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olive eyes
Joined: 22 Jan 2009
Posts: 14
Location: Canada
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 Posted: Sat Dec 19, 2009 5:09 pm Post subject: JET NEWS..!! |
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| Hi Everybody!! I have applied to the JET programme and patiently waiting for a reply. I was wondering if anyone has heard any news yet. I was also wondering if JET lets participants they are not interested in, and hence refuse a job interview to know about this. Happy Holidays to all!!! Thanks. Grace. |
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Imseriouslylost
Joined: 09 Nov 2009
Posts: 123
Location: Tokyo
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| Posted: Sat Dec 19, 2009 5:40 pm Post subject: |
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Which province in Canada are you from?
Anyway, JET will let you know pretty soon after they recieved your application. Check your mail everyday.
If you get a rejection or become shortlisted, don't take it personally. When I applied (during my last year of Uni) I was rejected. I thought I was a shoe-in because I had good marks, extracurriculars and a well put together application (with the assitance of an ex-JET). My friends were all rejected too, I actually don't know anyone who got in that year and knew a lot of people applying in the beginning of senior year.
Just make sure you have a Plan B. JET's selection process seems to be random as its based on figures that you aren't privy to. I once heard there were about ten candidates for each position available. |
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olive eyes
Joined: 22 Jan 2009
Posts: 14
Location: Canada
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| Posted: Sat Dec 19, 2009 6:08 pm Post subject: |
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I'm from Toronto, Ontario. Thanks for your story and advice. Being accepted to the JET programme is very important to me, as I'm sure it is to others. I have 8 years of ESL experience and already lived and taught in Japan for a year about six years ago. I'm hoping that with this background JET considers me a good candidate and I'm selected. The competition must be fierce this year on account of the recession, and I think lots of people will be applying.
What exactly do you mean by "JET's selection process seems to be random as its based on figures that you aren't privy to." Grace. |
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Imseriouslylost
Joined: 09 Nov 2009
Posts: 123
Location: Tokyo
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| Posted: Sat Dec 19, 2009 7:09 pm Post subject: |
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| olive eyes wrote: |
What exactly do you mean by "JET's selection process seems to be random as its based on figures that you aren't privy to." Grace. |
You sound in better shape than me, then! I was 20 years old with not very much work history beyond part time jobs when I had applied to JET. Take that advice with a grain of salt.
I just meant that only JET knows how many positions they need to fill and how many of their current teachers will be renewing. |
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Glenski
Joined: 15 Jan 2003
Posts: 12844
Location: Hokkaido, JAPAN
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| Posted: Sun Dec 20, 2009 12:40 am Post subject: |
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| Interviews are in February, so enjoy the silence for now and take a break. |
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GambateBingBangBOOM
Joined: 04 Nov 2003
Posts: 2021
Location: Japan
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| Posted: Sun Dec 20, 2009 4:57 am Post subject: |
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| olive eyes wrote: |
I'm from Toronto, Ontario. Thanks for your story and advice. Being accepted to the JET programme is very important to me, as I'm sure it is to others. I have 8 years of ESL experience and already lived and taught in Japan for a year about six years ago. I'm hoping that with this background JET considers me a good candidate and I'm selected. The competition must be fierce this year on account of the recession, and I think lots of people will be applying.
What exactly do you mean by "JET's selection process seems to be random as its based on figures that you aren't privy to." Grace. |
ESL? or EFL? They usually like EFL more, because the job is not really to teach English. They would often prefer someone who has been to many many countries over someone who is a professional language teacher.
Also, if you look at the application, you'll see that they're looking for people with interests and experience with things Japanese. It's because the majority of people are placed in rural areas where there may not really be a whole lot to do, so the more Japanese you speak the better.
When I was accepted to JET, I had a university TESL certificate and experience teaching English, extra courses in Canadian History (for explaining Canada - not that really anybody cared about that AT ALL [I was also thinking of applying to a B.Ed for the intermediate/senior level and needed a second teachable, had also taught citizenship prep stuff to ESL students and so actually knowing stuff about Canada was useful- my degree is in English lit and Historical Musicology]. When I arrived in Japan, the Japanese people in my town were mostly interested in if lots of Canadians go to the US to do their degrees and things like that), Japanese History and Japanese language. Had been training in karate for several years and could compare it to Tae Kwon Do (I did that in West Hill- a little Korea area)
I agree that you need to have a Plan B.
What "JET's selection process seems to be random as its based on figures that you aren't privy to." also means is that the application process is two staged. the first stage is the paper application. You get points based on how you filled out your application and your Statement of Purpose. If you get enough points, then you get an invitation to an interview. Then you are starting over at zero. If one guy squeeks by and gets an interview and another has the best paper application ever, then they are still equal. the interview is based on the panel's decision, and the panel can refuse people based on 'atmosphere', or how relaxed or not they seem etc. And every panel is different, and there is usually nobody who actually has a background in human resources. I was asked almost every question that is illegal to ask in an interview in Canada, the academic on the panel had never set foot inside of Japan and accused me of lying when I said that I had been snowshoe-ing in the past. Oh- that reminds me- for the interview, this may seem obvious, but know something about a Canadian scientist [like an important discovery], artist, musician, politician, writer etc. And also know stuff about Canada that probably has absolutely nothing to do with your experience in Canada- I was asked about the iditarod by the academic, although it isn't even Canadian [it's the dog-sled race that takes place in Alaska]. I was asked a bunch of other things about Inuit culture as well, so you should be prepared to talk about First Nations issues. |
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G Cthulhu
Joined: 07 Feb 2003
Posts: 1373
Location: Way, way off course.
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| Posted: Sun Dec 20, 2009 8:43 pm Post subject: |
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| GambateBingBangBOOM wrote: |
| the interview is based on the panel's decision, and the panel can refuse people based on 'atmosphere', or how relaxed or not they seem etc. And every panel is different, and there is usually nobody who actually has a background in human resources. I was asked almost every question that is illegal to ask in an interview in Canada, |
The panel is supposed to deliver a structured interview within the allotted time. At many locations, that time is too short to hit all the bases the model interview wants. Panels score on a set scale, with defined guidelines on where the scoring boundries are. They are specifically instructed to avoid questions that are illegal in the interviewing country location, even though most (all?) interviews take place on Japanese soil. The panel has no say on who gets in, nor any power to refuse any candidate: they simply score them. The decisions on acceptance are made by CLAIR in Japan based on the interview scores and notes. The panels can effectively sink someone if they think they really suck simply by giving them really low scores, but there's a chance even that may not prevent someone being accepted: the decision simply isn't the panels. ALT scoring is different from CIR scoring. 90+% of CIR interviews these days are completely in Japanese, and every ALT interview contains a Japanese element. In Denver last year over 75% of the people interviewing at ALT level spoke at least basic Japanese, and a good number were at a reasonable conversational level: get practicing if you want to stand a chance.  |
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GambateBingBangBOOM
Joined: 04 Nov 2003
Posts: 2021
Location: Japan
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| Posted: Mon Dec 21, 2009 3:27 am Post subject: |
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| G Cthulhu wrote: |
| GambateBingBangBOOM wrote: |
| the interview is based on the panel's decision, and the panel can refuse people based on 'atmosphere', or how relaxed or not they seem etc. And every panel is different, and there is usually nobody who actually has a background in human resources. I was asked almost every question that is illegal to ask in an interview in Canada, |
The panel is supposed to deliver a structured interview within the allotted time. At many locations, that time is too short to hit all the bases the model interview wants. Panels score on a set scale, with defined guidelines on where the scoring boundries are. They are specifically instructed to avoid questions that are illegal in the interviewing country location, even though most (all?) interviews take place on Japanese soil. The panel has no say on who gets in, nor any power to refuse any candidate: they simply score them. The decisions on acceptance are made by CLAIR in Japan based on the interview scores and notes. The panels can effectively sink someone if they think they really suck simply by giving them really low scores, but there's a chance even that may not prevent someone being accepted: the decision simply isn't the panels. ALT scoring is different from CIR scoring. 90+% of CIR interviews these days are completely in Japanese, and every ALT interview contains a Japanese element. In Denver last year over 75% of the people interviewing at ALT level spoke at least basic Japanese, and a good number were at a reasonable conversational level: get practicing if you want to stand a chance. |
My interview was at a university in Canada- and as I mentioned contained many questions illegal in Canada. Not Japanese soil.
At least this explains some of the bizarre hiring decisions- people who cannot even name the capital of their own country, but have blond hair and blue eyes getting accepted etc... |
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cornishmuppet
Joined: 27 Mar 2004
Posts: 642
Location: Nagano, Japan
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| Posted: Mon Dec 21, 2009 4:29 am Post subject: |
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| What kind of questions are illegal to ask at an interview in Canada? |
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fat_chris
Joined: 10 Sep 2003
Posts: 3198
Location: Beijing
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| Posted: Tue Dec 22, 2009 1:26 am Post subject: |
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| Quote: |
| At least this explains some of the bizarre hiring decisions- people who cannot even name the capital of their own country, but have blond hair and blue eyes getting accepted etc... |
Hmm...does this kind of thing really happen? The blond hair and blue eyes bit...perhaps, but not being to name the capital of their own country...really?!?
Regards,
fat_chris |
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Imseriouslylost
Joined: 09 Nov 2009
Posts: 123
Location: Tokyo
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| Posted: Tue Dec 22, 2009 3:27 am Post subject: |
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| fat_chris wrote: |
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| At least this explains some of the bizarre hiring decisions- people who cannot even name the capital of their own country, but have blond hair and blue eyes getting accepted etc... |
Hmm...does this kind of thing really happen? The blond hair and blue eyes bit...perhaps, but not being to name the capital of their own country...really?!?
Regards,
fat_chris |
Appearances are everything in Asia. Thats the #1 lesson. It might turn out that some of the people who speak the most Japanese and know the most about Japan/the world are, well, less desirable asthetically. |
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Lyrajean
Joined: 19 Jul 2006
Posts: 109
Location: going to Okinawa
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| Posted: Tue Dec 22, 2009 3:52 am Post subject: |
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Just settle down and don't get too excited yet. You're only half-way there.
It took me 2 tries to get in and that was in 2007 when the economy was not nearly as bad as it is now in most places. I know lots of people here trying to recontract rather than go home, and I imagine more people are applying and as allways I'm sure the total numbers of participants is getting slightly smaller due to schools opting out of the program or being closed/consolidated due to the lower numbers of children in the public schools.
The next step is to wait and see if you got an interview slot. There is an element of potluck depending on what panel interviews you and where. But you can improve your chances by doing a couple things:
-practice your Japanese, if you don't speak any at least learn about Japan so you don't sound like an idiot when they ask you questions.
-dress conservatively, suits are your friend. Hide your tatoos and don't mention them. Take out piercings (more than 1 set for a woman, none for a man).
-decide what your goals are: what do you want to do in Japan and what do you want to do for the school(s) and students where you will be working? It's not about you taking a year long vacation although some ALTs treat it that way. |
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G Cthulhu
Joined: 07 Feb 2003
Posts: 1373
Location: Way, way off course.
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| Posted: Tue Dec 22, 2009 6:08 am Post subject: |
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| fat_chris wrote: |
Hmm...does this kind of thing really happen? The blond hair and blue eyes bit...perhaps, but not being to name the capital of their own country...really?!?
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No more often than any other place that hires 1500+ people per year hiring utter goobers every so often. That is to say, yes.
Personally, as one of the few people involved in hiring on JET that *does* work in HR, I see the real job as simply trying to weed out all the freakin otaku weenies that apply these days. Compared to all the usual goobers and complete wastes of protein that you get in any hiring process, the fanboys're the ones you really want to keep out of Japan and away from children. |
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Imseriouslylost
Joined: 09 Nov 2009
Posts: 123
Location: Tokyo
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| Posted: Tue Dec 22, 2009 7:08 am Post subject: |
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| G Cthulhu wrote: |
| Compared to all the usual goobers and complete wastes of protein that you get in any hiring process, the fanboys're the ones you really want to keep out of Japan and away from children. |
I know some fanboys (otaku, whatever). They range from being normal, to being normal only on the surface, to being way out there in every way (including waist size). Picture the comic book guy from The Simpsons. Just how many of these people *are* there?
I wonder what Japanese think of these people. I wonder if they are considering closing their culture off again, haha. |
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fat_chris
Joined: 10 Sep 2003
Posts: 3198
Location: Beijing
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| Posted: Tue Dec 22, 2009 3:32 pm Post subject: |
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| Quote: |
| Appearances are everything in Asia. |
I would say that appearances can be everything everywhere, not only in Asia.
In regards to the part about people getting in who can't even name the capital of their own country, I am going to treat this as hearsay for the time being.
Wait, was that quip meant to not be taken literally?
Regards,
fat_chris |
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