Job Discussion Forums

[anh]

Hi! This is my first post but I've been reading some of the information on these forums about teaching in Japan. It's been pretty informative and definitely helped me make a few decisions for the next year. Thanks!

I just graduated in December '06 with degrees in Business & Japanese but uhhh... my Japanese isn't quite at the level I'd like it to be. I applied for JET to be a CIR and I haven't seen too much information about it on these boards. I'm not sure if I'd have a chance even if I did get an interview, especially since I know at least 3 other students from my school who are also applying (and are better in Japanese, too )

What have other people done while waiting for JET's responses? Work? Contract with another company? Wait? I have an interview with Interac on Saturday, which I hope will go well so I'll have a back up plan to go to Japan.

I was wondering everyone's opinion - not to get ahead of myself, but if all goes well with Interac is it worth it to just head over there in March/April with them or hope that my interview (if I get one w/ JET) goes well enough to get accepted?

I know not many people apply for the CIR position, but I feel like my chances are pretty slim. And I don't particularly want to sit around unemployed until September either. Searching for a job knowing that I don't plan on staying permanently has been hard so far.

Then again I heard all the bad things about the eikaiwa and Interac etc and I've already decided JET is the best choice.

Sorry this post got a little long~

[Glenski]

[anh]

Thanks for the reply!

And yeah, I didn't think it'd be right to accept another position without hearing from JET first. I'm just worried that if I get an interview, get accepted, then wait til April/May for my results, I'll have missed the boat completely for the April start time and at the worst would have to wait until the end of August to go to Japan... that's a long time from my December graduation to not have a (permanent, applicable) job considering I'd like to work in business.

I am researching my options, looking back at study abroad but I'd rather make/save money to help pay off loans. I've checked out what's been said about the other companies on these forums and weighed some options, and I think being an ALT would be better than working at an eikaiwa. I went to the Boston Career Forum, floundered around and realized no way could I get a job there with my level (borderline 2kyuu, I'm not positive I'd pass if I took it at the moment, confident I'd pass 3).

I've read all the bad stuff about Interac and feel informed about what I'd be getting into, should I get a position with them. But the truth is I'd rather have something than nothing, and then if it's that bad figure out my options when I'm in Japan. Sadly, unless I'm mistaken, I haven't seen many "better" options (paywise) to be an ALT than Interac (outside of JET, that is).

[G Cthulhu]

[Venti]

[fat_chris]

[kdynamic]

Getting the CIR position isn't all about just your Japanese ability - as long as you pass the minimum requirement (JLPT2) then it's all about how you present yourself and your skills and background and personality. So if your Japanese isn't at least JLPT2-level, then it might fall short.

There is a lot of variation in Japanese ability among CIRs. I can tell you this much however: all CIRs either studied abroad or lived in Japan before applying, grew up speaking Japanese, or are very, very rare exceptions.

But like I said, if your Japanese is up to it there are still no guarantees. The position is extremely competitive.

If I were you I wouldn't lose hope, but I also would think up a plan B. There is no reason you can't get a short term job at home now and just save some money and study Japanese on your own while you wait.

[GambateBingBangBOOM]

I'm a JET (4th year ALT). Part of the reason you see so little for CIRs here is that this is a board for English teachers. CIRs don't normally teach a whole lot of English (some may have occasional visits or go from school to school giving presentations about their country in Japanese).

Part of the reason there are less North American CIRs than other countries is simply because there are less North Americans than Australians etc who study Japanese. Australians can take Japanese language as early a junior high school (or the equivalent in their sytem). Beginning Japanese started in university where I'm from, apart from some very rare high school programmes.

I knew one guy from Ontario who was a CIR (and he worked really, REALLY hard with an individual teacher the year or so before he came here and still, when he got here, he said he knew what general topic people were talking about, but not what they were actually saying about it), but in my prefecture most of the CIRs have actually been from the US (although there have been a few ALTs who've passed 1kyu prior to starting JET from Canada, the US, Australia, New Zealand and the UK) or from non-English-speaking countries (China, Korea, Germany, France etc).

The wait for JET is a killer. It is for all applicants. It's part of the test to see if you really REALLY want to be in JET (at least that's what I told myself to get through the wait).

You have basically one school term (JET hires when it does in order to get people graduating in April before they get careers/jobs). You should definately work on Japanese if you aren't sure yours will be up to snuff in the interview (see if there are any really intensive classes through private schools in the area- a full term is a whole lotta time during which a whole whack of kanji *will* drain out of your mind the way water goes out of a sink). You should also get yourself some sort of job- even if it's just retail (you want it to be something you can leave easily) to keep yourself busy (and have some money- do you live with your parents or something?) and pay for the private school classes if there are any until you leave because you're going to need some start up money- the first pay check isn't until the middle or end of August.

You could also think about doing some sort of class for the single term that you have- take a course in something that might help you here (for talking about your county's culture, for when you have to)- maybe a single term history course or a literature course or something.

[kdynamic]

[GambateBingBangBOOM]

Really? I didn't know that.

There are JETs from Ottawa, Ontario, but if you want to be a CIR and you live in Ottawa, you have to go to Montreal (or Toronto, but that would be a 5 hour drive instead of a one and a half) for the interview. And that's the capital of Canada. Maybe there are a lot from the States, but not so much from Canada?

Or maybe there are just a lot more people studying Japanese (especially up to the level required to become a CIR) in British Columbia than Ontario (as far as Canada goes) because in BC, there is a much higher chance of actually using it.

[kdynamic]

There are around twice as many CIRs from Canada as from either the UK or New Zealand. The US is far and away the most though, with three times as many CIRs as the second largest group (Aus).

[G Cthulhu]

[anh]

Sorry in advance for not quoting correctly - I wanted to reply to a lot of different posts and was lazy~

[kdynamic]

G Cthulhu: thanks for the informative post. I think it just goes to show that it's extremely hard to understand the system, much less manipulate it, so the best an applicant can do is just, well, try their best and hope for the best.

[wintersweet]

I know a former CIR who hadn't studied abroad long term, and has no Japanese ancestry whatsoever. So it's not impossible.

More information here, I suppose: http://www.bigdaikon.org/board/viewtopic.php?t=54790
though I'd take anything I read there with even more salt than usual for web forums.