Realistic Chances of Joining the JET Program

14 comments

1. None of us really know the chances, but reading online, it seems to be between 20% ~ 25% acceptance rate.

   To have a good chance, you really have to write a good statement of purpose. Lots of people without teaching experience join the program. Anyone with a any degree can apply.

2. It doesn’t hurt to have some documented interest in Japan in some way. Your multiple trips to Japan and taking actual Japanese courses as you said you plan to would help. But avoid mentioning a love of anime or video games.

3. Just apply! All majors are welcome to apply. Having Japanese language ability is a plus but not required to get hired. The same with having teaching/tutoring experience and studying/traveling abroad experience. Good to have but not required to apply and get hired. Not having something is not going to hurt you.

   You won’t know unless you try. Its anyone’s game.

4. Everyone is different. Your qualifications might only get you the interview but it’s up to you, the person, to impress during the interview.

   I’ve seen people on this subreddit who are more “suitable” than you and I for the role get rejected because they likely bombed the interview.

   Focus on your strengths and interests beyond what you can write down on your resume. Think in more detail and less in bullet points. Don’t think of it as I have this, this and that.

   Really dig deep and think about these questions because if you can’t answer them without showing your passion/desire for the role you probably will be rejected at the interview stage.

   * Why are you interested in Japan? Really why?
   * Even if it’s something as simple as you just like taking walks/hikes through beautiful scenic landscapes. That was my answer but just show how true the words you’re saying are.
   * Why are you interested in being an ALT instead of a teacher?
   * If you were really interested in being a teacher you would likely apply for a main teacher role. What is it about the ALT role specifically that interests you?
   * What experiences do you have in your home country that you can share with your fellow teachers, the student and local community?
   * My interviewer really liked that lived in quite a few different cities and towns in my home country. They also really like when I compared cities I visited in Japan to cities in my home country.
   * What can you bring to the school and community you will be living in?

   Worry less about what you can put on paper and worry more about what you can bring to the interview.

5. I had a bachelor degree in microbiology. Zero Japanese and never been to Japan. Experience teaching piano only. Canadian but not a native English speaker. Working experience was just part time working at shoppers. I was shortlisted and placed in Kyoto city. You will be fine, just do well on the interview. They want well-adjusted, social people who will survive on their own in a different country.

6. Nothing else matters if you can’t write a good statement of purpose and come across well in the interview. You don’t need to know Japanese, have impressive extracurriculars, or even have work experience at all.

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   Having soft skills and seeming genuine and personable are more important than anything else.

7. You have a good shot at an interview with that I think.

8. I would say the best advice I can give is to really sell yourself in your statement of purpose and to show them why you would be an asset to the program.

   Our stats look quite similar honestly. Graduated a year ago, mainly retail/service job experience, a bit of Japanese language study, etc. I also had no teaching experience, but got my TEFL before applying. Because I knew I was lacking here compared to other candidates, I leaned more towards what I could offer in terms of the exchange portion of the program and how much my major would be able to help my teaching. Got myself an interview, but ended up completely failing the teaching demo (like sat there in a silent panic for like half the time). Thanks to my TEFL, I was able to bounce back, laugh it off, and recover, and sure enough I was shortlisted and will be headed to Japan this summer.

   What’s great about this program is that it’s open to so many different people of different backgrounds and experiences, but at the same time it’s hard to figure out exactly why someone got in or why someone didn’t, so I would just say be confident in who you are and what you can bring to the program! The SOP can drive you through this process, but how you handle both yourself and the interview will also really help.

9. I just got accepted this year and I would agree with others to focus on your SOP and community involvement. The only “teaching” experience I had was assisting one of my college professors with his culinary serving courses. However, I had an excellent SOP from another college professor that mentioned my involvement with multiple different programs in my college and outside of it. I also volunteered at a Hawaiian Artifacts museum once a week to improve my resume, and I’m involved in the Japanese dance community within Hawaii.

   Don’t stress with your interview. It’s important, but I honestly thought I bombed mine to the point that I zero expectation of getting in and was making other plans for my future.

10. Your BA doesn’t matter.

    Your teaching Experience doesn’t matter.

    Your Japanese knowledge doesn’t matter.

    Your work experience doesn’t matter.

    What you want to do doesn’t matter (Much).

    You need 5 things to be a JET:

    -Passable hygiene (You don’t smell, your teeth aren’t yellow and rotting, you’re groomed).

    -The ability to hold at least some conversations, proving that you aren’t a witless dreg.

    -Good interview skills to fool the interviewers into thinking you’re a confident and competent person (Or being a confident and competent person, take your pick).

    -The ability to conjure up an impressive SOP.

    -A degree that allows you to have a working VISA for Japan.

    The bar is low, the rest is in god’s hands.

11. JET isn’t a teaching program, so the teaching certificate isn’t as relevant as you would think. JET is an exchange program that promotes cross-cultural exchange by placing ALTs in the classroom. This is a subtle difference, but an important one.

12. Getting into JET is less about experience and more about knowing how to play the game. Know what they actually want; cultural ambassadors who have practical things to exchange. And how to fit your experience into that. For example; I have a degree in teaching (and experience) and English lit. I said I want to learn about the Japanese school system, see what works and what doesn’t, and share my knowledge of Irelands system. Also I wanted to bring my knowledge of my countries literature background, and learn about Japanese literature and stories.

    Yes, having a teaching & English background helped but this approach can be applied to basically anything.

    Teaching experience/Japanese knowledge won’t necessarily make you a more likely candidate, but it’s likely to be used in a “tie breaker” situation. If they’re torn between a teacher and a non-teacher, they’ll probably choose the teacher. But many (I would even say most ALT JETs) don’t have prior teaching or Japanese knowledge so applying without that is completely fine.

13. Everything everyone else said plus you need to seem like the kind of person who can handle living far away in Japan, away from family and friends. Some people can handle it, some really, really can’t. How you communicate that is up to you.

14. Thank you everyone for your advice and wisdom! ❤️