I’m a 39-year-old TEFL instructor, currently teaching in Germany. I have an undergraduate degree and a bit of experience under my belt. I’d love to finally teach in Japan, but I’m hesitant to apply to JET due to my age. The program I’m currently employed by is largely made up of much younger recent college grads (which is also the impression I get with JET) and I find myself spending more time with my colleagues who are closer to my own age (even though my German is far from perfect).
Would others here also discourage me from applying to JET? Do older applicants gravitate toward any of the other programs like, say, Interac?
8 comments
Does Germany have JET ALTs?
If they do then just apply for JET. They don’t care about your age and it’s quite possible that you won’t have JET coworkers and you’re not required to hang out with them. But if you don’t have decent japanese skills making friends with the locals maybe hard.
It’d be easier and better in terms of long-term prospects to simply enter via a traditional ALT dispatch company. JET is rather notorious for how laborious it’s entry requirements and amount of paperwork required is.
Apply for JET if you want. It is competitive so chances are you wouldn’t even be accepted – nothing to do with age. But if you do go JET, most of the people in the program are mid-20’s.
Otherwise, don’t go through a “program”. Just get a job.
Try applying for JET anyways! I (30f) and my boyfriend (37m) are applying this year, and when I was on JET from 2017-2021 I knew several people there who were in their 30s. You never know unless you try!
I am in my mid-40s and I was just accepted into the JET Program, so I would say, if you want to try, then you should. As others have stated, the application process is long and laborious, with no guarantee of acceptance, and there are many paths to teaching in Japan, but you may as well give it a shot!
At one time, I thought JETs had to be younger and there was a maximum age. I guess that isn’t true. Is it possible for JETs to have families and bring spouses?
I arrived on JET aged 40 and love it. I think the fact that I’d already travelled a lot and relocated several times helped me to settle. I also already knew I enjoyed teaching.
Most of my JET colleagues are younger but we get on well. I’ve made some Japanese friends closer to my age and also met my partner here. I guess it depends where you end up, but age is not necessarily a barrier.
Thank you all for the feedback! I’ve decided to go ahead with applications to some traditional ALT dispatch companies, rather than wait for the new round of JET apps in September. But, if September comes and I haven’t heard back, I’ll apply for JET.
Thumbs pressed and fingers crossed!