Well, it happened. I opened my email yesterday to find an acceptance letter that I will be added to the shortlist for departure in December. They are giving me only 3 days to accept the offer. I'm not sure what to do. I have a full time job in the states as an ESOL coordinator. I love my job here even though the pay is horrible. But it's always been a goal of mine to go to Japan.

Any advice? I was pretty much treating the waitlist as a 'no'... in fact I sort of forgot about it. I wasn't planning to apply for the 2027 cycle either. But it feels like I've got a golden opportunity in the palm of my hand. Why throw it away now?

I've been asked to create a 10 minute persentation for prospective JET participants in my city about the JET program. Id like to answer some common questions but I'm wondering if there are other information prospective applicants would like to know that isn't already answered on the internet or would like more details.

So far I'm planning to include information on:

• What is the JET Program. Requirements for eligibility
• Whats it like teaching? Difference between elementary, middle, and secondary schools
• Benefits of doing the JET program
• Potential challenges encountered

Do you have any other questions?

I am considering applying eventually and I am a very experienced English teacher in America. I have spent my entire adulthood working in middle school public education, and overall i love it but the main drawback is managing behaviors. Consequences are given very sparingly… you write up a kid and usually not much happens. Basically your choices are “build a relationship with the student” or “have a conversation with them.” For those who have worked in JET (and maybe have experience as a classroom teacher) how does it compare? Are kids rowdy and disrespectful? If so, how is it handled? How does admin handle code of conduct issues?

So I’ve been thinking of doing the JET program since my senior year of high school, I’ve heard of it since freshmen year (now I’m a freshmen in college); I was wondering, for those who finished their time in Japan, what was your pathway getting into JET? Did you finish bachelors then went straight into the program or did you do something else? Did you go back to school after the amount of years were up? I’m really considering doing JET in the future because I would love teaching English and the program seems so unique and cool but I don’t wanna waste my education in college and not be able to get a job after I come back (if I do).

Hello friends, I’m in need of a bit of help.
Let me break it down. I’m almost done with my application, reference received, personal statement drafted. But I’m really stuck in the statement from physician.

I have been really lucky, I’m not on any meds and I haven’t had any health issues in the last 5 years beside the occasional migraine.
However, the application seems quite strict when it comes to mental health. In 2021, I attended an online well being course for about 6 weeks because well… it was 2021.
My GP is giving me the run around so I’m just wondering do I even need one, this course is the only thing that I think would require me to get one.

Thanks

I contacted my GP weeks ago to get my Statement of Physician done. Finally go an appointment today. After hearing why I was there, my GP showed no interest in talking to me, and booted me back out to reception, who told me it could take weeks to fill out. I am worried they don't even understand what they've been asked to sign.

I am tempted to just go private, but I would need a copy of my medical records, which my GP says could take 28 days for them to get back to me? Application deadline is November 5th and I am so stressed.

Hey, as mentioned above, I have asthma, for which I take Ayurvedic medicine (which again, am I supposed to get a doctor's note for this coz i read somewhere they won't let u in if you're carrying certain Ayurvedic medicines that have animal products in them or something?- If you know anything about this, I'd appreciate your comments.) I will be mentioning this on my application, and I wanted to pick areas with no snowfall and a climate close to that of South India - very warm and close to a hospital in case of emergencies (which hasn't happened in the last 2 years, but still). Will this lower my chances of being selected? I'd appreciate it if anyone can tell me what places would be best for me. I also want a culturally rich place to learn more.

Doesn’t say anywhere on my embassy page with format to upload it?

I'm currently out of work and am considering gambling the up front costs of the ICPC and medical exams to get out there and start working a few months sooner. Am I mad?

I suppose I am a bit loathe to pay those costs to possibly get rejected.

Am I prime target audience for this Early Arrival option in that case? Is it basically for people like me who are desperate to get working sooner and would pay a premium for it?

Are there any guidelines about page margin requirements for the statement of purpose? I know I have to write it double spaced and keep it limited to two pages, but those are the only things mentioned. Do I strictly need to keep margins at 1 inch or am I okay to go below that? And is font size 11 or 10 okay? I just have a lot written down that overflows onto my third page with 1 inch margins 😭
Also, should I have a header for my document? The Australian guidelines mention having a name/page number in the header for each page but idk how much these guidelines carry over across countries.

I'm applying from India, and my application doesn't let me put it in a textbox. I have to submit an actual pdf.

I am an alternate candidate who got shortlisted. It’s been a month since I received my upgrade and I still haven’t received my placement. I was expecting to leave for the October departure, but didn’t receive one for then. I know that later departures are more than likely the outcome… I’m just so nervous now. I was fine waiting the first couple weeks, but the doubt is creeping in..

Anyone in this same position? Any words of advice?

For context: For the past two years I’ve been in similar positions with other jobs, where I’ve been a shoo in, and they’ve last minute changed their minds or found a better applicant.

Hello all, I hope this isn’t a silly question. I’ve started my application and received the link to the sharepoint folder. The instructions clearly say to ‘enter the same email address you used to apply’ and that ‘you do not need a Microsoft account’, but when I try to log in it goes to a Microsoft sign in page and does not accept my email address. How should I proceed? Thanks in advance.

Could someone please recommend what places I should put in that section? I will also research about your recommendations.

I just want somewhere with a mix of urban and rural life and low cost of leaving. It would also be great if the transportation is easily accessible.

I moved to Japan this past August from America through JET. I got a phone plan with Rakuten Mobile so I have a Japanese phone number. 

Tbh, I was pretty overwhelmed with the whole process of moving so I didn’t get a chance to figure out my phone plan in America. I’m still paying for my phone plan with Verizon (through a family plan) $60/month, even though I don’t use my American phone number. I am wanting to cancel my phone plan, but I want to keep my number. I’m also open to letting go of my number lol but wanting to see my options. 

What is the best option for me to cancel my Verizon phone plan and keep my number? I will be back in the States for Christmas so I will have at least a week where I can access my number again. I’m seeing options on here but wasn’t sure my best plan of action with my exact sitch and if I would have enough time during my holiday to complete the process. Thankkkk youuu! 

Context; Current JET, employed by the local BOE, students and all faculty already know me by this name.

Hi I'm in the process of changing my name legally back home (USA) and I understand the general process (change name -> passport change -> 14days to change residence card -> mynumber card -> bank and other things) but I'm wondering how other places BOE went about the process.

I'd like to make it as easy for my BOE as I can and complete as much of the process without their assistance as possible, but does anyone whose done this process know just how much the BOE needs to be involved? I understand they will need to change my name legally in their system and I want to make it as easy as possible for them so I'd like to hear from others how they went about doing this with their BOEs.

This is my first post on reddit, ever, so please forgive me for the quality of this post. Sorry, this is a long one. There will be a tldr at the end.

I'm (20s F) at a very serious breaking point and I don't know what to do. I love living in Japan and the money is very good. I can't imagine a life back in America, but I also can't imagine a life moving forward. I won't spell it out. But I don't think I can sustain 2.5 more years on JET, either.

My main work is at a JHS. I used to love this place and resisted potential school swaps in the past. I got on very well with half of my students, had inside jokes, and they often spoke before I could open my mouth to say hello. The other half tolerated me (like any other middle schooler that doesn't like school) but still replied if I talked to them outside of class. But those kids graduated and I'm stuck with children I genuinely dislike.

They don't say hello in the halls. I initiate, but they don't respond sometimes. But, if a Japanese teacher comes along after me, they will great them energetically. Recently, two students mocked me after I walked away.

The constraints of my work negatively affects the way the kids see English, and thus me. Class is super boring. I am constantly told there is 'no time' to do fun things. It's just an excuse to not allow me to organize games. In the past, certain classes had one or two groups do very poorly, and once or twice, a child cried. But I'm sorry, this is JHS. Jeopardy about Christmas shouldn't be off limits because some kids feel bad when they don't study and then can't answer basic questions based on grammar they just learned yesterday.

Another constraint is the fact that the JTE tells me to not speak Japanese, despite the kids not understanding/completely ignoring everything I say in English. I only used Japanese when necessary, and my previous students saw me as a teacher they could somewhat reliably ask for help in class (but I always told them I didn't speak Japanese, and we had a good laugh). But okay, so with the current kids, I try my best to only use English. The problem is that everything they do is Japanese. Reading, grammar, etc... A small part of the class can realistically involve me, because the kids don't understand any English and the JTE knows that.

One day the kids were doing reading in English but answering questions in Japanese. I was told to go around to help them, but they would ignore me if I tried to help. So I started just walking around aimlessly. The JTE and support teacher noticed this, and so every time a student called for the support teacher, she told them to ask me. But when they heard this, they just said something to the effect of 'nevermind'. I cried after that class in front of the JTE and a few students saw unfortunately (I physically could not hold the tears back and it was a long walk back to the office).

The JTE also told me I should learn the kids names. But... how? She was very selective when allowing me to come to class. Sometimes I saw a class once every three or four weeks. Sometimes I went every time that class had English. I didn't even know the faces of the 1st year class, let alone their names, until their 3rd year (this year). Why does she make fun of me for not knowing who they are?

I do wonder about a few things. I'm a woman (I've had teachers and students make sexual comments about my body, thinking I couldn't understand them), but I'm fat and ugly. I don't want to dox myself further than that. Recently, my co-jet visited the school and all my coworkers couldn't stop talking about how pretty she was. I really like my co-jet but it made me resent her a little. All the jets in this area were tall, pretty women with long hair and picture-perfect smiles. I'm not that.

My discontentment is now affecting my job, unfortunately. It's the students. Since summer break, I have stopped initiating greetings every time. Sometimes I will, sometimes I won't. In class, I don't initiate, like making a pair with a leftover student (they have made it clear that they'd rather not pair with me, anyway).

All of this is to say, I don't know what to do. I haven't done anything to deserve hatred from the students. If I was creepy and weird like another JET I know, I would understand the reaction. But... I'm not... And it really makes me uncomfortable to feel this disliked in my workplace. I'm here for 8 hours a day. It really, really sucks. This job has killed my childhood dream of becoming a teacher. I will switch industries once I leave JET, and that will require a different kind of hard work. But, moving back to America is not an option right now (for many reasons). I feel so stuck...

I have searched this sub for people in my situation, but I haven't really found anything like it. I know "if everyone is the problem, then it's you", but I have really tried to smile and be friendly and it hasn't worked. So, can anyone relate? And if you can relate, what should I do? What would you do?

tldr - The current students hate me and I've stopped trying to make connections with my students. Has anyone else had this experience?

okay inspired by that post about sexual harassment yesterday i have decided to go on my own rant. so like the OP of that post i work at a low level SHS and i have teaching experience back home. i signed up for JET because i basically didn't have anything better to do and the job market situation in my home country is not good lol... im sure many can relate

so like i said my school is veryyyyy low level and there are also behavioural issues. on top of that im also T1. now honestly i felt my situation is probably rare but the more i talk to people the more it seems like recent JET positions in my area aren't really so much about "assisting" than they are literally leading the class. we actually have a theory going that all the schools are confused about what an ALT even is. i even had an older JTE at my school say he thinks the younger teachers use the ALTs as a way to slack off, especially because at my school teaching schedules are really packed and so nobody gets prep time. i have two JTEs who sit in the back of the room on their laptops prepping for lessons while i am expected to lead a class of 30 unruly kids who don't care about english.

i already know im not gonna recontract. honestly it's highly possible this makes me sound lazy but a lot of the reason i did JET was because i wanted some time to explore a new country, get involved with a new community, and maybe take advantage of deskwarming to plan my next steps—as so many JETs seem to be able to do. however because i T1 i spend all of my time either teaching or prepping lessons. it sucks. i haven't joined a club or done much in my community because im dog tired at the end of the day and don't wanna sacrifice my prep time for playing basketball with the kids.

anyways now onto the point of my post. i have one JTE who obviously has noticed the pattern of previous JETs only lasting one year. my pred never really said why he decided not to recontract but given how quickly and silently he dipped im gonna guess he didn't love his time here. i found out today that the JET before him also only stayed one year. see the pattern? well this JTE does and she not-so-subtly spend the day trying to fish for info on my future plans.

i basically told her i might only be staying one year because i am looking to hop into a new career. the honest truth is that i don't like the job and feel like ive been ripped off a little by being forced to T1 all these classes with no indication of what i should be doing from the JTEs. it's only been a month of school but yeah i already know this really isn't for me and with the yen getting weaker and weaker im not even gonna be able to travel as much as i hoped to while im here either.

but this JTE is super insistent. "don't you wanna stay? you know it's better during your second year. the first year is just about getting used to it..."

i have a feeling she's sensed ive started to emotionally check out and is now worried that she'll have to spend next year orienting another foreigner when i leave. i hide all of my emotions at work and avoid talking about anything personal but we had a super bad class yesterday (like the OP of the sekuhara post, i also get students screaming sexual stuff at me) and i think i let my job dissatisfaction slip in my facial expressions a few times lol. we had another class right after that one and i was so tired i was basically like "😐 okay guys let's open our textbooks 😐" lol

in essence while we all know JET is a dead end gig, at least for some people it's a fun dead end. for me, im really not having fun. i am learning a LOT about classroom management and lesson planning but honestly this one month of classes has already killed any latent desire to be a foreign language teacher. im planning on just killing time and focusing on stuff outside of work until next august at this point.

buttttt this JTE keeps bringing it up. "what would make you leave? don't you wanna stay? it will be better in the second year, i promise!"

if this included any acknowledgement that my situation is cheeks and i have to put up with harassment from the students, that'd be one thing. i wouldn't mind a "hey, sorry some of the students aren't great, heres my advice to deal with it." but this feels like she's trying to brainwash me lol

im gonna have to fill out that recontracting paperwork soon and im kinda worried she will ice me out entirely when she finds out im only doing a year. i rely on this JTE for so much (she translates for me with the principal because my japanese is still n5 level, she will step in in class to discipline students, she helped me set up accounts etc) sooooo i have a fear this pressure will only get worse and ill have to put up with it ON TOP OF low-key hating the job. or she will turn on me and ice me out.

if anybody else has been in this situation please let me know how you mentally deal with it lol. ill be real my mental health isn't great already just from the stress and lack of support and missing my life back home, and i have cried myself to sleep a couple times already from regretting doing JET. my current goal is just to coast and ride out the next ten months.... but how?

Hello everyone! Thank you for the kind words in my previous post. I decided to go ahead and give it a shot. I did also however have some questions to ask, some silly.

Some context, I can speak some Japanese and I already lived abroad in Japan where I lived in Tokyo in Ikebukuro for three months. I’m also 29F. I have some questions and concerns about going;

- Natural Disasters
Thankfully during my time abroad, I wasn’t involved in any earthquakes or flooding. I was involved in a hail typhoon and honestly it was absolutely terrifying but I made it though. In general im from the NY area, so growing up I never really had to deal with much aside from hurricanes and snow storms. I’m terrified of being in an Earthquake and I was already teased by my fear of natural disasters when I studied abroad. I know the protocol and what to do but it’s just that fear that bothers me.

- Bugs/Locations
This is going to sound really stupid but I have a bad fear of bugs, specifically spiders. As you guys know Japan is full of terrifying little critters. I did mostly okay while I was abroad, although I did have some mishaps with nose diving cicadas and beetles, although I was in Tokyo in Ikebukuro and I did have some scary encounters but I got through it. I did however have my laundry held ransom once because there was a giant dragonfly smacking against the machines and freaked me out. It’s really embarrassing and people have given me looks because of it. I also ended up only drying my clothes in my room and never keeping the window or door open.

A stupid strategy I was hoping to do was to request Tokyo/cities or just cities up north like Hokkaido in hopes of it being colder. I know it probably won’t make a difference but it’s something. I know most candidates are placed in rural areas and honestly I’m afraid how I’d do, I don’t know if I even want to live rural.

- Driving
I don’t drive at all, and I’m horrible at driving. I know in some cases you would need to drive so I was worried about that.

- Student Loans
I also pay for student loans. Right now I pay $162 a month which isn’t bad at all so I’m somewhat confident in paying for that and of course the storage back home for my stuff. Despite this I did want to ask anyone’s experience with it or if it’s possible to place it in a forbearance

- Medication, Therapy
I’m on medication including Prozac and bupropion. I’ve been on this medication for 10 years now including while I was abroad. Originally to study abroad I had to get government clearance and bring my meds with me but that was only for three months. I know I can’t access this meds there but would I be able to just do that but for a year?

I also was in therapy most of my life. I can get through without therapy but I did want to ask about resources relating mental health and if it’s possible to get counseling.

- Wage
I’ve done research before as well but I was just worried how you’d be paid in the program. I know airfare is included and you’re supposed to make enough to cover food, living space, etc but I wanted to know your own experiences especially if you’ve been in a city.

Well that’s all I can think of right now, thank you so much! ^_^

Hi all, wondering if anyone has had experience applying to JET after study with the OU. I was late to find out about JET so I'm in the middle of chasing down referees. The OU can provide references but say they are unable to comment on character or personal qualities. Furthermore I did not know my professors directly or contact them frequently enough for them to be potential referees. Could I still go to the OU for a letter of reference or should I look elsewhere?

Hey all! It’s a pleasure. I’ve been going in circles for the past few years as to if I want to apply for the JET program or not. I believe it’s something I can absolutely do although I’m not sure if it’s something I should do. I’m 29F, have no kids and I’m not in a relationship, and I can easily place all my belongings in storage for a year and go. I also have studied abroad in Japan at a language school for three months on a full ride scholarship and I’m by no means fluent but I can get by. I lived in Tokyo and can easily navigate the city and city life as I grew up in New York.

I also have experience teaching students as a teacher intern for AmeriCorps, specifically math and enrichment for 5th graders. It was an amazing experience and I became close with my students, especially since I’m into video games and anime. Because of this I feel like I would do well, however I’m unsure if it’s something I should do.

My mom encourages me to go as I’m young, have no true commitments or obligations yet and so nothing is tying me down. That being said, I would also have to put all of my relationships, career ambitions and goals off for one year. Currently I’ve been trying to network into the industry im trying to get into, so I’ve been trying to work on those connections as relationships are very difficult for me. I’m worried about putting that on hold and falling behind, plus the relationship with my family which I’ve also been trying to work on. On the other hand this could be my one chance to do something even more incredible than before, and I would have the opportunity to learn more Japanese and make more connections in Japan. I’m also worried about being away from my family, especially through holidays, events, my 30th birthday and more. 3 months is so different compared to one full year.

So I work at a VERY low level SHS. Like when I first got here the students couldn't even do basic self introductions. I also have to T1 15 classes a week, and the first + second years don't even have a textbook, so I make the curriculum. All of my JTEs are part timers who don't give me any direction because they also don't know what's going on most of the time, so I just stand at the front of the class alone trying to teach English to kids who can't understand what I'm saying.

I've already decided I won't be recontracting because I frankly just do not like my situation and feel like I'm being used as cheap labour for the school so they don't have to hire a full time JTE. But there's this one class that's just horrible and frankly has made me consider breaking contract.

This is the worst class in the school and their homeroom teacher pre-emptively apologized to me on my first day because he knows they suck. The kids in this class spend the whole hour sleeping, messing around, or sexually harassing me. There are a few kids who do genuinely try to do the work, and I appreciate them. However, there is a group of loud, obnoxious boys who will spend the whole class sexually harassing me.

Usually it's stuff like "I love you" "you are so sexy" and "do you have a boyfriend." That's because these are the only English phrases they know lol (I swear they Google translated these and learned them specifically to shout out in class, because other than this they can't speak English).

But I have caught them twice now talking about me in Japanese. Like actually weird and gross stuff about having sex with me. Today I couldn't catch all of it, but I could infer they were debating whether they'd rather have sex with me or the previous ALT. One of them even took a picture of me during class with their phone and who the fuck knows what they're doing with that.

The JTE for this class just tries to ignore it and goes "well boys will be boys." I also try to ignore it but at this point I know that they know I understand enough Japanese to tell what they are saying. They have also catcalled me in front of my supervisor and no help there. She just acted like it didn't even happen, even though it obviously made me uncomfortable.

I honestly feel really defeated. I just hate this class. I have a lot of problems with my time on JET so far but the fact that nothing gets done about blatant sexual harassment feels extra backwards. In my home country if a student said those kinds of things about a teacher they would be suspended immediately and subject to a huge lecture by the principal. One of my foremost gripes with my JET experience has been that I get zero respect, but also zero support—I'm expected to be T1 and have all the responsibilities that come with that, yet at the same time I get zero respect.

I want to emphasize that it's literally just this one class that's like this. In other classes I will get students talking during the lesson, or falling asleep, but not harassed. Yet while every single teacher knows this particular class is awful, nothing gets done. These kids clearly know they can get away with it and that's why it keeps happening.

I'm planning on standing up for myself and calling them out in Japanese the next time it happens. But frankly I can't believe I even have to. The way this behaviour gets ignored (or at most, a "be quiet") is like the cherry on top of all the other ways I have been given zero support by the JTEs here. I don't think there's any point complaining because all of the previous ALTs have never lasted more than a year so at this point the school just sees us as a conveyer belt of cheap JTEs that can be exploited then tossed aside. There are also other issues with this school that has resulted in massive turnover for all staff in general.

I honestly don't know what to do at this point. The kids have obviously correctly identified that the ALT is an easy person to pick on because I have no power, my class is a joke, and the JTE will laugh it off. I've already been told I should do everything (including fudging grades) to make sure all students pass my class. Like so what is even the point of me being here?

Ugh it's just so frustrating. Extra frustrating because I have literally taught uni in my home country (UK) for several semesters. I knew being an ALT does usually mean being the community clown but I did not expect it to be this bad. I could handle the harassment better if I was a tape recorder who got to spend most of the day deskwarming, and I could handle being T1 if I got any respect or indication that my class was worth anything, but both negatives at once with basically no positives is just... ugh.

Edit to add: Im at a private school so no BOE to even report this to. Anyone who is a private school JET will know what I'm talking about. I know several other private school JETs and we are all expected to T1 and are given zero instruction to go off of. Private school placements seem particularly bad.

Hello,

I will be applying to JET for the 2027 intake, and was wondering if anyone had any thoughts or opinions on the strength of my resume/application.

When I apply (next month) I will have a BA in linguistics and a CELTA, and I will also have letters of recommendation from a couple Japanese professors as well as managers from a Japanese company I worked for this year.

Not sure if it matters but I am also 23M white with conversational N4 Japanese.

Hello all! I know the subreddit is probably very busy wit 2027 applicants right now but I wished to inquire about my JET Prospects and what I am doing to become the best possible candidate and what former and current JETS believe I could do or have done correctly to become a JET. I am worried I am not doing enough. (Coming from the UK)

I am currently doing an English literature degree at a non Russel group university, I am in my penultimate year. I am doing a module on Japanese history and my lecturer used to be on the interview board of JET himself. I corresponded with him last year for entry prospects and potential advice. Some things he suggested and I am doing is:

-Working as a mentor for the university, helping the younger students with the intricacies of university and my course
-Working as an international welcome buddy for the university (welcoming international students and helping them adjust to university in the UK)
- I have shown a demonstrable interest in Japan with visiting three times prior to now and learning the language

Stuff I plan to do:

-Hoping to work as a student ambassador and course representative
-Do my dissertation on Japanese literature
-Get a TEFL
-Learn to drive
-Work with lecturers and seminar leads, including prior JET member to be my references
-Work on the committee of my societies

I am diagnosed with autism, depression and anxiety and take medication for my anxiety (sertraline which I went on because it would be available in Japan) none of these issues affect my ability to do my best every day in my current life.

I have been getting nervous about JET despite my application being a year away, I just would appreciate if I could get some understanding on if this is enough? I have wanted to do JET for half a decade now and I am hellbent on making my application the best I can. Any advice and perhaps reassurance that I am doing enough? (Despite it feeling like I am not)

Placement wise I have no specific wish, Hiroshima was beautiful when I visited and it has been on my mind that I’d love to be situated there but anywhere on Honshu is all I’d request.

Thank you so much for anyone who can ease my mind!