Job Discussion Forums

[redlela]

My boyfriend (of 3 yrs.) and I are very interested in working in the JET program (in 2004). We're both in graduate school at present (he's getting an M.A. in Secondary Ed./Eng. and I'm getting an M.A. in English Lit.). We both have teaching experience and I feel we are very qualified. We very much want to experience Japanese culture and we would like to share that experience with one another. However, I gather from the JET info. sites that even married couples are not guaranteed placement in the same area of Japan. Since we are not married (and most likely won't be when we apply ) -- do we stand any chance of being placed together? Should we even bother mentioning that we are an unmarried couple and want to be placed together (or close together)? Would this be frowned upon?

Or do we need to elope before our interview...

[Celeste]

My husband and I are on the JET programme, and we were placed together in Fukuoka city. I would recommend that you ask to be placed in a larger city so that the city can accomodate both of you. If you ask for rural areas, you may find that each little town has only one stoplight, and only one ALT position. They can do this. When we had our interviews, they also asked us what we would do if one of us got a job and the other didn't. We said that we'd come anyways and that the other person would try to find another job once in country. As to eloping, that is entirely up to you. I do know one ALT who lives with his Japanese girlfriend and this does not seem to bother the powers that be, but once again, this is a cosmopolitan place.
Good luck.

Celeste

[george printer]

My friends got maried before comming on the Jet Program. They were dating for four years and were placed in the same city. Now one month ago they broke up in a terrible way but are married in a foriegn country. Do you really want to get married just because of a job? Don't forget that cultural shock can be a powerful pressure on a relationship. Just reminders the decision is yours.