JET Tales: stories from rural Japan
This website is a record of my experiences in the JET Programme as an AET (Assistant English
Teacher) in two Japanese public high schools.
Part two: the interview
December passed by quickly, as winter holidays always do. January began my last
semester of classes as an undergraduate student. And then:
This book arrived inside another 9x12 white envelope, along with a congratulatory
letter that basically says welcome to the next level, the interview. A letter from the
Japanese consulate of the interview location which you requested (the departure city
on the application form) should follow soon after. The date and time for your appointment
is strict, and even the smaller consulates will be interviewing several hundred applicants.
The competition is stiff. Take that into account when making your preparations.
There are stories floating around about people who showed up late to their interviews,
or wore jeans and sandals, or otherwise treated this as no big deal. This kind of
approach still works for some people, but do you really want to be the applicant that this
approach does not work for? The JET Programme has no shortage of people who are
willing to act like professionals, and interviewers with whom I have spoken have told me
that appearances and first impressions do count.
Example? New Orleans. A JET alumn who had been part of an interview panel told me that
he immediately marked down anyone who wasn't dressed appropriately for the interview.
Sometimes he actually asked someone, "Why aren't you wearing a suit?"
My interview was not a difficult one, as interviews go. It was at the Japanese consulate
in New Orleans, on one of those muggy spring days that makes wearing a suit just
miserable. Everyone had been assigned their own, specific time to show up, so there
were only one or two applicants at a time waiting in the tiny lobby. When the time came, I
was ushered through the security locks and into a large conference room. Three people (a
JET alumn, a scholar of Japanese history or culture?, and a representative from the
consulate) sat behind a large desk. The JET sat in the middle and seemed to take charge
of the questioning, as the others made notes and sometimes commented.
The questions were easier than I had expected: How will you present America to the Japanese people
that you meet? In what ways do you expect education in Japan will be different from
education in America? What kind of negative experiences did you anticipate encountering and
how would you deal with them? What makes you a good candidate for the Programme? Etc.
You may be asked to present a lesson plan, give a self-introduction, talk about Japanese
history or culture, discuss current events in Japan, and read or converse in Japanese
(if you wrote on your application that you knew any Japanese). Or you may not - every
situation is different. I had reviewed all of my history notes, boned up on the names of
officials and recent headlines, and prepared a lesson to give - and none of that was asked
of me!
Some JET friends have been kind enough to share some of the details from their own
interviews. I hope this gives you an idea of the possibities you may encounter. My thanks
to everyone who offered a contribution! Y'all are the best. -Kaui
- "I interviewed in L.A.. In the waiting room there were several applicants, and two jet alumns with
photo albums answering questions. Three different interview rooms.... the one I went into had three
interviewers spaced out behind long tables while I sat in a broken down
old chair in the middle of the room. One an older man, professor at U.S.C., if memory serves. The
second a forties japanese/american woman. Third, a JET alumn guy, young, probably worked in the
association. Anyway, that is about it.
I was very honest when answering their questions.. brutally so. I believe I even said that the reason I was coming here was because I wanted to travel and my parents wanted me to work so it was a
compromise. HA!! I told them I knew absolutely nothing about Japan, and had never really been
interested in coming here.
Looking back, not unlike all the official ceremonies here now, it seems like a joke that those people
were taking it all so seriously. Me as well. I should have known, but sometimes interviews are
stressful."
- "I was interviewed in London and had my interview in the first week of February. The
atmosphere at the hotel was relatively formal although we were warmly welcomed and we
had the opportunity to talk to other JET applicants.
Once called for the interview we were shown to a room and asked to take a spelling,
punctuation and grammar test. From what I can remember the spelling words were rather
obscure and the definitions we were aked for were equally so. ("Ubiquitous" was one word I
was asked to define). The grammar questions were rather awkward and I remember feeling
that, as a native speaker, it was quite difficult to explain the differences between two sentences
without the technical vocabulary. The atmosphere was fairly relaxed though and we were not
under pressure to finish in a given time. (Basically, I think if you are a borderline candidate they
will look at the test as a defining factor - otherwise it is not crucial.)
We then had an opportunity to talk to past JET participants while we waited which was great, as
it served as a forum to ask lots of questions and see photos etc.
In the interview itself, there were 4 people in the room - 2 Japanese, 2 British.
From what I could gather each person was given a different aspect to question you about.
i.e. About yourself: your interests and hobbies; Reasons for doing JET and what you can
offer the programme; What you know about Japan and what you would like to learn. Obscure
questions intended to freak you out!
I found the interview process much less intimidating than I had anticipated and felt very
comfortable during it. Some people had very different experiences though, despite being
interviewed in the same place. "
- "Interview location: Tucson, AZ
# of interviewers: 3 (1 Japanese, 2 former JET (one from a Japanese
consulate))
# of interviewees: Just little old me
Questions: Who is the governor of New Mexico? What would I do if my husband got in
and I didn't (or the other way around)? Why am I interested in Japan? What sort of
teaching experience did I have? What projects were my students doing, etc.
Vegetarianism- How would I handle a situation in which I was served meat?
How do I conduct myself in terms of conflict resolution?
Impressions: One of my interviewers (former JET) was just totally spiteful - I
have no idea why. The other former JET was really nice. The Japanese woman had
very little to say and her questions seemed very rehearsed.
TIPS: Dress professionally, read up on Japan before you go, maybe read a
famous Japanese novel historical or otherwise, display confidence, and think about
your personal needs."
- "As for my interview, it was really intense. I felt like I was in a military trial.
They sat me in the middle of the room. There was a bench, and 3 people sat behind it:
a representative from the Japanese embassy, a former JET, and someone else who I
can't remember. He was a dick. I remember that much. There was not any greeting, but
they just started firing questions at me, one by one, not really pausing to give me time
to think. A few of the quesions I remember are:
1. If you had plans for the weekend, and the school asked you to cancel and stay for a
school activity, what would you do?
2. The Japanese can be prejudiced against people of other asian decent. How do you
feel about this? How would you handle this if it arises?
3. What research have you done on Japanese culture since you have applied to the
JET program?"
- "I felt the interview process was very relaxed. I think, like all interviews, they just
try to get a feel for you as a person. They asked basic questions about my reasons for
wanting to go to Japan, teach in Japan, and past experiences with teaching. I was
asked, "what holiday (American) is your favorite, and why?" Then they followed that
question and asked me how I would teach the history, cultural values, and celebration
of the holiday. As long as you have a desire to experience Japanese culture, the
people, and life in Japan, I don't think there is much to worry about. However, past
experience or displays of interest in Japan (its culture, the language, and/or
teaching) may help."
- "TIPS for CHICAGO interviewers:
When I interviewed, teams of 3 people were interviewing 1 perspective JET. The panel of
interviewers consisted of Japanese and Americans and they sat at a table very close to
me. We were one of many groups doing the interviewing process in close proximity, so I
could hear other perspectives answering at the same time.
I had to give a 5 minute self introduction for them, as if they were students, and I had to give
a 5 minute lesson on something in my culture. Most of their questions were seeking my
personal motives and fundamentals. There were also several situational questions. "What
would you do if this happened in Japan?" --from having to serve coworkers because I was
a woman to sexual harrassment to overagressive students.
My best advice to anyone going through the process, is know thyself. Be as honest as you
can about everything. Knowing almost nothing about Japan is not a detriment. Being
uninterested in Japan, is. Gambatte! Good luck!"
Some helpful links:
http://www.geocities.com/Tokyo/Flats/9798/jf_intvw.html
http://www.japaninfo.org/jetint.html
http://www.umihc.edu/~icenter/overseas/work/jettips.html
[ next part three: acceptance ]
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