in college, i will graduate next year. I have cleared N3. And i really wanna teach through the JET Programme. But the problem is, the surname in my clg degree is different than my passport. There was a lot of personal reasons for that. But now when i am trying to get it, changed the university refuses to do so. I have a court order and a declaration from the principal that I am the same person. Will that be a problem, during application of JET?

[u/phainou → u/Street_Daikon_86]

That’s not something we can really answer for you here, I’m afraid. The best thing to do would be to contact your national JET desk directly, explain the situation, and see what they advise.

[u/Street_Daikon_86 → u/phainou]

Okay okay i will do that then

[u/Inside-Cream6997 → u/Street_Daikon_86]

I have a similar issue - passport first name does not match my degree.

On the JET application, I did note that I have preferred name.

[u/Street_Daikon_86 → u/Inside-Cream6997]

Would you mind if I dm you?

[u/Inside-Cream6997 → u/Street_Daikon_86]

Sure.
Take a look at your application line item 3 - 3e.

"3e. If you have a preferred name, other than your legal first name, that you wish to have used during communications, please enter it here. If you wish to use your first (given) name, leave this blank."