Job Discussion Forums

[Skyblue2]

I read a lot of posts saying JET is the way to go. I thought they paid the bog standard 250K yen, the same as everybody else. What's so good about working for them?

[Glenski]

No offense, but why don't you take the time to read their pamphlet?

JET does not pay 250K. It pays 300K.
Other benefits:

paid airfare
support meetings during the year at JET conferences
a more professional setup than an eikaiwa or dispatch ALT company
many times (not always) rent is reduced or free
work hours are like that of any ALT, so you have evenings & Sat/Sun off
visa is guaranteed (no scams like some employers)

[Lyrajean]

JET pays the 300,000 as Glenski said, but also there are things included like legal national health insurance, any taxes due are added on top of your salary not taken from it, transportation is reimbursed.

Subsidised housing in my expereince is on the way out unless you live in the true inaka, -which is very possible. City postings are rare.

There is a support network, and your supervisors are supposed to help you get set up. the ability of the outside school support network to help with real problems can be good to not at all.

Downsides are the usual ones with ALT work, lack of responsibility or ability to change things, communication planning time with JTEs, possible boredom. You also have no contol over placement. They ask you where you would like to be but don't beleive that they look at it unless there is s good reason: sister city relationship, or spouse or family in a certain area. Plus they only take applications once a year on a strict schedule and you can only stay up to five years or as long as your school wants you, -which may be less.

There is some political BS yes, god forbid an ALT get into trouble in your ken or municipality -you might all get dragged to kencho for a lecture on not importing illegal drugs etc..., but over all there is not all that Corporate crap to deal with.

[Lyrajean]

woops! Computer barfed... Double post....

[Skyblue2]

[natsume]

JETs net about 260,000, after taxes, health insurance, etc. (Taxes are a moot point, anyway, as already explained.) Glenski and lyrajean are about right on on the benefits, and possible downsides. I would add that the relative security, within its limitations, is very attractive to me.

There seem to be burning questions about housing in pretty much any situation, so in case you are wondering, in my situation I pay about 30,000 rent, and I live in a 教職員住宅 （educational workers building) owned by the prefectural BOE. I pay exactly the same as any of the Japanese tenants, but you could definitely say it is a subsidization, as when checked against the local suburban/borderline inaka market rate it looks to be roughly 25-30% below that. I know other teachers in other 教職員住宅 (mostly Japanese), and it seems to be the same around the prefecture.

Remember, always, again, ESID.

[Lyrajean]

[G Cthulhu]