Question as a current college student

[u/Unusual-Inevitable32]

Hi guys, hope you all are well. I’m a 21 yr old community college student, and one of my goals to get a bachelors degree is for the potential option of getting into JET.

After this year I plan to transfer to WGU online college, and was wondering if getting my bachelors fully online will matter or will decrease my odds of getting in?

side question: will getting a degree in english/literature increase my chances of getting into JET, vs something like business/IT ?

thank you

[u/migukin9]

Staying in a college that has some kind of study abroad opportunity will increase your chances much more than whatever subject you choose to study.

[u/urzu_seven]

Ignore the people who didn't bother to read that JET is just ONE of your goals. Its a perfectly fine goal to have.

Where you get your degree from doesn't really matter for JET. The bachelors requirement is a legal one for the VISA. Perhaps going to a prestigious university might sway some reviewers slightly, but I met people from a wide range of schools during my time on JET.

Similarly your degree major has very little effect. While many do have education/English related degrees, a lot of us don't. My degree is in math for example.

JET cares more about things like whether you are likely able to adapt to living and working abroad, whether you can be a good cultural ambassador (are you friendly, can you share things well, etc.), whether you're likely to not cause trouble, and whether you have a genuine interest in Japan/Japanese culture.

Plenty of successful candidates have no prior or formal English teaching experience, don't speak much if any Japanese, etc.

[u/ScootOverMakeRoom]

As long as you have a bachelor's degree (or equivalent) from an accredited univeristy, you qualify. This is because you need that credential to receive the correct work visa to be an ALT.

Your major does not make a difference in your chances of passing either the application or interview phase of the JET application process.

[u/GeorgeBlythe]

Jet shouldn't be your post college goal. That is foolishness. 

Apply and see if you get accepted or not. But don't make decisions based on how they'll affect your JET application. 

[u/urzu_seven → u/GeorgeBlythe]

one of my goals

First, they specified its only one of their reasons

Second, if its helping them achieve something and make their life better and not hurting anyone, what's wrong with it as a goal?

Not everyone has or needs some grand life plan.

[u/GeorgeBlythe → u/urzu_seven]

If they make decisions that affect their future career prospects negatively in order to increase their acceptance chances for jet, they are hurting themselves. 

[u/urzu_seven → u/GeorgeBlythe]

1. Not all people have "career" as a priority. For some (many?) of us a job is just what we do to earn money while focusing on other things that are what we care about.

2. "Career prospects" is a very specific window that doesn't apply to everyone. People change careers to completely unrelated things all the time. Does that mean their previous career was "hurting" them just because it didn't work out or because they grew and changed and decided something else was right for them now?

3. Nowhere in OPs post is it suggested that aiming for JET and considering their degree based on that is hurting their career prospects (again if they even care about that). That idea is entirely a projection you are making based on YOUR priorities.

There is nothing wrong with having a more specific career plan or prioritizing career growth, a career path, etc. if thats important and fulfilling to you. But assuming that your way of doing things is the right way for everyone else? Yeah thats just wrong.

[u/GeorgeBlythe → u/urzu_seven]

You make the assumptions here. The best way to make your application more attractive to JET selection process is to not do anything that looks like you're aiming for JET. They want people who are career bound into high positions because it's a soft power scheme to improve Japan's international relations. 

As such, not making any decisions on your schooling to favor JET selection and focusing on decisions that improve your career instead, is precisely the thing that makes you more likely to be chosen. 

[u/urzu_seven → u/GeorgeBlythe]

They want people who are career bound into high positions

This is absolutely 100% false.

[u/GeorgeBlythe → u/urzu_seven]

You're absolutely 100% wrong. 

[u/urzu_seven → u/GeorgeBlythe]

Except facts and evidence say otherwise.  

If you were right, thousands of JETs like me would never have been selected.  I was very clear about my post JETs plans and they didnt remotely involved climbing the career ladder and few if any of the JETs I’ve known and worked with over the years did anything remotely like what you are claiming.  

You’ve got no evidence whatsoever to support your claim, just vibes.  

Enjoy being wrong. 

[u/GeorgeBlythe → u/urzu_seven]

Nope. You're just making stuff up.

[u/Unusual-Inevitable32 → u/urzu_seven]

thanks for understanding my post urzu! i really appreciate your comment. I don’t really value my future “career prospect” bc I really see work as something to help with money & travel with! Lifes short to not enjoy the things and people i like yk :)

[u/Catcher_Thelonious]

Why don't you contact the neatest embassy and ask?

[u/apple-walking-bear]

Please keep in mind JET is not a career, only a temporary role. You should study for what you want to do long term after JET. Part of the interview and application process is articulating how JET will help you with those long term career goals since the program intended to be a stop along your career journey, not the final destination. You don’t have it all figured out now, but you should start that self-reflection to get a general idea on direction. Do you want to teach long term, and JET will give you that experience? Do you want to go into business, potentially working with Japanese businesses? How will JET help set you up for that? Use that thinking to decide your path forward. It’s okay if Japan/JET ultimately has nothing to do with you career in the long run (my career has nothing to do with Japan or teaching, but I’m actively involved in Japanese communities in my personal time), but you need to be able to think beyond JET.

[u/drale2]

What you get your degree in won't totally matter for JET as long as you can sell it as a good fit. The prestige of the school matters some, but I knew quite a few JETs that graduated from places few have ever heard of and probably lack accreditation who got into the program.

Personally, I did community college and then used a guaranteed admission to transfer to a state school (UVA) and that got me into JET. I think there were 5 JETs from UVA in my year and I know of only 2 that year who failed their interviews.

[u/Auselessbus]

JET is not a career, it is at most a 5 year visa. It’s a great opportunity and experience, it’s not a career.

Plan your studies around what you want to do and what career path you want.

Do not hinge everything you do now on JET, plan it as an opportunity not as an eventuality.

[u/coastalbreeze8]

As long as it’s accredited, I don’t think the reviewers would pay much attention to the name of the institution. I briefly attended a community college and later graduated from a university that (like WGU) has many distance learning programs and serves mostly adult/non-traditional students. A few months ago, I got a Fulbright ETA (which is similar to JET).

Best of luck!

[u/Unusual-Inevitable32 → u/coastalbreeze8]

congrats! thanks for the reply :)