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Alberta605
Joined: 23 Dec 2006
Posts: 94
Location: Japan
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 Posted: Fri Feb 09, 2007 4:35 pm Post subject: |
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This is hilarious! Which I consider to be a very positive message board situation.
The fact that the vast majority of JET alumni do complain they are underused isn't just my opinion - it IS that of the vast majority of JET alumni.
Our resident experts on JET should of course realise that the 'contract' also refers to a set number of periods to 'teach'. That concrete (HA!) number of periods is subject to astonishing revision at the coal-face and entirely depends on what the Japanese English teachers fancy in their own usually incompetently delivered schedule.
Is it then any wonder that my colleagues on the JET scheme left 'work' at the widest variety of times in the afternoon? No one in the 4 towns around mine that I spoke to stayed at work longer than 3.30pm, and many negotiated an earlier time - but thats probably why I spoke to them. Anyone actually concerned about making a 'good impression' on JET must be a totally green 22 year old and have an extensive background in, or aspire to a future in totally pointless ass-kissing.
So experts stop waving the contract around like a Christian fundamentalist student landlord (ahem, personal experience there), and experience the reality of a totally pointless waste of time and money. Thankfully I didn't waste much effort. Do yourself a favor and take 'a year out' doing something else, otherwise - good luck in doing something totally unrelated to JET (because EVERYTHING is). |
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Alberta605
Joined: 23 Dec 2006
Posts: 94
Location: Japan
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| Posted: Fri Feb 09, 2007 5:08 pm Post subject: |
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Ah crap that sounded almost bitter - I should say that I really enjoyed the JET program, mostly due to a very lovely American-Hungarian.
If you're out there, ganbatte! |
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G Cthulhu
Joined: 07 Feb 2003
Posts: 1373
Location: Way, way off course.
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| Posted: Fri Feb 09, 2007 7:38 pm Post subject: |
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| Alberta605 wrote: |
The fact that the vast majority of JET alumni do complain they are underused isn't just my opinion - it IS that of the vast majority of JET alumni.
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I'm impressed that you know "the vast majority of JET alumni". 
No one is arguing that it isn't a common complaint. But that doesn't get you to the point where you can say that any given persons _will_ finish at 3pm or whatever: it. varies.
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Our resident experts on JET should of course realise that the 'contract' also refers to a set number of periods to 'teach'. |
The standard contract mentions nothing about contact hours IIRC. Individual CO contracts may, but no one has denied that they can be different. Maybe you aren't such a good person to be the one decrying the "experts"? 
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Is it then any wonder that my colleagues on the JET scheme left 'work' at the widest variety of times in the afternoon? No one in the 4 towns around mine that I spoke to stayed at work longer than 3.30pm, and many negotiated an earlier time - but thats probably why I spoke to them. Anyone actually concerned about making a 'good impression' on JET must be a totally green 22 year old and have an extensive background in, or aspire to a future in totally pointless ass-kissing.
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So what you're basically saying is that you and those around you had no work and were happy with that situation? Okay. Fine. Tells a lot about your attitude to paid employment, but little else. 
Even a few days on JET should have shown you that statements like that are just plain silly: ESID isn't just a cute acronym. Things really do vary quite a lot. IMO if we're going to be talking about general conditions then all we can do is talk about what CLAIR specifies as the minimum. Of course there are variations. Anyone with half a brain can see that. But at the same time you're rabbiting on about _your_ experience you are _denying_ that anyone with a different experience doesn't count. Look at it another way: why would it upset you for someone to say what the standard contract hours are? Why so defensive over them? Does it _really_ upset that some people on JET actually do/did work?!
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So experts stop waving the contract around like a Christian fundamentalist student landlord (ahem, personal experience there), and experience the reality of a totally pointless waste of time and money.
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Which part upsets you most? That someone might know more about the general program conditions than you, that they might have done some work while they were on it, or that they maybe had some professional respect shown to them and had the same expected of them in return?
If you want to declare your time a total and pointless waste then feel free. No one is going to argue with you on that - it's your experience & you made of it what you did. But don't be so arrogant as to assume that _everyone_ that has ever done JET has been like you. |
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Glenski
Joined: 15 Jan 2003
Posts: 12844
Location: Hokkaido, JAPAN
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| Posted: Fri Feb 09, 2007 11:16 pm Post subject: |
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| So experts stop waving the contract around like a Christian fundamentalist student landlord (ahem, personal experience there), and experience the reality of a totally pointless waste of time and money. Thankfully I didn't waste much effort. |
JET is what you make of it, arse-kissing aside. As I've written before, you may have down time, but what you do with it is what counts.
What did you do to not "waste much effort", by the way? |
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Alberta605
Joined: 23 Dec 2006
Posts: 94
Location: Japan
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| Posted: Sat Feb 10, 2007 7:05 am Post subject: |
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I don't waste much effort on reading or replying to imflamatory guff as written above. Such a long-winded array of trash-talking assumptions isn't unusual then? I would say that your...um...reply(??) to my post was a real bore...and you are obviously a professional time waster.
However, I did extend you the courtesy of casting a brief eye over your remarks for my own amusement - if I didn't find the forum amusing I wouldn't come here. I certainly don't come here for an argument as you very evidently do.
In general you've misconstrued nearly everything I said at the very core of it. (Btw, i put the word 'contract' in inverted commas to signify personal interpretation).
I do absolutely believe that everyones experience differs - and in doing so could NOT possibly then think that the experience of others is irrelevant. Indeed, if you took some downtime on the pontificating you'd notice that I hold personal experience to be the most important aspect of forum contribution.
NOTHING "bothers" me about the JET program, I was on it 10 years ago...to repeat for the slow witted, drunk or otherwise disabled - those were JUST my personal experiences - I don't claim that there is anything definitive about them. As ever on this subject I find that there is this general area of agreement that everyones situation is different THEREFORE what the hell do you think you're arguing about and (read carefully now!) there is no such thing as 'the definitive JET experience', and so the standard contract has no meaning in practice - GET IT?
I appreciate that you consider the JET program to be your area of expertise but really Guthlu or whatever your name is (sorry, I didn't care to check) I suggest you put your short pants back in the bottom drawer and grow up with the rest of them. I spent a bit longer on this than I intended...but hey its the weekend
Last edited by Alberta605 on Sat Feb 10, 2007 7:29 am; edited 5 times in total |
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Alberta605
Joined: 23 Dec 2006
Posts: 94
Location: Japan
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| Posted: Sat Feb 10, 2007 7:07 am Post subject: |
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Oh hey, one more thing you sexy beast - if you don't like my personal experiences of 10 years ago thank your lucky stars you weren't me!  |
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JZer
Joined: 16 Jan 2005
Posts: 3898
Location: Pittsburgh
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| Posted: Sat Feb 10, 2007 9:29 am Post subject: |
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| I, too, was rejected the first time out by JET, even though I had teaching experience. The consulates decisions are partly based on criteria, but then, it's a lottery, too. |
Isn't experience sometimes looked down upon when it comes to JET? I don't have any experience with JET but that is what I have heard. |
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G Cthulhu
Joined: 07 Feb 2003
Posts: 1373
Location: Way, way off course.
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| Posted: Sat Feb 10, 2007 7:06 pm Post subject: |
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| JZer wrote: |
Isn't experience sometimes looked down upon when it comes to JET? I don't have any experience with JET but that is what I have heard. |
You heard wrong.
HTH.
G. |
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G Cthulhu
Joined: 07 Feb 2003
Posts: 1373
Location: Way, way off course.
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| Posted: Sat Feb 10, 2007 7:45 pm Post subject: |
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| Alberta605 wrote: |
I don't waste much effort on reading or replying to imflamatory guff as written above. Such a long-winded array of trash-talking assumptions isn't unusual then? I would say that your...um...reply(??) to my post was a real bore...and you are obviously a professional time waster.
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Cool - first suggest you're too cool to be bothered reading it, then read it, then dismiss it, and then go for an ad hom attack. Yeah, that'll really get people to take you seriously and make you look like an adult.
[large snip because it's not worth bothering with]
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but really Guthlu or whatever your name is (sorry, I didn't care to check) I suggest you put your short pants back in the bottom drawer and grow up with the rest of them. I spent a bit longer on this than I intended...but hey its the weekend |
Annnnnd another ad hom to finish! Well done. I'm sure that makes you feel all grown up that you got that out of your system.
Keep up the good work, champ, you sure showed me!  |
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Glenski
Joined: 15 Jan 2003
Posts: 12844
Location: Hokkaido, JAPAN
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| Posted: Sat Feb 10, 2007 10:55 pm Post subject: |
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| Isn't experience sometimes looked down upon when it comes to JET? I don't have any experience with JET but that is what I have heard. |
Perhaps what you heard was that JET won't hire people who have spent a certain amount of time in Japan. Part of it is with JET, part of it is just living in Japan. Or to quote JET, applicants (for this year) must:
Have not participated in the JET Programme since 1997.
Not have lived in Japan for three or more years in total since 1999. |
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JZer
Joined: 16 Jan 2005
Posts: 3898
Location: Pittsburgh
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| Posted: Sun Feb 11, 2007 12:42 pm Post subject: |
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| All I can say is that some people who have been on JET said they sometimes prefer people with no experience working abroad. They want to get someone who is more in touch with the culture of their home country as opposed to someone who has been living abroad and has already discovered other ways of thinking. |
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ndorfn
Joined: 15 Mar 2005
Posts: 126
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| Posted: Wed Feb 14, 2007 6:18 pm Post subject: |
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to the OP, I had the same experience (minus the asian name). I've BS'd my way into loads of jobs before, and this was the first one I felt I was going to get easily - I could have written the selection criteria myself.
Don't take it personally. |
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SeasonedVet
Joined: 28 Aug 2006
Posts: 236
Location: Japan
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| Posted: Tue Apr 03, 2007 5:38 pm Post subject: |
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I know I am a little late with this but ... apologies ...
kdynamic wrote:
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| Would you rather get false information told you in a nice way, or correct information told to you in a not so nice way? I'll take the later every time |
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| I don't see why people are all hung up about being nice on the internet. I can be nice. I can be a *beep*. Does it really matter? people come here for information. If they leave with correct information, I think that should be considered the best outcome |
I have a different opinion about that. People are affected by internet conversations in quite similar ways that they are affected by face to face conversations. Some people take the internet as an opportunity to do and say what they might or might not do or say face to face because of the anonymity internet provides However, some don't know that people are affected nevertheless. harsh cutting words do not cut any less severly necessarily because it is done anonymously.
Moreover thougthful and diplomatic expressions also do wonders despite being done over the internet.
In fact letter writing (as well as the more modern e-mailing) is an age old method of communicating our feelings one to the other even though we are not face to face. I am of the opinion that through that kind of communication that feelings are alot more heightened as we use our imaginations actively to visualize that which is not apparent due to distance etc.
In the same way not being face to face and having a discussion by internet may also heighten feelings good or bad or indifferent due to the anonymity.
rai wrote:
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| I'll take the third option: Correct information disseminated in a civil manner |
I don't know ... somehow I tend to lean towards this. |
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ginneyl
Joined: 21 Jun 2005
Posts: 9
Location: Hong Kong
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| Posted: Thu Apr 05, 2007 11:40 pm Post subject: |
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i got rejected too in 2004. i ended up getting to japan thru nova. if you really want to get there, you'll find a way. it's too bad that jet recruits only once a year, i'd love to experience what my friends who worked with jet told me about.
i'd like to go back but need to make money first for the "settling down" phase again. |
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Blue Seal Ice Cream
Joined: 11 Mar 2007
Posts: 3
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| Posted: Mon Apr 09, 2007 12:55 am Post subject: |
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In my opinion the whole selection process is a total joke
I got an interview last year and was made an Alternate.
So, I did a TEFL. I worked overseas - in Japan but only for three months. I also worked in London and I do actually speak basic Japanese. I didn�t even care where they would have placed me - Inaka is fine. seriously. I'm a usually a very happy bunny and my statement was really good. not gloating or anything but 4 years of English Literature has to be good for something ...
... they didn't even give me an interview this time around 
I was annoyed because I actually set out to make my application stronger and felt totally cheated after hanging on for over 2 years ... So when I happened to ring them up for a chat about it the woman on the phone babbled on a *little* too much about how the really, really considered my application and that I should work HARDER on it and talk about what could I do for THEM ... as if I didn't work hard enough!
But it turned out to be the best thing that ever happened to me because I'm now teaching at a British University!! ... yay! ... |
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