Jet

JET, unlike NOVA, makes no claims that they are out to recruit professional instructors. That's one of the main reasons why the JET application form is rather long and asks for far more detail - such as your college grades (for any non-UKlander this is not the sort of information that a university graduate necessarily knows - just their final classification). In the dim and distant past when I did actually fill out a JET application I had to call up my old professor to find out my grades - he basically told me to make them up!

What this all means is that should you make it through the application form filtering to the actual interview stage, you're more than likely to get the job. Speaking as a former human resources professional the more I could whittle down applicants to a manageable number the better - I never invited someone to interview just to pad out numbers. If they were interviewed then it meant they could do the job - on paper.

JET are not looking for Nihon-baka individuals (crazy about Japan) but at the same time they want people who can demonstrate a willingness to be flexible to the unique situations that Japan presents. Japanese language ability probably helps land quite a few people jobs - especially in the more rural locations.

A good, clear speaking voice essential - I haven't met too many JETs with VERY strong accents. If you need to fake it then just watch hours and hours of Star Trek TNG paying particular attention to Riker (if you're North American) and Picard (if you're British/Australian) - notice that no one swears on Star Trek, even if the famous split infinitive persists!

Even though the war in Irag would appear to have nothing much to do with Japanese high school students - that's not how the writers of their English textbooks seem to feel. Global warming, landmines, famines, the Hiroshima/Nagasaki bombings, the plight of minority groups such as Aboriginal Australians, Native Americans and the Welsh(!) have all been topics I've seen used in the Japanese Ministry of Education approved textbooks - frankly I sometimes struggle to accurately identify what point of English a particular chapter or unit IS trying to explain/practice. But anyway - don't say that such matters have nothing to do with the English language classroom. They probably don't - but that's NOT the official line.

I've got a PDF format book about life as an AET 窶 free copy write - it's up on my ftp. If people PM me I'll let them download it - about 300megs.

(applauds mr. sumo for the profesional response.)

Mr. Sumo
You obviously know your stuff! I'd like to ask you some specific questions: my gpa is around 3.25, but I am finishing strong with straight A's through the last 3 semesters. I have tutoring experience and an excellent command of english (not to mention great writing skills). I have an extensive work and internship background as well. I am ambitious not only about Japan but about teaching the people of Japan and facilitating a great exchange of cultures. No teaching certs. or the such but I might be taking a class in spring on both Japanese and TESL. I also speak a little Japanese. Think I have a shot for an interview? :?

Sound a bit overqualified actually! Seriously, your studies and experience sound ideal. Be interested in Japan, Japanese life and culture, the English language and meeting new people and having new experiences - only not to any particular extreme and you'll be in like Flynn.

And, only if you get the job, buy yourself a copy of Michael Swan's "Practical English Usage" as a classroom grammar crib-book. It amazes me the number of grammar-related questions I read posted in a JET forum I frequent - not the level of understanding of English grammar, such deficiencies can be excused, but just the general inability to look up the answers themselves.

hm...so i'm drafting up a rough copy of my application essay...how does an interest to teach the english language as well as western culture and to be a recipient of the japanese language and culture? too corny or ??? as you can tell I really want this position. i'm applying for nagano, kyoto and nagoya.

One small piece of advice:

Don't bother applying for Kyoto. Probably half the people who apply request Kyoto, and as far as I know only a handful of the thousands get there. You never know, but.... If you want to be close to Kyoto, look on a map and request a small city just outside of the city. A friend of mine did that, and ended up only a 20 minute train ride away from Kyoto. Nagano and Nagoya sound great.

I echo the Kyoto thing. Never heard of an applicant to Nagano being rejected (I live in Nagano - the prefecture not the city). It gets pretty cold round here in the winter, but if you want to ski/snowboard this IS the place to come. Vacation time, however, sucks big time. Schools in the prefecture get at most 4 weeks summer vacation, whereas Nagoya schools are probably on about 6 weeks. This used to be because of extra vacation time taken during the coldest of the winter months - but hardly any schools do that anymore - but god-forbid they alter the length of the summer vacation accordingly!

Nagoya is basically never cold. And in the summer it's the hottest major city in Japan. If you enjoy your nightlife, shopping, will miss American food, and want to meet lot's of other gaijin then opt for Nagoya. If you want to ski, study Japanese, enjoy the countryside, if you have a drivers' license and want more of a traditional Japanese experience then go Nagano.

A note Since approximately 80% of Japan's landmass is uninhabitable (in other words mountainous) the largest population groups are to be found in the major cities. 80% of Japanese people do indeed live in major cities - this is the norm. When people, such as myself, refer to a more 'Japanese' experience being available in the rural areas you have to take these statistics into account. Herding cattle across vast plains might be regarded as a true American experience - sitting for hours on a 12 lane expressway during rush hour is perhaps a more accurate representation.

The cold does not bother me...i'm from vermont. Although i do not do skiing nor snowboarding. I like the idea of living in a quieter city though...