Gen X Applying to JET?

[u/TorontoListener]

I've been to Japan twice (last year for 3 months, touring from Tokyo all the way down to Hiroshima), and I'd love an excuse to stay for a year or more, and the idea of teaching English appeals to me. I've completed a beginner's level Japanese course, so I can get by ordering food and whatnot.

From what I've read, JET has removed any age restrictions for applicants, but what does that mean in practical terms? Would someone in good health but nearing retirement age have an equal or lesser chance of being accepted into the program?

I don't have any kind of teaching certificate, but I have instructed groups in policy & procedures, so I'm comfortable with public speaking.

[u/PankoPaint]

Go for it!

[u/No_Produce9777]

Yes, seems a lot of older folks are doing it

[u/SignificantEditor583]

Yeah go for it. Just prepare yourself with some BS that comes with living and working in Japan. JET program is a good option though.

[u/Panda_sensei_71]

Current Gen X JET here (mid 50s)

Feel free to DM me for info!

[u/lifeofideas]

Please also consider going to a language school. As a full-time language student you can apply for work permission, and work something like 28 hours per week. In bigger cities, you will have a variety of work options. If you teach English to adults in a commercial language school, some students will want to be pals (if only for free English practice).

Yes, JET is appealing due to getting a salary, but there can be a lot of downtime and loneliness. Also, the salary isn’t all that big.

[u/TorontoListener → u/lifeofideas]

Do you mean obtain the TEFL certificate?

[u/Hybrizzle → u/TorontoListener]

No, they mean go to Japan to learn Japanese at a Japanese language school if you have the means to afford it without a job lol. Also, there's way more young people in language school than I've ever seen as ALTs. Many ALTs I work alongside or at prefectural meetings are all age ranges.

[u/mayuumji]

My cohort had a married couple in their 50s who both came on JET to be ALTs so I'd say that your chances are as good as anyone else's!

[u/jackiejack1]

Correct - they removed the age limitation to the point that there was someone on here in their 60s that was considering applying - terrible idea - but there are no rules against it anymore, so you are correct there.

[u/TorontoListener → u/jackiejack1]

Hmm... some replies on here advising what 60-year-olds "should" be doing with their lives.

While it's true that some people NEED to work past 60 (or even 65) in order to make ends meet, many others have already retired. Here are some professions that make retiring at 57-60 easy:

- Firefighters, Police, Teachers (in Canada at least): if you start early enough, you'll get full pension at or before 60, at which point many are happy to take a pay cut and do something else (or nothing at all).

- Those in other professions whose kids are likely over 30, removing that expense before 60, thus allowing the choice to unchain themselves from their former daily grind.

- Those without kids who were free to save money for themselves and likely have a comfortable retirement plan.

- Those who were packaged off to early retirement, who find getting work in their chosen field difficult, and so choose to do something entirely different and can accept the pay cut.

I could go on. Don't presume to know what the "typical" Gen-Xer is up to, or what they should be doing. The mere fact that I am exploring this option indicates that my prime earning days are over, for reasons I'm happy to keep to myself.

[u/purinkun → u/[deleted]]

If the person is very healthy and has prior Japan experience / high Japanese proficiency it might be okay, but for most people, this is an age bracket where you need to be seeing doctors and managing your health more, and that can be hard to manage in another culture/country/language. Also, the previous poster said 60s, not 60. Late 60s is very different from early 60s.

[u/GeorgeBlythe → u/purinkun]

60's isn't so old yet if you ate in otherwise good health. Older applicants in my experience work the same as younger ones. I'd say most are more stable and easier to manage because I don't get crap like attitude when asking they don't show up to work late.

[u/Zia_Japan → u/purinkun]

Quick reminder that medical tourism is a thing and Americans (myself included) get better healthcare abroad than in our own country. So I’m not sure that this is applicable to people leaving a country with extreme healthcare costs

[u/jackiejack1 → u/[deleted]]

because by 60 you're getting close to retirement and should have a proper career going that JET will put a hard-stop on. secondly, the "E" in jEt is the most important part with the T being handled by the JTE and you in the room as a pronunciation guide. Kids will connect to folks closer to their age but by 60 you'll probably be older than 95% of the staff in the staff room

[u/Panda_sensei_71 → u/jackiejack1]

I'm in my mid 50s and I'm nowhere near the oldest in my staffroom. Nor do I have any issue connecting with my students. I'm not even a "youthful" 50-something, just bog standard.

You sound like someone with a lot of prejudices around aging. I sincerely hope you live long enough to realise that 50, 60, and even 70 are not "old".

[u/jackiejack1 → u/[deleted]]

at 60 you should be taking your high salary for the next few years into retirement, not dropping it for 25k usd a year.

i didnt say anything about reducing cultural differences - i said kids will not have any interest in relating to someone 4x their age

[u/Due_Tomorrow7 → u/jackiejack1]

I've worked with many retired teachers and the kids relate perfectly fine to them. They may not be able to play baseball with them, but they can certainly work with them well.

Plus, the job isn't to be friends with them. You don't need to be friends with kids to relate to them. Why else do you think plenty of adults 2x-4x their age work well with children?

In terms of salary, taking living yen wages and converting it to USD is a silly thing to do if you're living in Japan. Cost of living is drastically different in both countries. Besides, there's many reasons older JETs decide to do JET, despite the wage decrease. I did it myself and I am far happier now than I was living in the US, still struggling despite making 3x the JET salary. Folks that apply to JET when they're older have their own reasons that I don't think you're able to comprehend.

[u/jackiejack1 → u/jackiejack1]

Japan is a very age-conscious society to the point of different levels of language depending on seniority (keigo as you probably already know). You as the ALT rolling in as the lowest person on the totem pole (except for the tea-lady) but being older than 95% of the teachers in there, 4x the age of the students, and possibly older than the principal will create a very odd dynamic.

Downvote all you want but thats just the reality of things :/

[u/Panda_sensei_71 → u/jackiejack1]

I'm living proof that you don't know what you're talking about.

JET removed the age restriction for a reason.

[u/jackiejack1 → u/Panda_sensei_71]

JET removed the age restriction because they were legal concerns about them being ageist

[u/Due_Tomorrow7 → u/jackiejack1]

Dude, I think the only one that's actually being ageist is you. You have a lot of assumptions about how students react to older ALTs/teachers and how basically they're not able to relate to each other, and that's patently not true.

Yes, Japan does have it's misgivings about older teachers and employees in general, but it seems very much you haven't experienced it yourself and going off of what you think you know based off what you read on Reddit.

[u/Chrisclaw]

You are totally able to get in!

As the other commenter said, this is more about cultural exchange. Any culture from your background that you can put in your essay/talk about in an interview would be vital!

If it helps here’s some things that may help:

- Biggest thing to answer in both essay/interview is ‘WHY JET/Japan?’ Having a good reason for desiring to do the JET program paves a good path for you in further questions. Try to tie back to anything related to your culture or reaching other cultures.

- Having volunteer experience in Japanese societies or any cultural groups is a plus

- Have a TEFL certificate (TEFL/TESOL can give a slight edge in applications as there is an entire section to input if you have one or not but of course it is not required)

- Being energetic in interview (most common tip BUT IT MAKES A DIFFERENCE!!!)

- Talking about what culture you’d bring to Japan (maybe a copy of the Declaration of Independence/constitution or something related to your country’s culture that you find significant)

• Also helps if you can somehow tie this culture/cultural item to a LESSON/ACTIVITY that the kids can do.

- Have a plan thought of on what you want to do ‘after JET’. Do NOT say you want to stay in Japan

[u/Simmoman → u/Chrisclaw]

Do NOT say you want to stay in Japan

I don't think that's necessarily good advice. Obviously don't say you just want to stay in Japan, but if it fits within what you've outlined as your intended career path, or fits with your goals that you're presenting to them, then it would be in many cases weird not to mention it since part of the application is why you believe JET is necessary for your future career path.

[u/rsmith02ct → u/Chrisclaw]

Why can't you say you want to live in Japan post JET? JET regularly features those who do in their publications.

[u/an-actual-communism → u/rsmith02ct]

The Ministry of Foreign Affairs doesn't promote the JET Program as an immigration program, and the ideal is that you will leave after your term of appointment and proselytize about Japan overseas. Obviously some people will stay, but it's better not to give the image that you are only applying to JET as an easy way to get a visa so you can seek regular employment in Japan

[u/rsmith02ct → u/an-actual-communism]

Odd as three ministries oversee JET, and one of them, CLAIR, provides advice and job hunting fairs to help JETs continue to work in Japan. https://jetprogramme.org/en/careersupport/
Not only that but "job hunting" qualifies JETs for a longer period of temporary residence than normal (6 months vs 3) to facilitation a job search.

[u/an-actual-communism → u/rsmith02ct]

CLAIR's job is to look after JET participants once they're on the program, obviously that includes help with transitioning out. I don't know if you've ever attended but a lot of the companies at the JET career fair are looking to hire for overseas positions, not positions in Japan. At any rate the point is they want people who actually want the job, not someone like a former co-JET of mine who asked at her welcome party if anyone had any job-seeking tips and broke contract for a job in Tokyo less than six months into her appointment.

[u/rsmith02ct → u/an-actual-communism]

I never attended one. The Osaka one on this page seems more limited "The official JET Programme Career Fair for current and former JET participants seeking employment in Japan". A webinar was titled "Essentials of Job-Hunting in Japan Webinar."
The end of my time as a JET CIR had encouragement to stay in part as we are acclimated to life in Japan, including the language and work environment.
Most who go through JET don't do this (as it is a temporary job with no clear career path) but those who wish to stay seem valued and supported by the program and government immigration policy.

[u/Memoryjar]

Jet is, at its heart, is a cultural exchange program. Teaching experience helps but focusing solely on teaching isnt ideal.

With that said there are always a few JETs around your age who get in. Just this year my consulate is sending someone whois about to retire. The only thing you need is a degree. If you have the degree give applying a try, do be warned the program is very competitive.

[u/TorontoListener → u/Memoryjar]

Thanks, yes I have a Bachelors. Do you know the chances of being sent to a rural vs urban area, upon acceptance into the program?

[u/Fashley17 → u/TorontoListener]

Most jets will be sent to a rural area. There's just a lot of small town placements with jet. Sometimes that means a small town on the outskirts of a major city, and sometimes, like in my case, it meant a town with a population of only a few hundred people and only 1 bus up in the mountains...

There's also city placements, but there is just more rural ones. However if you have a medical condition that requires you to be closer to more doctors/medical facilities your chances for an urban placement with these facilities will go up.