JET program

[jovial_jon]

hi!

has anyone been on the JET program that the Japanese government does? im thinkin of applyin for in a few years time

anyone got any experiences of it or any info at all?

 

[mad pierrot]

I'm in it now.

Got any questions? Go for it.
I've also worked other jobs here, but they were without the proper "visa."

Let's here some Qs!!!!!!!

 

[mdchachi]

Try reading the posts at http://www.bigdaikon.com/

 

[Mandylion]

Take a look at Big Daikon but don't stop there. It has been known for, shall we say, bellyaching at times.

JET will pay you better than the big language schools and treat you better. The hours are more reasonable and you won't have to work on weekends and holidays. But conditions vary across the board. You might get put in a school working 40 hours a week teaching 5 classes a day or you might get stuck the back aide of nowhere and teach 6 classes a week with very little to do in between. With the big language schools you can transfer, while on JET you can only transfer if you have a really, really good reason (need to be closer to medical care, got married and want to live with your spouse etc.) Being bored doesn't count, nor does just not getting along with coworkers.
You can only work for three years on JET, though extensions are possible in some cases and you need a 4 year degree. The process to get a JET job is long and not very fun at all, but when you put it on your resume it carries with it an amount of prestige for those who know about the program. Strictly hearsay, and it varies by region, but the success rate is something like 1 in 7.

You can PM me if you want to go into more detail. Please have some questions ready if you do - there is a character limit in PM -M

 

[mad pierrot]

Well said, Mandylion.

Although 1 in 7 sounds low to me. It all depends on what kind of person you are and what you are looking for. Are you looking for a long term job? Do you care where you live? If you answered yes to those questions, the JET program might not be for you. Do you like trying new things? Can you adapt well? If you answered yes to those questions, you might want to look into it further. Personally, I've been enjoying my time in the program. I'm not alone either. Over 12 people I know from my time as a student at Kansai Gaidai University in Osaka have entered the program. All of them love it, but then again we all have had prior experience living in Japan. We knew what to expect, in some ways.

What are your goals?

 

[jovial_jon]

thanks for the info guys.

basically, im doing it for the experience more than anything. but i am also pretty interested in the idea of teaching so if anything came from it it would be good. im not particularly fussed about where in japan i would end up etc. as i said, its mostly for the experience and i would most likely after it just come back to england and carry on with going into journalism

 

[mad pierrot]

No problem. A writer in England, eh? Sounds cool. After doing the JET program or working in Japan, you'll certainly gain some interesting things to write about.

Good luck in your travels!