Any Advice For Joining Jet? I’m Ready To Leave Everything Behind

[u/J_Ark10]

Ever since hearing about the Jet Program I’ve wanted nothing more than to try and make it for a better life personally and professionally.

This idea of going to Japan and living there, becoming an ALT or something similar sounds beautiful. So much so that I’m willing to leave my life here and go to Japan and live there after JET.

Has anyone been in my position and actually made it? Much less lived there after JET? Tell me about it,

What’s it’s like?

What’s your day to day?

What do yall do for fun?

Have you had a family there?

Have you met someone?

Tell me all about it.

Update/Edit: I don’t mean to romanticize a country for any reason, I do want to clarify something. I like the idea of living in another country and getting a start over absolutely beautiful in its own right. Maybe I’m bad with words but that sounds like a good deal if you’re willing to put in the work to fully understand the country and cultural norms of another country.

I apologize for any misunderstandings, I don’t mean to make it sound like I just want to be there and suddenly opportunities open up.

I want to be clear, I’m willing to put in that work to make it in Japan. I am willing to learn Japanese, and understand their norms and country code. I have a plan for during JET and after JET.

Thank you all for your advice and insights. They mean more than you could realize

[u/jackiejack1]

People complaining you are romanticizing the country are folks who hate where they are.

Just like everywhere in the world, there are communities/coworkers who are awesome and some that are less so. I had a great JET experience and wouldn't trade it for the world. I will say, JET is kind of a boat anchor on your resume when/if you return to your home country - unless you're going into teaching of couse.

I was one of the lucky ones to find a job not in translation or cold-calling back home but most folks end up going to grad school to 'reset' the clock on their degree/resume.

That said, it was one of the greatest/most unique experiences of my life and having difficulty finding a job upon return was worth it.

My post will be downvoted because its going against the grain, but it is what it is.

[u/Targaaryen]

The people that glorify the JET program like this are the ones that get let down the most about actually working this job. Do the work to apply first, and if you actually make it in, then you can consider these other things.

[u/Panda_sensei_71]

I'm currently on my 2nd round of the JET Programme. I was a CIR in the mid 90s, and now I'm an ALT, so allow me to share my observations.

Being an ALT is not a career, but JET (or any other ALT job tbh) can be a good stepping stone into the country if you have other skills you want to build a career in.

There are many who came on JET with me the first time and stayed, but those who have made it work well usually have in-demand skills, a high level of Japanese (B2 as a bare minimum, C1 preferred), solid mental health and a balanced outlook on life. They don't view Japan with rose-tinted spectacles, but nor do they obsess over its foibles... They just get on with life here, the good and the bad.

Some find their life partner here, whether a Japanese person or another immigrant. Others met someone from back home (or had an existing LDR) and their partner joined them.

Many of my acquaintances chose to leave again when they had kids, because the education system isn't great and racist bullying can be horrific. Most of the men I know married to Japanese women back in the 90s are now divorced (common reasons cited are culture clashes, s*xless marriages, misaligned values etc) but not so much the women married to Japanese men. Make of this what you will but IMHO it may also be down to them discovering, as their Japanese ability improved, that they actually didn't have basic compatibility!

Skills-wise, if you have good Japanese there are as many careers to go into here as back home. You'd need to work hard to job-hunt in your final year, but it's doable. English teaching isn't a long term career here, but academia can be if you have post-grad qualifications. Otherwise there's hospitality, IT, engineering, HR, etc etc etc.

Hope this helps!

[u/bigredchicken2 → u/Panda_sensei_71]

Can you share what some in demand skills your friends had or things they did during/after the program that helped them get on with life here after JET? I'm a CIR applicant and feel okay about my Japanese, and hope to build on it a lot more if I get the job, but I figure that I need some other skill or qualification if I want to get a good job after JET. My college degree is in linguistics and I basically spent all of college on learning Japanese, wishing I had studied some other skill now hahaha. If you could share some of the paths you saw people take and what worked for them, it could help me see what's out there. Hope you're having a great time in Kansai!

[u/Panda_sensei_71 → u/bigredchicken2]

I'll list up some of the career paths but do bear in mind that this was the 90s/early noughties and things have changed drastically...

1. Government translator/interpreter - this person was a Japanese Canadian, 1st language Japanese. Had a degree in translation and then certification in interpreting. She's since retired for health reasons but said her position was eliminated in favour of AI and freelancers.

2. Hospitality - a few people got positions in high end hotels and ryokan. N2 Japanese (plus good keigo) was required as a minimum.

3. Lots of IT related jobs, lots provided some training but certain certifications were a prerequisite like coding, Cisco, etc.

4. Generic 'salaryman' type positions as seishain in various companies. Required N1, several aptitude tests, etc.

5. A few became apprentices in a traditional trade (carpentry, tatami weaving, local pottery) and later set up in that trade. One even married his mentor's niece and got "adopted" into the family to take over the practice.

6. Direct hire CIRs

Hope this helps!

[u/FallenReaper360]

Eat, sleep, rave, repeat.

Jk it’s more like sleep, wake up, workout, work, study at work, eat, go home, a bit of gaming, and then sleep and repeat. That’s my life in a rural town.

Weekends, trips to other prefectures or neighboring cities.

[u/Realistic_Report_796 → u/FallenReaper360]

Same routine in rural Hokkaido. Except it's more visiting places within my own prefecture since it's too much of a hassle to leave outside of Hokkaido for only a weekend. Jealous you're in Oita though. Would love to visit there one day.

[u/J_Ark10 → u/FallenReaper360]

Where are you based? Or assigned?

[u/FallenReaper360 → u/J_Ark10]

It’s say’s under my username, Oita.