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Tips for Applying for the Japanese Exchange & Teaching (JET) Program
These tips are useful for those applying for the program as well as those who have reached the interview stage
Congratulations on being selected to interview for the JET Program! You've passed the first major hurdle. There is no quota for the number of applicants who will be offered positions from Detroit; it depends on the merits of each individual applicant. However, there are a few things you can do to help prepare for the interview to better your odds of selection.
Prepare yourself to be interviewed by a small panel of three individuals: a staff member from the Consulate, a JET alum, and another American familiar with Japan (often from the local Japan-American Society). Because most consulates interview many people over a series of a few days, your interview will most likely be around 15 minutes. Thus, you must be able to portray yourself positively in a short amount of time. Additionally, it is unlikely that you will have an opportunity to ask many (if any) questions. Although there are many qualities that the interviewers are looking for, you should consider the ways in which you will be able to communicate the following: a positive energy, a sincere desire to be in Japan and interact with Japanese people, and a genuine interest in teaching (for ALT positions).
Reviewing the list below should help you get ready for your interview. Keep in mind that both the interviewers and the questions you receive vary from year to year. Although this list is not meant to be exhaustive, thinking about these issues should generally prove useful and hopefully lead you to consider related topics which may come up in the interview. In addition, you my want to visit the Career Center (3200 Student Activities Building, Rm. 1316; 734.764.7460. The Career Center offers interview workshops, mock interviews and individual counseling. Call or stop by the office for more information.
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Attitude. According to the Detroit consulate, applicants should come “enthused,” but keeping in mind that this is an interview for a real job (don't be overly peppy). You should dress in appropriate job interview attire, which means you should look “professional” (i.e., fairly conservative); be relaxed and confident, not arrogant. Be sure to smile! In addition, be sensitive to the Japanese cultural environment, especially when answering the “what if?” questions.
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What are your goals? In other words, what do you hope to get out of your experience in Japan? What would you like to contribute to your host community? If you've stated a preference for a particular city or region of Japan, why is that? Sit down before the interview and write a list of items for each of these questions. A word you'll hear often is “internationalization.” Internationalization is an important JET buzzword, but it is also a concept that JETs embrace individually. For example, many Jets participate in school sports or English clubs; learn karate, tea ceremony, or another traditional Japanese art in a community group; teach an adult English class; invite other Jets and community members to participate in activities such as a beach clean-up, a play, or book reading at the public library. Even joining a weekly pottery group can be seen as an “internationalization” activity as you're making new friends, learning more about Japanese culture and sharing your own with the other members. As you can see, there are many opportunities to learn something new and become involved in both your school and community. Take advantage of them and take the initiative to organize others that interest you. Also, consider getting involved in the Association for JET Program participants (AJET).
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Be familiar with Japanese society and current events. I was asked in the interview, “Who is the President of Japan?” It's a good thing I knew Japan doesn't have a President. (The Prime Minister is currently Junichiro Koizumi.) Familiarize yourself, even briefly, with such topics as the systems of government, education, and foreign affairs. (For example, How do you imagine a classroom full of Japanese students? What American grade is equivalent to the second year of high school in Japan? Can Japan send troops overseas?)
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Be familiar with American society and current events. You will be an “ambassador” representing the United States. Whether you like it or not, people will ask you questions, some of which may be quite detailed, about American society, history, and opinions. Some people may take your answers to represent the views of all Americans. For example, how well do you know the salient points of such major issues as the presidential elections, the Iraq War, gun control, civil rights, health issues like HIV/AIDS, foreign trade, or current political affairs? If a Japanese farmer blames American beef farmers for bankrupting his family business, how will you respond?
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What are your strategies for handling work-related conflicts? Japanese society values such issues as confrontation and cooperation differently than American society. How will you work to not only resolve any conflicts you find yourself in, but also try to prevent misunderstandings and conflicts before they arise? For example, what if your principal says to you one day, “Your earrings are quite large, aren't they?” Then you notice that none of the other female or male teachers wear earrings in school. What do you think the principal really means? How would you react? In addition, vegetarians, people who don't drink or don't smoke, and others with strong food- or lifestyle-related convictions should consider how they would handle situations when those convictions are challenged. If you are a vegetarian, for example, how will you explain why you're only picking at the huge, meat-based feast that the mayor's wife went to great trouble to make without offending them?
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Characteristics to emphasize. As is written in the JET Program literature, personal qualities that can lead to success in a foreign culture include flexibility, sensitivity, open-mindedness, humor, leadership, and constructive stress-coping mechanisms. If you have been overseas before or otherwise had opportunities to develop these qualities, be sure to let the interviewers know. It might be useful to describe a situation you were in which could have potentially been disastrous, but which you resolved successfully due to these characteristics.
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Prepare questions. Although it's unlikely that you will have much time to ask questions, prepare one or two questions anyway. It will show the interviewers that you've been thinking about the program. Be sure to read the JET literature first to make sure those questions aren't already addressed there.
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Do research on the Internet. The Internet can be a great resource for your interview and JET program preparation. A general search for “JET program” will yield many results, but here are a few highlights:
For those who are participating or considering participating in JET
JET Alumni Association
The Daily Yomiuri, a Japanese newspaper (English version)
An unofficial JET website
The web site for English teachers in Japan
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Write a prompt thank you note. It goes without saying, but this is a good opportunity to let the selection folks in Tokyo know anything you forgot to mention in the interview, cover up rough spots, and so on.
BOOKS
You should be able to find the following books on Amazon.com, in your local library or in major bookstores. These books might interest you in preparation fro your interview, but are not necessary. They are good enough to read just out of interest; they will definitely give you a bigger and better picture of Japan and of the JET experience. There are many other books that are not listed here, these are just some of the most popular ones.
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Any guidebook with cultural information, including Lonely Planet Japan, The Rough Guide to Japan, etc.
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Learning to Bow: Inside the Heart of Japan, Feiler. Feiler spent a year on the JET Program and wrote this book about his experiences. Often described as insightful and humorous.
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Importing Diversity: Inside Japan's JET Program, McConnell. The author looks back on ten years of the JET program from its roots in 1989 to its (relatively) current status.
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36 Views of Mount Fuji: On Finding Myself in Japan, Davidson. 1994. I read this book while in Japan and really enjoyed it. Davidson brings a somewhat sentimental yet realistic perspective to the Japanese experience.
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Kitchen, Yoshimoto. A 'lyrical tale' of Japanese life, Yoshimoto has enjoyed some success in the U.S.
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The Simple Guide to Japan Customs & Etiquette, Morsbach.
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Culture Shock! Japan (Culture Shock Series), Shelley.
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The Modern Madame Butterfly: Fantasy and Reality in Japanese Cross-Cultural Relationships
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Different Games, Different Rules: Why Americans and Japanese Misunderstand Each Other, Yamada.
Created by Anthony Hand (see his Iwate Handbook)
JET Program Assistant Language Teacher, 1993-96
U-M Master's in Information - 1997-99
International Center Peer Advisor and Webmaster - 1997-99
Written by Bina Sheladia
JET Program Assistant Language Teacher, 2001-2003
U-M Master's in Education - 2002-04
International Center Peer Advisor - 2002-04
Last reviewed: 11/07
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