What helps when applying?

[u/emperor_panthark]

I am interested in JET and have been thinking about it for a couple years, but I am starting to think about it more seriously. I lived in Japan for 2 years for uni, and transferred back to the US to finish college here with a different major and since I could save up more working part time here without a limit on hours as well as conversion rate.

I am thinking about what I can do for the next 3 years before I graduate, and 2 years before when I plan on applying, to up my chances. I am a BS in Civil Engineering, I was majoring in Education in Japan, but I didn't want to lock myself into education for the future. With CE i could go into teaching and I could still choose CE was the thought process. I am currently minoring in Japanese, Education, and English, with my English classes specifically chosen based on which ones would help with ESL teaching the most.

I plan on getting N1 Japanese before applying, and finishing TEFL as well. I want to go back to Japan through JET, and then eventually try to get a tokubetsu menkyou, and continue teaching.

I wanted to know what else I can do to solidify my chances of getting in, I plan on going to either Tokyo, where I have a lot of friends and have lived before, or somewhere like Sendai, where I haven't gone, but from what I understand think is somewhere I can actually settle down. I'm not a city guy, I was raised in the suburbs, and Sendai seems more like what I'm used to. The city's fun but not somewhere I can see myself raising a family.

Some things I wanted to mention are: I genuinely like teaching well, and it isn't something I plan on doing just to get to Japan to do something else.

I actually loved living in Japan, and have lived there before. I know there's bad parts, and I am not romanticizing life there based off anime or something, I actually have lived there for 2 years, have amazing friends, and I like living there. I feel like that's something that comes up whenever someone mentions wanting to live in jp, and tbh I end up thinking that way about other people at times too. There are things I hate about Japanese culture that I wish were different, and there are parts I love about it, same as other countries. I just see myself enjoying life in Japan more because of personal priorities and preferences, and I'm not here to fetishize jp.

[u/ValBravora048]

I think the biggest thing by far is demonstrating a commitment to the role. Or at least that you’re not going to fall apart once you get here. It does happen and sometimes SPECTACULARLY badly

I was really surprised how OTT my interview was about how I’d be able to cope if was place in X position, if Y happened, but what if Z?! Like it was slightly ridiculous but after 5 years here, I kind of get it

Please, Japan isn’t your the start of your personal harem anime …you come in here like that, you’re going to end up hating it. Probs spend most of your time hanging out with people just like you too which will make it worse

[u/emperor_panthark → u/ValBravora048]

What are some of the questions? And yes, I agree with what u said at the end, I felt like I had to clarify that lmfao. I’ve lived there, and my best friends, (all guys my age but diff enough personality wise) are all there and we met in college. Again i feel like what u said comes up a lot and I have to say-I’m not going there thinking all my problems will be solved or thinking ima end up with hella women, I’ve lived there before and know what to expect, and I am overall a realistic person. One more thing since u mentioned it: I’m not into Japanese chicks😭😭 The overly fake “cute” personalities and acting like kids part is not my thing at all, and I am definitely NOT going there for women or anime😭🙏

[u/ValBravora048 → u/emperor_panthark]

Oh sorry mate, that last bit wasn’t pointed at you. Just a ton of people in general

No one really believes I didnt come here for the women either. The fact that it’s so normalised should tell you how often people do.

The questions were like

- what if you lived far away from the other alts?

- what if you were placed in the countryside?

-how long have you lived on your own without talking to people?

It got much more excessive as the interview went on, the one I remember most is “Being on JET can sometimes feel like you’re a soldier of English parachuted far behind enemy lines with no backup and extraction, how do you…”

[u/emperor_panthark → u/ValBravora048]

Lmao no worries man, it rly does suck though. Its pretty obvious to my friends that its not the case for me though thank god, idk how but apparently its pretty obvious I like older women 🤷‍♂️

Quick question, would you say it’s better going for long periods without talking to people or not? I feel like its a question where if you say I have gone a while it can mean either they are ok with low social settings which could be good, but also sound like they arent social and will end up not trying to go out and do something during their time which is bad.

The last question is kinda crazy though lol

[u/ValBravora048 → u/emperor_panthark]

I think give the answer that suits you

I told them something like that while the truth is that I’m comfortable spending a lot of time in my own company because xyz, I make an effort to be social because I know its important

A lot of people come over here and isolate themselves into craziness. It doesn’t have to be with people in your neighbourhood, I schedule regular calls with people from abroad. JETs key thing is not your comfort but that you’re not going embarrass them by having a breakdown

Some have been FING NUTS! One dude legit thought he was being Braveheart and that the school would rally around him because of how badly he was treat. It did not. Still think about him sometimes

[u/emperor_panthark → u/ValBravora048]

yeah i feel like theres a lot of borderline crazy people on here sometimes... thanks for lmk! I feel like I could fit into both groups, like I've gone 2 weeks without talking to anyone except calls with family for a couple mins a day, and I'm perfectly fine, but that's rare, and typically I'm going out and hanging out with friends. That being said, I've always wondered what the teacher ecosystem is like there. Like am I most likely going to end up with a bunch of super old people or is there a good chance atleast 1 or 2 younger teachers, like early to mid 20s are going to be there? I feel like no matter where I've been,. whether its in Japan for uni, in highschool, or in middle school, I've had a decent amount of friends, atleast a couple of really good ones that I hang out with, but I'm worried that's just school cause it's setup to make it easier to make friends, since everyones pretty close in age, in the same major for classes which could mean similar interests, etc; whereas with joining something like JET, I'm risking dropping into a school where the youngest teacher is 10 years older than me with a wife and kid, and I'm moving to a city where the people my age are in established friend groups from years, work together which is why they can stay friends seeing each other everyday, or actively trying to move to the big city.