I'm just finishing up the last of the application process. 20 fucking pages! Hopefully, if all goes well, I'll be placed somewhere on Kyushu if I get selected. I know there are a few Japanophiles on here, but wasn't sure how many (if any) were JETs.. or at least knew any firsthand.
-
Hey, guest user. Hope you're enjoying NeoGAF! Have you considered registering for an account? Come join us and add your take to the daily discourse.
Anyone a JET?
- Thread starter rareside
- Start date
- Status
Ninja Scooter
Member
i read Jet.
JackFrost2012
Banned
used to be a JET.
Fresh Prince
Banned
Add Delta Goodrem, any Australian Idol Singer, any 'Unearthed' winner to the list of average acts and I'm with you.Ill Saint said:
Where/when did you do JET, JackFrost? Just interested in your overall thoughts? What do you do now?
And yes, LyteEdge, you have to write a short essay no longer than 2 pages outlining your interest in the program and your background. I hope you've already got your 2 references done. My college professor took F-O-R-E-V-E-R to write mine.. I asked him over a month ago, and today he finally sends it back.
And yes, LyteEdge, you have to write a short essay no longer than 2 pages outlining your interest in the program and your background. I hope you've already got your 2 references done. My college professor took F-O-R-E-V-E-R to write mine.. I asked him over a month ago, and today he finally sends it back.
I'm a first year JET currently in Aomori. I wanted to be placed in Hokkaido so I guess they just stuck me somewhere nearby it :\
Anyhow the application process is kinda hmm. Personally my application sucked. I had very little job experience (worked at a Hollywood video 4 years ago), my essay was at about my current writing level (8th grade or so), and I fucked up the interview pretty decently considering they asked me to teach a lesson about thanksgiving and I just made up a whole bunch of stuff that turned out wrong when I looked it up afterwards, they even asked me what day Thanksgiving is and I gave them the wrong date ^^;
But I had a really really kickass letter of recommendation by a Japanese teacher who is a JET interviewer and is highly respected in the education department on So CA. So I think that helped quite a lot.
Still, I was a Japanese major and the 6 of us Japenese majors who applied to JET in our final year all were accepted. In fact everyone I met at my school who made it to the interview got accepted (1 person was rejected before the interview).
So yea in the end it makes no sense. Just do it and don't worry about it and you'll probably get in.
Anyhow the application process is kinda hmm. Personally my application sucked. I had very little job experience (worked at a Hollywood video 4 years ago), my essay was at about my current writing level (8th grade or so), and I fucked up the interview pretty decently considering they asked me to teach a lesson about thanksgiving and I just made up a whole bunch of stuff that turned out wrong when I looked it up afterwards, they even asked me what day Thanksgiving is and I gave them the wrong date ^^;
But I had a really really kickass letter of recommendation by a Japanese teacher who is a JET interviewer and is highly respected in the education department on So CA. So I think that helped quite a lot.
Still, I was a Japanese major and the 6 of us Japenese majors who applied to JET in our final year all were accepted. In fact everyone I met at my school who made it to the interview got accepted (1 person was rejected before the interview).
So yea in the end it makes no sense. Just do it and don't worry about it and you'll probably get in.
rareside said:
I've got one reference locked in for sure. My Japanese teacher is in charge of JET for all of Atlanta, and she's already writing me a letter...that should look good to them I think.
Can you use your boss at work as a reference, or does it have to to be professors? I've worked at the same store for 8+ years now, so I'm hoping that accounts for something with the interviewers.
Bebpo said:You're in
:lol
I'm still not getting my hopes ENTIRELY up though, although every classmate I know that applied ended up going in the last two years. Two were alternates last year, but they still went.
Cool, thanks for the info. Time to put my boss to work!
BugCatcher
Member
For those of you who are/have been a JET, why did you apply? While I like the premise (to encourage internationalization), it seems like a magnet for Japanophiles who have no real job skills, but want to live in Japan. At least, this is the impression I get from their website and JETs I have known (Japanese majors from my university). They don't require you to have studied English or have any teaching experience; it seems all you need to be is a native speaker and motivated. I'm not trying to insult any of you; I'm sure there exist well-qualified ALTs/CIRs, and maybe you are/will be one of them, but I wonder if that's the exception rather than the rule. Either way, if I've got the wrong impression about the program, feel free to set me straight.
Is it attractive just because it's an easy in? The website says they take care of your tickets, accomodation, and you've got a steady job for a year. Seems like a great deal, if you enjoy the work! When the contract expires, do people typically just go home, or jump over to an eikaiwa school and keep living in Japan?
Is it attractive just because it's an easy in? The website says they take care of your tickets, accomodation, and you've got a steady job for a year. Seems like a great deal, if you enjoy the work! When the contract expires, do people typically just go home, or jump over to an eikaiwa school and keep living in Japan?
Jugendstil
Member
I'm finishing up my application right now too. I know a couple kids here in Chicago who have done it, and at least in this city it seems relatively easy to get in. They advertise in the classified ads in the paper here. Anyway, barring any mishaps with my application (which is a pain the ass, considering you have to make 2 copies of everything) I'm fairly confident I'll be accepted.
Why would anyone not want to do this? I used to be a Japanophile when I was younger, but gave up on learning the language after highschool. Despite that, a paid year in a foreign country sounds pretty nice to me. I enjoy teaching, and I'm planning to go to grad school for education, so being a JET would be excellent experience. Aside from people on this board who've done it, none of the ex-JETs I know in real life are Japanophiles. They're just young college graduates who are looking for experience abroad. It's kind of like the Peace Corps to me, except there seems to be much less chance of me having to dig my own toilet with a shovel.
Why would anyone not want to do this? I used to be a Japanophile when I was younger, but gave up on learning the language after highschool. Despite that, a paid year in a foreign country sounds pretty nice to me. I enjoy teaching, and I'm planning to go to grad school for education, so being a JET would be excellent experience. Aside from people on this board who've done it, none of the ex-JETs I know in real life are Japanophiles. They're just young college graduates who are looking for experience abroad. It's kind of like the Peace Corps to me, except there seems to be much less chance of me having to dig my own toilet with a shovel.
- Status
Similar threads
- Locked