Job Discussion Forums

philippe8 · Joined: 24 Nov 2005 Posts: 1

Hi,
Im currently a Peace Corps volunteer in West Africa, and am applying to the 2006 JET program. I would have to leave my service early if I get an interview in February, so I have some questions to try to figure out whether it would be worth it.

Firstly, how strict is the JET program? I dont want to be dealing with another Peace corps big brother where every movement is monitored. Are you free to travel where and when you want during your off time or on weekends? How much time off do you have over the course of a year?

How selective is the program? If I leave for the interview, do I have pretty good chances of getting in?

How gay-friendly is the JET program? Will it affect my chances to be out in the interview? (will I be able to get a date in Japan?)

What kind of job satisfaction do you get? I know I dont want to teach for a living, but is it fun and worthwhile to do the program anyway as a way to live in Japan?

Id like to live in an area near nature/ wilderness, with outdoor recreation, though not too isolated (not after my year in a tiny african village!) Should I request this during my interview? Will it make a difference?

Finally, what kind of training do you get? is it worth it to get an esl certification anyway to have a better teaching experience?

Thanks for your advice!
Philippe

PAULH · Joined: 28 Jan 2003 Posts: 4672 Location: Western Japan

craven · Joined: 17 Dec 2004 Posts: 130

Hey, sorry PaulH, I just wanted to clear up a couple of points about JET (and I am on the program)...
The contract is for one year, not 3...it's renewable every year, and you're under no obligation to stay for the full go.
You do have to pay for health insurance and pension premiums...you're on the national plan, so your board of education pays half the premiums, and you pay the other half (works out to about Y15-20000/month). You can get a partial refund on your pension payments after you leave Japan, and one great thing about JET is that they make this a VERY easy procedure (by providing the schools with specific instructions on how to do this for their ALTs).

As for the rest, I pretty much second everything you said. You're free to do whatever you like in your free time...of course if you're in a small town, everyone WILL know everything about you. You get out of the program exactly what you put into it: some people get bored because they have only a few classes a week, and some use this time wisely to study Japanese, or do correspondence courses.

The hiring process is a complete lottery...best advice I can give you is to show you have a little knowledge of, and desire to go live in Japan, but also that YOU DO NOT WANT TO STAY THERE!!!! As a government program, they are of course concerned with masses of gajin actually remaining in Japan.

One more small point to think about...most prefectures (not all) place their JETs in private apartments, which means you will have to pay "thank you money" and a deposit (a famously hated aspect of living in Japan). This will likely be between $2-3000 USD! In some cases your school can help you, but not always so it's good to have the money up front. The apartments are unfurnished, so expect to shell out yourself, or pay your predecessor for their used stuff (average is about Y40,000-Y50,000).

If you have more specific questions I can try and answer them!

dtomchek · Joined: 07 Jun 2004 Posts: 135

Hello:
Well, I served in the Peace Corps for 2 years and never thought anyone was "looking over my shoulder." They gave me as much or as little help as I wanted and, outside of of medical things, did not have much to do with the Peace Corps office. Very Happy

Now, I also just got home from the JET Program. It is run by the Ministry of Foreign Affairs but you do not have any contact with them. That being said, the Board of Education you work for is another story. They are "Big Brother" in a major way. That is just the way the society is set up. Work plays a much bigger part in a person's life there than here in the US. Shocked

My advice is this: If you have a problem with the PC being in your face (and I cannot see how you could possibly think that unless there is a country by country difference), then you definitely want to stay out of Japan in particular and Asia in general (from what I hear).

I lived in a small town on Kyushu and it was great. No training is provided as most of it is on the job. If you have made it thru 2 years in Africa, you can do Japan with little difficulty. You can request in on the application from what I remember.

Like the PC, you get 20 days or so for time off to do what you want. It largely depends on the BOE you work for but, like the PC, you have to tell them where you are going (they have insured you so they have the right).

Job satisfaction was ok for a year. The 2nd year was also nice but a 3rd year would have been too much. I am never again going to get paid that amount of $$$ for that little work but I left after 2 years so that is not everything.

Good luck and let us know what you decide.

PAULH · Joined: 28 Jan 2003 Posts: 4672 Location: Western Japan

Here is some more info on the JET program

http://www.zen13795.zen.co.uk/jetsurvey/

You have 6000 JETs in every prefecture in every corner of the country, some in small villages, others living in large cities. I have come across female JETs who was sexually assaulted on the JET program and there have been a few suicides as well

For the most part its a positive experience but it all depends on how you cope with living in a foreign country where you do not speak the language, and you may be the only white person for miles around you.

Boredom and loneliness, as well as a feeling of being underutilised or put on show seem to be factors common to many JETs as well

kdynamic · Joined: 05 Nov 2005 Posts: 562 Location: Japan

Um, I recall the OP ever saying he was white Confused

Anyway, I think if you made it through PC in Africa, you'll feel like this is the easiest job ever. It can be a lot of fun since ALTs get to play with the kids. Yes, people can always pick you out of the crowd as a foriegner (no matter what your ethnic background is) but it can really be fun because people treat you like a rock star. I thought I would hate the lack of privacy (which is kind of a problem but no more than any small town where you're the new kid on the block in any country).

I think you could do great on JET. If you're interested in Japan, apply!

earthmonkey · Joined: 18 Feb 2005 Posts: 188 Location: Meguro-Ku Tokyo

Just a comment about "being out in the interview". I think that would be a mistake. First of all, I don't think sexual orientation has any place in the context of a job interview. I've had many job interviews in my life and I can not think of a single time when I felt compelled to mention my sexual oreintation. More importantly, it could make the interviewer uncomfortable, which could lead to you not getting the job. People aren't really "out" in Japan as they are in the U.S. If you say "I'm gay." it could be the first time that person has ever heard that said.
As for getting a date, if you are in a small town, It's probably not so easy. Most of the people your age will have probably left for greener pastures. I'm not sure about this, as I live in Tokyo. I know that here you'd have no problems.
Good luck!