JET questions for a considerer

12 comments

1. As I have not yet started the program, most of what I say is based on what I’ve heard from others or my personal opinions.

   1. I think compared to some of the more junior teachers in Japan, the salary you get is much better. However, if you compare to your own nation via currency exchange, it might not seem like much. It is also about the average monthly salary of workers in Japan, give or take.
   2. I think it’s definitely a livable wage, though JET specifically is designed to be short term work(5 years maximum if you choose to go that long and whether or not you are offered the annual contract renewal). There is a roughly 10% raise for your second and third year. It falls off for Year 4 and 5. If you’re talking about English teaching jobs outside of JET, I can’t comment on that.
   3. You can stay, but if you do, I believe you need to apply for another visa or change your status of residence, depending on whether you’re staying to tour around for a bit, or if you want or have already found another job in Japan.
   4. I don’t think your area of study is very important to be accepted, but it might affect your placement(potentially, but most likely not). Because JET is not a long term job, I’d say just get a degree in whatever you’re interested in. You shouldn’t get a specific degree just for the sake of JET.
   5. I think the JET salary is pretty fair. Outside of major cities, it’s more than enough to cover daily expenses, and has very good saving potential.
   6. I think getting some experience in teaching or just working with children would be a plus and if possible, go study abroad(though, with the pandemic, maybe not reasonable). I think they’re mostly looking for those who have a passion for Japan, can work with children, and can easily adapt to a new environment(you are working in a foreign country after all).

   Hope this helps.

2. 1. It’s good considering jobs with comparable experience requirements
   2. It depends on what you make of it, I know some blokes in the Japanese defense force who’d pay 5000 yen an hour to be taught English
   3. Your contracting organization will pay your airfare back to your home country if you leave within 90 days of finishing your job, otherwise your visa and resident status become your own responsibility
   4. Any degree, doesn’t matter which, probably better off with something that you can pivot to post-Jet that you’re interested in
   5. 300,000 a month is comfortable
   6. Don’t think of this as a career move, more often than not it’s a dead end. Think of it as a step on enabling you to have some life changing experiences.

3. Hi. Just wanted to mention that JET is not a career and more of an exchange program. ALT work is quite different to what you probably think teaching is, and the JET program is typically something that people do as a gap year(s).

   1. The salary is pretty good if it is your first salary outside of university. Especially considering your responsibilities are generally pretty low, and if you are in the country side the cost of living is pretty low. Depending on your placement you may get perks such as cheap rent too.

   2. This is where the whole ALT work is different to teaching part matters. ALT and Eikaiwa work generally have very little career progression. That said there are people who have built their careers in teaching by gaining qualifications, hard work, being qualified teachers in their home countries etc. Whether JET is a good path to this is debatable. But the point I’m making is that career progression has very little to do with the JET program itself and is all about the individual.

   3. You can usually recontract up to 5 years. Of course you can also leave JET and get a new job in Japan. You would still need to make sure your visa is valid though.

   4. Do a degree in something you are interested in. JET is not a long term career.

   5. Depends on the cost of living where you are, your personal living expenses, your financial goals, and other things such as if your employer pays social insurance (which JET does). If your rent is about a third of your salary or less, that’s generally a comfortable salary.

   6. Honestly, if you’re still in year 10 it’s way too early. I’d forget about JET until your second to last year of Uni. By which I mean, just do your degree/internships/part time work/volunteering/uni clubs etc… as if you had never heard of JET and only start preparing to apply when you have considered your other options and are towards the end of your degree.

4. 1. Compared to other jobs with similar qualifications, pretty good. Compared to other jobs in general, more on the lower end.

   2. If you decide to climb the ladder, JET would be your in but ALTs have no real career progression. To continue on the ladder of English teaching in Japan, you’d best get a degree in education to pursue jobs in private schools, international schools and university level. Jet alone won’t let you into those spheres.

   3. JET has a max of 5 years and once you’re done with your contract, you’ve got 90 days to get out if you want your flight paid. If you want to stay in Japan to travel or something, you can push it until your visa expires or change to a tourist visa. If you want to stay in Japan in general, gotta land a new job to sponsor a visa for ya.

   4. For JET in particular, any degree is fine. A degree in education or esl may help a bit but it’s not necessary. Your degree should be something that will help you get a job post JeT, and not for JET. Like mentioned earlier, if you want to pursue more English teaching, then get a degree in education.

   5. Depends on your location but you can definitely live on the JET salary without worry unless you’re a frivolous spender.

   6. JET isn’t a career option. If anything, it’s your ticket into Japan. Consider what options you have for post JET and work towards them. Don’t work towards JET.

5. 1.) In my personal experience of doing this two times I have found the pay to be enough money to live off of and enjoy life in Japan fully, however as an American have having to send home for students loans ( the first time ) did thin my budget quite a bit. The first time I was a prefectural ALT in subsidized housing where I inherited mostly everything and my start up costs were low.

   Coming back a second time without the debt, I did have quite the bill to start up in a city setting and while not having to pay the loans, I still haven’t fully replenished my start up costs.

   JET pays well for what we do – and pays well to have a good life while in Japan but IMO the pay doesn’t translate well in terms of bringing that money back home.

   2.) If you want to make English a career and a well paying one, I’d suggest going for your masters and also passing at least N2 (or plan to work on those while you are here.) While JET accepts applicants with a Bachelor’s because it’s needed for the visa – It’s for assistant work and without the proper credentials an assistant is where you’d stay. There really isn’t progression with JET. JET is essentially a placement company – they’ll get you one job with a well defined contract but after that you’re on your own. If you want to look for other work after you’ll be left to your own devices.

   3.) Ties in above ^ if you want to stay in Japan you’ll be on your own to do so. No supervisor to help with visa work / helping you find new housing or a job – but finding a job on your own can help you stay in Japan if you wish. As a few people have mentioned here JET is good for a gap year (and quite frankly somewhat holds the stigma of a working holiday.) It doesn’t do too much on your resume for you, what you do with your own time – Like passing proficiency exams will weigh more than your time as an assistant language teacher.

   4.) Go for what you are passionate in – JET accepts by level of degree not by content of study. If you are just starting Japanese learning – you might not feel the same way about Japan once you get here. Learning now may be fun – But being a foreigner may not be for you. I’d try to test the waters by at least visiting before going all in if i were you ( but this is from an American perspective where college is astronomically expensive. ) I have my degree in Psychology and I’m 150 hour certified in TESOL ( which was an online course i finished in less than a month. ) ** Added ** JET/CLAIR also offers reimbursement for TEFL / TESOL certifications once you’ve joined and recontract **

   5.) I mentioned this in point one a bit. It all depends. I was rural my first time and luckily didn’t need a car but had to pay back loans… lived comfortably but couldn’t save well.

   second time im in a large city with higher rent ( still no car ) live comfortably but haven’t quite saved my start up money back I spent over 5k starting up.

   6.) Personally I wouldn’t make secondary education decisions around JET because JET ends. Especially just studying Japanese – Japanese will get you around Japan smoother but if you’re only Studying Japanese you’ll be in the Job market vs people who’s native language is Japanese AND have a degree in a separate major. If moving to Japan is something you want to do try pairing something your passionate about and study that. JET will give you up to 5 years of immersion to learn Japanese while you’re here.

6. A lot of people will complain about the JET salary being low, but usually they’re converting the figure to their home currency and comparing it to salaries in their home country. The cost of living in Japan is significantly lower than most other developed nations and as such salaries are lower. The average salary for the entire Japanese population is 360,000yen. The average salary for fresh college graduates is 225,000yen/month. New licenced ES/JHS teachers start on about 200,000yen. So the 280,000-330,000yen that JETs earn is pretty darn good. Especially considering most JETs are fresh college graduates in their 20s, and the work load and responsibilities for ALTs are generally pretty low. JETs in Tokyo can find the salary a bit tight due to much higher housing costs, but outside of Tokyo it’s a really comfortable salary. I’ve been able to save almost half my income each month, and I’m not particularly frugal. I still buy crap, go to concerts, eat in resturants, travel etc.

   JET pay is also just about the highest of any English teaching roles (except university lecturers but you need a Masters/PhD and multiple published papers to get those jobs). Most eikaiwa and dispatch ALT jobs pay around 220,00-280,000. Many much lower. There’s no career progression in English teaching here. The market is oversaturated with foreigners who come to Japan for a gap year willing to work for peanuts. So if you’re planning to stay in Japan and build a career after JET, English teaching honestly isn’t a great choice. Don’t pick your degree based on JET. It isn’t a career and the hiring panel don’t give a flying hoot what your degree is, just that you have one. Do something that your interested in and that will lead to better career options. Foreigners are very in demand and can earn a lot in IT/Tech at the moment.

7. 1. The salary question is a nuanced one. Some background: Jobs in Japan pay poorly across the board. Japanese people are generally overworked and underpaid. The Japanese economy has actually had a problem with stagnant wages for the last couple of decades. So, if you just look at a Japan centric POV, we make more than most people fresh out of college in Japan. However, they have much more potential for salary growth than we do. They also get pretty substantial bonuses (which we do not get), so while our monthly pay is considered super high, it’s debatable how much high our real annual take-home actually is. JET is one of the highest paying ALT gigs. Though ALT jobs as a whole don’t pay very well. Looking from a more global POV though, the JET salary is really low. A first year JET salary is minimum wage in some parts of the US
   2. It’s hard to make a career out of being an ALT. Basically there’s a perception in Japan that ALTs are temporary guest workers, so it’s not uncommon for contracts to come with time limits (like JET) or to not allow for any salary growth. If you want to a make a career out of teaching English in Japan, you’ll need to move from ALTing to either University teaching (requires a masters and teaching experience), international schools (requires a teaching license from your home country), or to become a licensed teacher in Japan, which would allow you to work as a regular public school teacher (not sure about this process, but know a couple people who’ve done it).
   3. As long as you can secure another job you can stay. JET generally doesn’t like being a spring board for people’s life in Japan though. They prefer people who will return to their home country and promote Japan-home-country relations. So that could trip you up a bit at the application stage
   4. JET will take anything, it doesn’t matter. If you’re interested in making a career out of teaching English in Japan though, I recommend studying teaching, ESL, etc.
   5. I think I remember reading that median salary nation wide was 4-5 million yen. Obviously the definition of a “good” salary depends on location, family size, lifestyle etc. I see very few jobs posted for English speakers (even bilingual ones) for more than 3.5 million
   6. You seem to be coming at this through the lens of “I like Japanese” (which is fine. Explore your options.) But I think a more important thing to consider is do you like teaching? Explore if the teaching field is even one you’re interested in before getting into the nitty gritties of if JET is a good fit for you.

8. **I know JET participants get 280,000 yen per month, is that good compared to other jobs?**

   It is good compared to the other ALT jobs. A lot could change from now until when you are eligible though because you are still a few years away. The JET salary has not increased for a long time.

   Some placements eat away more money than others. Some placements pay for your rent or travel, while others don’t. This is just a lucky dip.

   **Is english teaching in Japan something that could be a well earning career for life, aka does it have good career progression, a good salary by the end etc.**

   If you do not have the Japanese skills, then you will struggle getting a job outside of English teaching. Seeing as JET pays the most, then the other agencies will be a pay cut. You could work in an international school if you gain a teaching qualification that transfers over in Japan. I know my teaching degree can be used in Australia, but Australians cannot come to the UK and use their teaching qualifications.

   **After you finish the year of JET, can you stay in Japan or do you have to go?**

   Maximum time is 5 years. Some placements only offer 3 years though. You can put in a transfer request if you have one of these placements and you will be moved for your final 2 years.

   **What would be a good degree to complete before going over? I know it’s a requirement to do a bachelors degree, but I’d like to do one that helps with the program.**

   Do whatever job you like. A degree is only required to satisfy the visa requirements. I have an art degree and did not know anything about JET until years after its completion. The subject of the degree is irrelevant.

9. I don’t have much different to add to most of your questions (others have already answered well), and I realize this may be too specific for your own level of interest, but I thought I would add/emphasize a couple of points that hopefully you or someone else reading might find helpful when considering finding a career in Japan.

   * I recommend browsing around the Japanlife subreddit and looking for all of the people who are in the process of trying to find work outside of English Teaching. Because teaching in Japan doesn’t specifically have a competitive career trajectory, many foreigners living in Japan find themselves looking outside that field after a few years in Japan. Software development, IT, etc. seems to be very popular and comparatively well-paid/accessible for foreigners in Japan. If you wanted to do English teaching as a long-term career, on the other hand, it seems like private schools (with a Japanese teaching license) or Universities (with a MA/PhD) are the top choices. And even those professions don’t necessarily seem to have outstanding salaries or employment prospects. So if you want to go into English teaching as a career *in Japan*, I would make sure you really enjoy it, and then go for the highest qualifications you can in it (MA/PhD in linguistics, with minimum of 3 publications and try to get some teaching experience while doing grad school).
   * Since JET is *very unlikely* to be a career on its own, I would make sure you focus on what you’ll do after JET. For example, if you want to stay in Japan, you need to know Japanese. But personally, I wouldn’t major in Japanese language, because almost everyone in Japan speaks Japanese. This means that speaking Japanese doesn’t give you a career advantage–it just puts you closer to the same playing field as everyone else. So study Japanese thoroughly (take classes as a minor, double major, or just study on your own time), but spend your college degree time developing some skills that you can use to find a job once you’re here.
   * The above advice may sound overly pragmatic, and I don’t want to advise you not to study what you love. If you love English, study English. If you love Japanese, study Japanese. If you just love the idea of living in Japan, then study something that will help you live easier in Japan. Getting here is actually not too hard (JET or other private ALT companies can help get you here with any college degree). But staying here can be difficult. I studied humanities, and want to stay, but I will find it difficult to find a position that allows me to have a comfortable career, unless I’m willing to get creative or I get lucky.

10. Hi! I’m an Australian, so I thought I could provide some more in-depth insight; specifically for your first question.

    JET pay is below the minimum wage in Australia, so if you compare it to jobs in Australia, it pays very poorly. Also, if you plan to go home to Australia after JET, you will lose a lot of money when you exchange your YEN to AUD.

    However by Japanese standards its an ok pay and better than most other ALT jobs in Japan.

11. People have already answered you pretty well, but I have some extra time so I’ll throw my thoughts out there as well.

    1. It’s good for other alt/eikaiwa jobs in Japan. When taking no bonus into account I’d say it’s less money than jobs in other fields. I’d also say there are other countries that pay better for similar work, so if the work interests you more than the location, it might be a good idea to consider options in other countries as well.

    2. Depends on definition of well-earning, but I’d say yes though it’s not easy. I know many more long-term english teachers in Japan who are just scraping by then I do who are making a good living. It usually requires extra degrees and qualifications as well.

    3. You own your own visa in Japan so as long as you can find a job that fulfills your visa requirement you can stay as long as you like. But you will have to change your job (and this may require changing your visa) once your time on jet is finished.

    4. Don’t get your degree based on jet. Get it for what you want to do with your life long-term. Jet is a temporary program. Your degree should set you on a career path. If you’re interested in teaching, work for teaching certification in your own country. That could also open up extra opportunities teaching in Japan. But get a degree in what you want out of your life 15 years from now. Not what can get you a temp job.

    5. Depends entirely upon the lifestyle you want. And the exact salary it takes may well have changed by the time you’ve gotten your degree and are ready to come to Japan.

    6. Don’t obsess over coming to Japan. It’s nice but not the end all be all. Don’t obsess over jet. It’s a nice way to work in Japan but not the only way. Just try to gain some skills that connect to a career that you can see yourself doing.

12. ​

    1.JET salary is very below Australian minimum wage. The pay is better than other ALT jobs

    2. There is no career progression when teaching over there via the JET programme. I say this because many people leave after one or two years because they find that

    3. With JET, you have 5 years contract with them. Sometimes, you have 3 year contracts according to my friends. Applying for JET, is an easy way to get your foot in the door to Japan. Just be mindful, it is lengthy and competitive process since others with any type of degree also want to teach in Japan.

    4. It doesn’t matter what degree, as long as you have a bachelors degree to work in Korea and Japan. If you don’t have a degree, it’s illegal to teach in those countries. JET does not care as long as you have no criminal record and a 3-4year degree you will be accepted. Also, don’t get a degree based on JET as it’s not a long term career progression.

    5. The salary depends on your lifestyle. I still believe the salaries in Australia is way better than Japan. We all know how Australia wage works. Don’t go over to Japan thinking you will save alot of money, the salary is awful.

    I’m also an Australian studying in my final teaching degree (early childhood and primary degree) specialising in English. I have done thorough research on the JET Programme as I also want to teach in Japan! Since I have a background in education, others on reddit have told me to apply for international schools as you get more freedom of teaching in your classes and you are the teacher of the classroom. Instead of being an ALT along with a Japanese teacher in the classroom as this is how teaching works in the JET Programme do, they are also human tape recorders where the Japanese teacher records your voice and teacher plays it to the class. Honestly, learning Japanese is good for you but I hear you don’t need to know as much on the JET programme. If you want to live in Japan, you will also need 3-4 months of rent money. If you really want to know more about how teaching English works in Japan, look on youtube. There are many videos explaining the pros and cons of being an English teacher.

    People on reddit have mentioned that JET is great for:
    People who want a year or two in Japan
    People who love to try teaching but have no experience yet