My Time on JET

#jetprogam #jetalumni #jetprogramme #japanlife #teachenglish

Before Going to Japan

I applied for the JET Program back in 2011 and made it through to the interview just fine. A few months later I got the response in the mail and congrats! I was accepted as an alternate… 😑

Looking back at that time, I was pretty bummed out about the alternate status. First, I had no idea how far down the list I of alternates waiting to be upgraded come the next opening. Second, as an alternate I get my hopes up of getting that upgrade that might come the following week or a few months later. The suspense really was killing me in a way.

I couldn’t bring myself to go job hunting seriously since I was so attached to the idea of going back to Japan after I graduated from college. As time progressed and my despair grew, I began looking at alternatives to JET that could get me a job in Japan. Of course options can be quite limited when applying from outside Japan and if you don’t have any significant professional work experience.

But I couldn’t just sit around doing absolutely nothing, so I signed up as a volunteer for helping out with young children’s ESL classes held in a space provided by a church. It was catered to help adults learn English and provide a space for their small children to learn English as well.

Volunteering was a meaningful experience and it wasn’t demanding either. Since I was working with young children, there was a FBI background check requirement that I passed without problems. I kept volunteering through the summer until the unexpected happened.

The Upgrade

I remember how depressed I felt looking online at posts on social media by the new JETs about going to orientation, asking about what to pack, and all that jazz. I felt my lowest when all the groups had boarded their planes to Tokyo for to attend orientation for incoming JETs before going their separate ways to their placement. (JET Program participants are split up in 3 groups A, B, and C, with the last group to depart consisting of mostly upgraded alternates according to hearsay).

It seems silly now I reflect on it, but I really felt like my chances of getting moved up to an opening was gone at that point. People may have gotten cold feet, better job opportunities, or for whatever reason decide to forfeit their spot on the program. I assumed everyone that got to Japan will be so happy that they won’t quit.

The way the program works is that there are only so many openings every year and JET does not add new openings mid-season. At least that’s my understanding, since JET Program is not a company looking to grow their business, and keeps alternates only to deal with overturn. So, if a school or local municipality decides they want to get a foreigner to come work at their school or office after hearing about JET, they’d have to apply and get registered with the JET Program after accepting all the terms and conditions set by the program. Then wait for the next round of selection when applications are open.

With that in mind, now that everyone newly accepted into the program had gone to Japan, my chances grew seemingly smaller. Some alternates mentioned their upgrade prior to departure due to last minute withdrawals by short-list candidates. But with everyone Japan at end of July and early August, it would have taken a miracle, in my eyes, for me to get upgraded.

Then the unexpected happened and I was notified by email by the JET Program in mid August with the offer to go to Japan!

Getting Ready

After receiving the offer in my email, I was so overjoyed that the months of feeling down went away in an instant. I shared the news with my family and replied my acceptance of the offer straight away.

The follow-up mail to my response asked me to send in some additional documents and later informed me of my placement. I had indicated that I was open to anywhere in my application and of all the places in Japan, I was offered the chance to go to Osaka one of the top choices for work and travel in Japan.

I had no experience whatsoever with Osaka or western Japan in general, so I had no idea what to expect. But my placement turned out to be near the city and not out in the rural areas that would have taken over an hour to get to any major city areas. I count myself fortunate in that it had been worth the wait.

And after a few weeks time of preparation and packing, meeting with close friends to say goodbye, and ending my volunteer position with ESL classes for young children, I was finally ready to leave.

Since the JET Program does provide airfare for participants, I was able to get a plane ticket for free. But from the airport closest to the regional consulate, which was in Chicago.

An arrangement was made so that I could connect flights and depart from Minneapolis St. Paul international airport and transfer at Chicago. The cost for the flight from Minneapolis St. Paul to Chicago was on me, but the plane bound for Tokyo was covered. The program operated to serve the short-list candidates who would all gather in Chicago for pre-departure orientation before departing together. Alternates would just have to make the trip and depart on their own minus orientation

An Unforgettable Arrival

After making my final stop at Chicago from Minneapolis St. Paul before getting ready to leave for Japan, I had some last minute goodbye messages with my mom. It would be my second time flying to Japan, and though there wasn’t any excitement about setting off to a different world for the first time, I was eagerly awaiting the continuation of my journey in Japan.

My first trip to Japan was as a study abroad student back in 2010. I was in my third year of university and already had enough credits to potentially graduate by the end of that year, so there were no worries about being unable to graduate in 4 years by studying for a year abroad.

Anyways as with all flights across an ocean to another continent, it was going to be a long long ride. I personally don’t mind it and could pass the time reasonably well with a good book in my hand.

To be continued 😁

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