Job Discussion Forums

[Heisenberg87]

As someone who has always been interested in Japanese culture and thinking about pursuing teaching as a career, I think this would be a great opportunity for me. I've done a little bit of research and spoke to someone who did the JET program and so far it seems like most teachers have found this to be a positive experience.

I am currently saving up right now for travel and living expenses and intend to take some Japanese courses. My goal is to apply next year to both AEON and JET for the 2013 school year. I know there are many other eikawa schools and other institutions, which I am researching as well.

My main concern at this point is that my undergraduate grades were not so good (less than a 3.0) due to a rough start I had in college. I was told by the person who did JET that recruiters are more interested in teachers who are passionate about living in and adapting to Japanese culture than grades, but I would still like to have realistic expectations on my chances of finding a teaching position as many job postings I have seen require college transcripts.

Any feedback would be greatly appreciated and thank you for reading!

[Glenski]

Grades are usually (almost always) not taken into account. The fact that many/most newbies have degrees unrelated to teaching or education should give you a hint on how important one's background education is to the employers here. Any degree major will do.

[Heisenberg87]

Well that's good to know, especially considering I was Sociology major!

[Jalapeter]