JET

I decided, since it seems that time of the year, to talk about the JET program. For those that do not know, the JET program has nothing to do with jets. In fact it stands for The Japan Exchange & Teaching Program. Basically for one year (up to a maximum of 5 years) you can go and assist in teaching English with a Japanese instructor of English in Elementary through High School classrooms. Overall the perks are not bad, approximately $35,000/year, airfare to Japan and back, actually being able to stay explore and interact with Japanese culture and society for more than only a couple months. The only real qualification is that you have to receive a BA degree (in basically any field) before you leave with the program. There is a lot more information out there that explains more about the program, so I won't go into detail here but nonetheless it seems like a great opportunity. If you are wondering where to start try this website http://www.jetprogramme.org/.

Anyway, so why now? Well because I just got back from Seattle yesterday where I attended my JET interview. So I went through the long online application process, waited for nearly 3 months, heard that I got the interview and planned accordingly. You have to go to your nearest Japanese Consulate (or well you should go to your nearest one) which for me living in Montana is in Seattle Washington. Which isn't too bad since I really enjoy Seattle and gives me a little more culture and activities to appreciate than Montana does. The bad thing is getting there and preparing for the interview can be pricey. 4 days and 3 nights in Seattle, airfare, suit, hotels/hostels, food, etc. etc. all came to a whopping $1000. Yeah I know, I could have basically flown to Japan for that price... But anyway I stayed 2 days more than needed and decided to wander around and take some photos, go to an art museum, and hang out a bit eating the culinary delights that a metropolis can offer.

So now comes the juicy part right? Advice for the interview and application process.

For the application, it is pretty straight forward. Be honest and sound good. You don't want to lie about your qualifications, but you want to sound enthusiastic and down for anything. Plus remember you are trying to sell yourself a bit, so concentrate on your good points and try to make your weaknesses seem like something that may actually give you an edge on the competition. For example, don't have much experience with teaching, well your a student, you have the other perspective and tons of it which will help you teach with kids. In order to be a good teacher you must be a good learner, etc. etc. Finally check, recheck, check again, and then recheck that. You don't want typos, errors, etc. etc. I think the most important parts of the application are the 2 letters of recommendation and your Statement of Purpose Essay. So you know what that means. Anyway my application was good enough for the interview stage.

For the interview. Dress in a suit with a tie. If you don't have one by now, just buy one. I know they can be expensive, my "cheap one" cost me $280. But I figured it would be a wise investment considering my next few stages after college will be interview stages which will almost always require a suit, well if you want to make a decent amount of money anyway, you have to look the part right? I know, in reality why would the guy looking for a job be dressed nice when obviously he is the one that needs the money, but anyway. Suit! Don't smell. Have your hair neat. I have longer hair as a guy, but I did not need to get the "conservative" shave your head look, I just made sure I got it trimmed a little and that it looked brushed and ready to go. Anyway more importantly, the interview itself.

If you know Japanese be prepared with your self introduction in Japanese. I messed that one up, but no worries, just rehearse one a couple hours before you go in, I wish I did, but oh well thank god it really isn't a requirement for the job to speak Japanese, but I probably looked a little like an idiot with 3 years in the States and 1 year in Japan learning Japanese. Other than that it can be random, very random. Half the stuff on the Internet was not asked, and the other half I couldn't find on the Internet. So yeah, think of it this way, if you can find it so can JET and they don't want their interviews to be compromised. Other than that though, possibly be prepared for a role-play thing. Maybe a teaching role-play. About what, who knows...but just be prepared.

So that's about it. Maybe not all you wanted to hear. But just go in, try to have fun. Try to be relaxed. Trying to make yourself relaxed is most likely the hardest part. Other than that, I don't know. I will not know until April if I was selected or not, so I guess I will have to see if my own interview advise is worth it.