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pnksweater
Joined: 24 Mar 2005
Posts: 173
Location: Tokyo, Japan
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 Posted: Tue Oct 11, 2011 1:28 am Post subject: |
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| It looks like the pay scale for JETs is different this year. First year JETs, after taxes, bring home 3,360,000 yen per year. Second year JETs will be earning what was once the standard 3,600,000 yen per year. Third year JETs get a bump in pay up to 3,900,000. Fourth and fifth year JETs earn 3,960,000. Keep in mind, this doesn�t include the chunk taken out for health insurance and pension each month. Also, you can only have your first three years worth of pension refunded when you leave Japan. While the bump in pay may make it tempting to stay on a fourth or fifth year (if your CO allows it), it won�t make up for the difference in lost pension payments. Then again, given the current job market back home, it might be better to swallow the lost pension payments in trade for a full time job. |
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Glenski
Joined: 15 Jan 2003
Posts: 12844
Location: Hokkaido, JAPAN
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| Posted: Tue Oct 11, 2011 1:44 am Post subject: |
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| pnksweater wrote: |
| Also, you can only have your first three years worth of pension refunded when you leave Japan. |
Actually, I believe it is the most recent 3 years.
See this link, pp. 4-7
http://www.sia.go.jp/e/pdf/english.pdf |
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Glenski
Joined: 15 Jan 2003
Posts: 12844
Location: Hokkaido, JAPAN
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| Posted: Tue Oct 11, 2011 1:46 am Post subject: |
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| rxk22 wrote: |
| Mr_Monkey wrote: |
| rxk22 wrote: |
| In fact there has never been a job where I have received less training. That is if you include me being abag boy at Safeway as well. |
Yep.
It's OK though, you can publish a couple of papers and it doesn't matter. |
Does it have to be language related? Or can I write about whatever subject that I want to? |
If you're looking for a job as an EFL teacher, especially in university, it will count far more if it's language related. Far, far more. What else did you have in mind? |
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pnksweater
Joined: 24 Mar 2005
Posts: 173
Location: Tokyo, Japan
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| Posted: Tue Oct 11, 2011 2:01 am Post subject: |
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| Glenski wrote: |
| pnksweater wrote: |
| Also, you can only have your first three years worth of pension refunded when you leave Japan. |
Actually, I believe it is the most recent 3 years.
See this link, pp. 4-7
http://www.sia.go.jp/e/pdf/english.pdf |
You're missing the point. Not getting two of your five years of pension payments back =/= the slight increase in your pay |
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rxk22
Joined: 19 May 2010
Posts: 1629
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| Posted: Tue Oct 11, 2011 2:23 am Post subject: |
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| Glenski wrote: |
| rxk22 wrote: |
| Mr_Monkey wrote: |
| rxk22 wrote: |
| In fact there has never been a job where I have received less training. That is if you include me being abag boy at Safeway as well. |
Yep.
It's OK though, you can publish a couple of papers and it doesn't matter. |
Does it have to be language related? Or can I write about whatever subject that I want to? |
If you're looking for a job as an EFL teacher, especially in university, it will count far more if it's language related. Far, far more. What else did you have in mind? |
History of linguistics. IF I did do a paper, it would prolly be related to how and why a certain language changed. Possibly middle Greek. I am a history major, not a language major by any means. |
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Rooster_2006
Joined: 24 Sep 2007
Posts: 984
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| Posted: Tue Oct 11, 2011 12:26 pm Post subject: Re: Is the JET program a good start for me? |
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| Lack wrote: |
I haven't applied for ESL jobs yet, but I want to start with the JET program. It seems to have a good reputation from what I've read. And since I have no formal teaching experience (besides student teaching - I do have an education/English degree) and Japan doesn't require the experience, it seems like it would be a good first ESL job to apply for. The application opens up again in September, so I've got time to think about it.
One thing I've been looking for but haven't found is the acceptance rates. Has anyone here done JET and do you know approximately what the acceptance rate is? For those here who have done JET, how was your experience? Would you recommend it to a newbie? |
JET only accepts a small minority of the people who apply (and the acceptance rates are a closely-guarded secret, not available from any credible source on the Internet). Those that get in get superior benefits, such as paid flights and 300,000 yen a month instead of the industry standard 250,000 yen per month (not that either salary is bad, I save well over 100,000 yen a month even on my 250K yen salary, which some of the spoiled members of this forum call "borderline poverty" -- yeah, right).
The major downside to JET is the rigid application procedure that requires you to be present in your home country. This really sucks if you want to go to Japan NOW and not in some far-off future date. It also really sucks if you are teaching overseas NOW, because you would have to hang up your current teaching gig, go back to the States, and flip burgers, work at a gas station, etc. until getting the possible word of approval from JET. Not worth it, in my opinion.
So in my case, I chose not to apply for JET. I just arrived in Japan, did some pavement-pounding, and found a decent gig within 12 days of landing here. The downside? I get 250,000 yen a month (which, in my opinion, is more than ample, but not CEO pay). The upsides?
- I didn't have to wait to enter Japan.
- I got to work where I wanted to work (the Kansai Region). With JET, you don't get the luxury of choosing where to live.
- I am the only teacher at my school, meaning that my boss treats me nicely, and I don't have to constantly interact with other new teachers who are raving about their first times using chopsticks, going to karaoke, or eating sushi.
Not applying to JET has worked out quite well for me. However, maybe for you, JET will be better. It largely depends on whether you're willing to gamble a low chance of getting in/a lengthy out-of-Japan application process for the chance to make 300K yen a month with lots of cool benefits.
Last edited by Rooster_2006 on Tue Oct 11, 2011 12:33 pm; edited 1 time in total |
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Glenski
Joined: 15 Jan 2003
Posts: 12844
Location: Hokkaido, JAPAN
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| Posted: Tue Oct 11, 2011 12:30 pm Post subject: |
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| pnksweater wrote: |
| Glenski wrote: |
| pnksweater wrote: |
| Also, you can only have your first three years worth of pension refunded when you leave Japan. |
Actually, I believe it is the most recent 3 years.
See this link, pp. 4-7
http://www.sia.go.jp/e/pdf/english.pdf |
You're missing the point. Not getting two of your five years of pension payments back =/= the slight increase in your pay |
Not missing anything, just clarifying.
| rxk22 wrote: |
| IF I did do a paper, it would prolly be related to how and why a certain language changed. Possibly middle Greek. I am a history major, not a language major by any means. |
Not a heckuva lot of call for any of that, I'm afraid. Best of luck.
| Rooster_2006 wrote: |
| I chose not to apply for JET. I just arrived in Japan, did some pavement-pounding, and found a decent gig within 12 days of landing here. |
Extremely rare. I wouldn't go throwing that around as if it were the norm, especially nowadays. Besides, far more details would be needed to compare your situation and that of others. |
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G Cthulhu
Joined: 07 Feb 2003
Posts: 1373
Location: Way, way off course.
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| Posted: Wed Oct 12, 2011 3:50 am Post subject: Re: Is the JET program a good start for me? |
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| Rooster_2006 wrote: |
JET only accepts a small minority of the people who apply (and the acceptance rates are a closely-guarded secret, not available from any credible source on the Internet).
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What? They're not much of a secret. They're public in Japan and AFAIK most consulates publish their numbers each year. Off to the CLAIR website with you!
| Quote: |
The major downside to JET is the rigid application procedure that requires you to be present in your home country. This really sucks if you want to go to Japan NOW and not in some far-off future date. It also really sucks if you are teaching overseas NOW, because you would have to hang up your current teaching gig, go back to the States, and flip burgers, work at a gas station, etc. until getting the possible word of approval from JET. Not worth it, in my opinion.
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No, it requires you to be in the country *when you interview* and *fly* out. JET doesn't give a crap where you actually live. It's up to you if you want to invest the money in paying to get to an interview or not. |
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GambateBingBangBOOM
Joined: 04 Nov 2003
Posts: 2021
Location: Japan
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| Posted: Wed Oct 12, 2011 9:48 am Post subject: Re: Is the JET program a good start for me? |
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| Rooster_2006 wrote: |
the industry standard 250,000 yen per month (not that either salary is bad, I save well over 100,000 yen a month even on my 250K yen salary, which some of the spoiled members of this forum call "borderline poverty" -- yeah, right).
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250,000 USED to be the industry standard. There are a LOT of full-time jobs that pay less than that now. For people with qualifications and experience, there are jobs that pay more than that, too (more than JETs make as well). |
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Rooster_2006
Joined: 24 Sep 2007
Posts: 984
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| Posted: Wed Oct 12, 2011 12:16 pm Post subject: Re: Is the JET program a good start for me? |
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| G Cthulhu wrote: |
| Quote: |
The major downside to JET is the rigid application procedure that requires you to be present in your home country. This really sucks if you want to go to Japan NOW and not in some far-off future date. It also really sucks if you are teaching overseas NOW, because you would have to hang up your current teaching gig, go back to the States, and flip burgers, work at a gas station, etc. until getting the possible word of approval from JET. Not worth it, in my opinion.
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No, it requires you to be in the country *when you interview* and *fly* out. JET doesn't give a crap where you actually live. It's up to you if you want to invest the money in paying to get to an interview or not. |
Okay, technically, you're correct. But with plane tickets as expensive as they are these days (often nearly $2,000 a pop to get me from Asia to Washington, D.C. and back, especially on short notice), attending two or three JET interviews/orientations/mandatory events/etc. while trying to hold down a teaching job anywhere in East Asia could easily add up to $4,000 - $6,000 in plane tickets. And that's not even for a guaranteed job. So that, combined with the rigid application schedule that would significantly delay my entry into Japan by months (if lucky) or years (if I got unlucky and didn't get selected), just made me say "forget it."
That said, if I had been living in the States and had wanted to teach in Japan, JET would have seemed much more appealing.
As for the money I (may have) lost (had I been selected, hypothetically), I look at it this way: I can use my head-start in Japan over the JETs to improve my Japanese, augment my credentials, and gain experience, and maybe in a year or two, I'll find myself in a job with JET-level or near-JET-level pay. And if not, it's not the end of the world. I'll just live 25,000 yen a month cheaper and save 25,000 yen a month less. Not really a huge deal. My student loans will be gone, repaid at this amazing exchange rate, by October 23. |
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Glenski
Joined: 15 Jan 2003
Posts: 12844
Location: Hokkaido, JAPAN
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| Posted: Wed Oct 12, 2011 10:13 pm Post subject: Re: Is the JET program a good start for me? |
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| Rooster_2006 wrote: |
| Okay, technically, you're correct. But with plane tickets as expensive as they are these days (often nearly $2,000 a pop to get me from Asia to Washington, D.C. and back, especially on short notice), |
Why do you mention short notice? Again I have to point out that's not the norm.
| Quote: |
| attending two or three JET interviews/ |
There is only one. Where are you getting these figures?
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| orientations/mandatory events/etc. while trying to hold down a teaching job anywhere in East Asia could easily add up to $4,000 - $6,000 in plane tickets. |
These are all in Japan after you arrive.
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| And that's not even for a guaranteed job. |
No employer guarantees a job, just a shot at an interview.
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| So that, combined with the rigid application schedule that would significantly delay my entry into Japan by months (if lucky) or years (if I got unlucky and didn't get selected), just made me say "forget it." |
It's widely known about the rigid schedule. Did you expect anything more lax when over 5000 people apply? Best advice is to learn what faces you in the application process, and not to put all your eggs in one basket. Just be aware that with the great number of people applying (and most from the US) it doesn't make financial sense to try interviewing people in all reaches of the globe. There are only so many interviewers to go around. |
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TokyoLiz
Joined: 16 Jan 2003
Posts: 1548
Location: Tokyo, Japan
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| Posted: Thu Oct 13, 2011 12:26 am Post subject: |
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| Quote: |
| JET only accepts a small minority of the people who apply (and the acceptance rates are a closely-guarded secret, not available from any credible source on the Internet). |
Acceptance rates depend on which centre you are applying to. Some consulates have had low application rates, and accepted nearly all who applied. Other consulates see high application rates.
Please do your homework, as Glenski and Cthulhu suggest.
| Quote: |
I don't have to constantly interact with other new teachers who are raving about their first times using chopsticks, going to karaoke, or eating sushi.
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I came from Vancouver, so chopsticks and osushi have been a part of my lifetstyle since my parents took an interest in Japanese food culture and introduced my brother and I too it.
It was a treat for me to see others who had no such experience encounter them for the first time. All teachers can benefit from observing "beginners mind", either their own or their students or peers. |
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G Cthulhu
Joined: 07 Feb 2003
Posts: 1373
Location: Way, way off course.
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| Posted: Thu Oct 13, 2011 12:47 am Post subject: Re: Is the JET program a good start for me? |
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| Rooster_2006 wrote: |
Okay, technically, you're correct. But with plane tickets as expensive as they are these days (often nearly $2,000 a pop to get me from Asia to Washington, D.C. and back, especially on short notice), attending two or three JET interviews/orientations/mandatory events/etc. while trying to hold down a teaching job anywhere in East Asia could easily add up to $4,000 - $6,000 in plane tickets. And that's not even for a guaranteed job. So that, combined with the rigid application schedule that would significantly delay my entry into Japan by months (if lucky) or years (if I got unlucky and didn't get selected), just made me say "forget it."
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I don't think there's any "technical" about it. And where on earth are you flying from for it to cost ~$2k for air tickets?! Interview in LA rather than DC. Fly to a cheaper location to get to. Hell, interview in Guam: they'd *love* to have some applicants! I do Japan and SK for ~$500 a time. (Actually, I don't because work pays, but I look to see what's out there 5-6 times a year when I'm going out that way)
The only thing I'm actually objecting to is your characterizing (and maybe even cheerypicking the negatives) of the process the way you do. I think it's flawed and would unreasonably put people off.
You put in the app. If you get an interview you'd have an air ticket to cover, so let's say you're up for ~$700. For a lot of people in the US that's not an untypical interview travel cost anyway given the size of the country! You then find out if you got a placement. In most instances you're up for one more airfare to leave from your home country, nothing more. Some consulates have an extra training/orientation session, but AFAIK they're voluntary at most locations.
etc., etc. |
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It's Scary!
Joined: 17 Apr 2011
Posts: 823
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| Posted: Thu Oct 13, 2011 12:57 am Post subject: |
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Really? Using the honorific? Isn't that a bit OTT? I don't know Japanese who use the honorific on sushi except, possibly, at a pre-first-drink speech at a sushi restaurant! 
It's a bit overboard, that's all! |
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