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JETting Away

Hangebokhan Author
Anyone here applying for JET? AEON? Some other company? If you are, here is the place for support!

JET: Applied!
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Christina
Had to go to Google to figure out what they were.
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Kawaikochan
Love this thread. Maybe we should make a thread for legitimate ways to visit or move to the asian countries we all love and support :)

I'm seriously considering Jet. Probably next year. I want to have a better grip on japanese before I go so that I can do things outside of the program. Especially if I got placed in a rural area.

Please tell us what the application process is like. All the details hehehe. I'm excited to see how many or if any others are trying to transition from watching Asian dramas online to watching them live streaming to their tv set :)
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ladyfaile
i would love to but i read that you must have a university degree, i only have a college diploma so i don't think i'd qualify. plus i think my husband might object to me ditching him for a year hahaha (also i think i'd be a lousy teacher)
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Hangebokhan Author
Well, let me answer a few questions that were posted here (intentionally or not). You need a Bachelor's degree if you are from the US, I am not sure about other countries but I am guessing it is fairly universal. You can bring spouses along, and you need not know any Japanese.

The application process is fairly straight forward, some things you need to know that you might not think about are:

When and where have you traveled out of the country?

If you have had ANY ailment in your life, you need a doctor's note stating your fitness for the program (no, I am not kidding).

You can request Rural, Suburban, or urban and then 'blocks' or general areas of interest all the way down to town should you so choose.

You need to be OCD about your paperwork, better to get more and not need it.

If you have had ANYTHING criminal that will show up on a background check, you will need to not it and submit your criminal background check in the first stage of the process.

You need every college level transcript you have.

Any more questions?
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ladyfaile
just one. can you convince my husband that he has a sudden desire to teach english in Japan? hahaha (he has a bachelor's degree)
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Kawaikochan
To piggyback on what Hangebokhan said, while it is true that you can bring your spouse and request an area:

1) your spouse may not be able to find employment while you are there and will be limited in social interaction if s/he does not speak japanese as international communities are not as common outside of Tokyo and they will not have the support of being an actual participate in the program; and

2) you can request where you would like to go, but JET has become increasingly competitive, and even in the best of times for an applicant, it is very very difficult to be placed in urban settings. The less urban the setting, the more likely that nobody will speak english.

Regardless, I'm totally down for it! hehe Reading this thread confirms it for me: I'm going to put together an application for next year. So excited :)
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Hangebokhan Author
Very right, scary one XD!

I figured the 'not likely the more specific you got' was implied as was the social isolation and uselessness that a spouse would feel. /me gives people too much credit I guess.

In other news, I have the Post Office's confirmation receipt and am just waiting for the official JET one, not expecting it for awhile as I got it in the day before XD.

Also, I have requested Rural, and if I get to the interview stage, I am going to emphasize exactly HOW rural (so darn Rural you have to hike down the mountain for miles to get to the bus stop kinda rural). Why do that? I think going as rural as possible would be amazing fun.
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Hangebokhan Author
Kawaikochan wrote:
Regardless, I'm totally down for it! hehe Reading this thread confirms it for me: I'm going to put together an application for next year. So excited :)


If you need any help or would like to look at a copy of the application, just tell me, ya? Also, set aside US$50 or so, mailing and getting some of those forms can be expensive. Also, start your SOP now! You can only benefit by starting it as soon as possible, the requirements are posted on the site and have not changed in years.
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_Rosie
I hope all of u guys going for this get in. My friend went on the JET program & stayed out there for 3 years in Kyoto she loved it.
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Hangebokhan Author
Maa a~! I am so jealous!
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Kawaikochan
Hangebokhan wrote: Also, I have requested Rural, and if I get to the interview stage, I am going to emphasize exactly HOW rural (so darn Rural you have to hike down the mountain for miles to get to the bus stop kinda rural). Why do that? I think going as rural as possible would be amazing fun.


I actually totally agree, lol. In the US I love to be in big cities, but I think I would enjoy living in a rural area if I moved to a completely unfamiliar country (maybe not as rural as you hans, lol). It just seems smaller and more intimate. If I ended up staying multiple years like RF's friend, I would try to move to a more urban setting once I got the hang of the country :)

I downloaded the application today, so I'll plot and plan for next year, hehe.
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boutux
well i've already been accepted by interac. jet doesn't offer opportunities for caribbean natives so interac was my only option. right now i'm going through the visa application process so once that is done i'll get placed somewhere. interac does not offer urban placements for 1st yr ALTs. they require a higher level of japanese language competence than most 1st time ALTs have so usually after ur 1st yr u can request to be placed in tokyo, kyoto, osaka etc. i did not really make a request for where i want to go. really i would just be happy for the opportunity to live in japan. but lately i've been thinking i want to live in the south, kyushu.

from what i understand interac is easier than jet in terms of getting accepted. the application and interview process seems to be simpler than jet's. however jet ALT's are paid more than interac's and they get more benefits. interac's salaries range from approx. usd2300.00(urban placements) to usd2500.00 for rural driving placements. they set u up with a leo palace apartment with all amenities included and no start up costs, rent is about usd600.00 a month. if u're interested in going to japan through one of these programs u need to start saving now. u will need about usd5000.00 when coming to japan, ticket not included in this amount. ALT's don't get paid for their 1st month's employment. so all ur initial living expenses, start up costs etc will need to come from ur pocket for the 1st month.

u don't have to know any japanese, or have teaching experience(but experience will probably get u accepted faster). there is no age requirement, u just have to have a bachelor's degree and no criminal record, u need at least 2 references from ur school or work backgrounds.

i'm gonna go take a shower and then i'll go into what the application/interview stages was like for me. so if u're interested u can know what is expected.

interac's website: http://www.interacnetwork.com/recruit/
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boutux
okay so for the interac application process you have to full out on online aplication form, the standard stuff when setting up an account or profile on any website. then u have to full out an online resume with different sections (educational back ground, work experience, languages u speak and at what level, certifications u may hold). don't forget ur references. they will email everyone u put down as a reference but u only need 2 so be mindful of that. you have to write 2 essays each no less than 1000 characters. i think the topics were
1. why are you interested in japan?
2. what do understand about being an interac ALT or smtng about your expectation of being an Interac ALT?

for me the why japan essay was easy to write but i had to be mindful about sounding like an otaku. and i didn't want them to think of me as some idiot foreigner who thinks that life in japan is like how it appears in dramas or animes. so i yes i mentioned that i love dramas and anime but i spent most of essay discussing my growing interest in the language, culture and food. i did use a few japanese words here and there but i didn't want to over do it and again look like a stupid foreigner trying too hard to impress them. i did several drafts of this essay before i thought it was good enough, but that's cuz when it comes to stuff like academic or job related essays i'm really anal.

for the 2nd essay u MUST read all the info on the site esp the FAQ. they basically want u to say in ur own words the info they provided u with on the site. it's pretty straight forward. the hard part was keeping the essay to the word limit. cuz they provide u with a very limited amount of space for those essays.

after a few weeks interac will email u to let u know if ur application has passed the 1st stage of the process. if it has they will send u a link with more info for u to read about the rest of the application process. u have to choose a date and time for a short(10-15mins) telephone interview. Nothing to be nervous about. they ask you why u want to work as an ALT, why japan, what are your goals. keep in mind u are going to teach when u answer the questions. after the questions they will tell u right away if u pass into the next stage which is the in person interview/seminar. they email u more paperwork to fill out and u not only have to prepare for the interview but u have to do a teaching demonstration in front of all the interviewees, they give 3 topics to chose from and video guidelines to use as inspiration to plan ur lesson. that was for me the most stressful part of the process as it was time limit at 6 mins for a japanese introduction, a class ice breaker and the demo. and it is recorded to sent to the japan office along with ur paper work and interview responses. also i believe the teaching demo holds the most weight when they consider anyone for the job. you have to remember to keep smiling and be happy for the kids. u kinda feel like a dumbass while doing it esp with everyone there watching u. the seminar portion is where they explain what will happen if they offer u an ALT position (salary, insurance, housing, transportation etc.)

so where i am at now is the placement stage of the process. i've been offered the job, they sent a bunch of paperwork again for to full out, some of which i did already but this is for japanese immigration. there is still a chance that immigration will deny me the visa (knock on wood and crossing fingers that i get it) once i get the visa interac will tell me when i need to come to japan in march 2012, they will tell me where i will be living and teaching. once i get to japan interac will have a week of training for all in coming new ALTs in tokyo and then we will go off to where ever we are stationed and start teaching the 2nd week in japan.

so there u have it. sorry if i was long winded. feel free to ask me any questions.
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Hangebokhan Author
I am currently waiting for my confirmation card/number thing from the Consulate. That paper in my hot little hands means everything! On Interac- My one stipulation, since I am a cheap person and don't have that much money (I am worth just under 350 right now and saving) is that my ticket has to be paid for. So, Interac (and most likley AEON too) is out. One thing that anyone thinking of teaching overseas should do is request to talk to a current employee. There are many places that will screw you over. In Japan you are a bit safer as you own your visa so if your employer leaves you out to dry, you can still hunt for work and not worry about deportation. That is different in Korea though. For anyone looking in Korea, be aware that your employer 'owns' your visa. Once you are fired, let go, whatever they do, you no longer have the ability to stay in the country (I have heard conflicting reports about how long you have). Furthermore, Korea is infamous for employers screwing you over in a big way. Be on alert. Ask to talk to employees!
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