I recently applied for a job with the JET Program and when I tell this to people I am often faced with a quizzical look and a question – “What’s that?” Therefore, in the interest of both these people, and perhaps those of you searching online for more information, I’d like to explain it a bit.
The JET Program actually stands for “Japanese Exchange and Teaching” program. It is a (Japanese) government founded program that employs nearly 5000 foreigners to work in Japan as assistant English language teachers, international relations coordinators and sports education advisors. The majority of the positions are language teachers.
The government contracts with local school districts all over Japan who want to hire a native English speaker to help out around the classroom. The application process starts in October, typically when the application goes live on the JET website, with applications being due near the end of November. That means this year’s application process has closed, but if you’re interested, it’s never too early to get a start on next year’s. Applicants will find out if they have received an interview at their nearest Japanese consulate sometime in January, interview in February, and applicants will be notified of acceptance typically sometime in May.
From there you will receive placement and then take off for Japan in August.
As far as renumeration goes, JET will take care of your round-trip airfare and the yearly salary is somewhere in the ballpark of 35 million yen. I’ve often heard it said that JET will pay for housing, but this is not the case. Contracting schools will help set you up with housing, and some will help cover costs, but this is more dependent on your situation. There are other benefits as well, including a national health system.
While these are all very grand, the JET experience isn’t about the money. The JET Program is all about getting involved and invested in a community. The JET Program provides the opportunity to work with students ranging from elementary to high school and foster a love of not only English but the culture behind it. That’s all part of the exchange element. However, exchange is not a one way movement. The other side of that coin is that while you serve as a sort of cultural ambassador, living in a foreign country will present many opportunities to learn about that country as well. By living in Japanese environment and working with the Japanese school system you will get a first-hand interactions and knowledge of a foreign culture.
For me, I couldn’t be more thrilled to apply for the JET Program and if you have any interest in teaching abroad I would strongly recommend it. At this point, I have no idea if it’s something I’ll be able to do, but for those of you who are interested, I say, “Go for it!”
For more information you can access the Official JET Program Website for U.S. Citizens or the Official JET Programme Website.
Tags: english, exchange, Japan, JET Program, teaching
Posted December 23, 2009 by Cory under Japan
January 1st, 2010 at 3:51 pm
Good luck!
-Eman