JET interview – evaluation guidelines

I recently read a book on the early years of the JET programme which the Brit had lent me - “Importing Diversity: Inside Japan’s JET Programme” by David L. McConnell.

The book is rather interesting as it focuses on the programme as it was before, and highlighted a few issues that i will blog about soon.

I found this information most useful for potential JETs i think. In 1992, the author was privy to the interview process, and revealed that interviewers were given an evaluation form (and score sheet) with several key aspects for interviewers to consider.

According to him, “To be considered for recommendation, applicants must meet certain basic conditions. They must be outgoing, well-mannered and have a sunny disposition.”

While this information is rather dated, it might serve as a useful point of reference for JET-hopefuls when preparing for the interview, in order to present the right image or highlight certain strengths that they might have:

“Personality: consider flexibility, strength of personality, ability to adapt to foreign cultures, etc.

Ability: consider self-expression, creativity, general knowledge.

Motivation: consider desire to participate in JET programme, sense of purpose; interest in Japan

English ability: clear pronunciation, proper word use, etc

Japanese ability: Applicants for the CIR position must have a functional ability in Japanese, an ability not only to speak and understand well but ideally to read and write as well. For ALTs, evaluate conversation and reading ability.

Overall impression: Please recommend those applicants who seem sociable, stable and can adjust well to new situations.”

waiting, frustration and annoyance

finally! a bit more time to myself to sit at home and blog a bit and potter around tidying the place.

yesterday was extremely trying, and that was all because we were applying for our handphones together at yodabashi camera, one of the largest (if not the largest) electronics store in osaka (it has chains around japan cos we saw branches in tokyo too).

the amount of time it takes to get a handphone in japan in ridiculously long. i accompanied a friend to yodabashi this morning cos he couldnt get his yesterday and also cos i needed to head back to complete my KDDI internet application, and his took about... 2.5hours today. the wait wasnt as bad as yesterday as we were kinda 'fresh' and not as tired, and the place was totally empty except for a few customers, but yesterday really took each and every one of us to the end of our patience.

you would think that in japan where internet and handphone usage is one of the highest in the world, internet and phone applications would be relatively fuss free and quick processes. however that couldnt be further from the truth.

let me start with internet first. this wasnt that bad as the main problem i had was communicating in JAPANESE. we were thinking of applying for yahooBB initially, and we headed over. but there was only 1 english speaking staff and she was already attending to my friend, so i got tired of waiting around^ and try my luck asking questions in japanese. it wasnt that bad actually as the guy who attended to me was really nice and spoke slowly in clear, simple Japanese, and i was really grateful^^. the thing is, despite all the hype, yahooBB certainly is NOT the best internet service around, and the yahoo staff actually told me that. he did his duty in telling me about all the plans because i was genuinely interested, but he actually said that even before i voiced that same conclusion myself. so basically, yahooBB isnt the best deal, so do shop around before committing to their service.

the really trying part came after when we were trying to get our phones. we were at yodabashi from around 5pm all the way to 9.30pm just to get 4 of us signed up onto the Softbank plan. it's plain ridiculous and i'm not sure if it's cos we went there as a group of 5, but our liason actually called up to ask if we can all apply easily as a group and they said yes, or something along those lines. basically, they were meant to be prepared for us, but werent.

even if they were, i think the entire process was rather ridiculous. first we had to choose our phones. phones in japan are really expensive (the cheapest one, which is what we got, is around 30700yen, or more than S$310) although they sort of give you a monthly discount on your phone bill. i'm not sure how much it'll all work out in the end (phone plus plan), but i'll calculate all of that slowly in the next few months. so we chose our phones, but one of us wanted it in purple, and the only piece available was the display piece which she didnt want. and while it was nice for the guy to call up all the other outlets to find out if they still had stock, he kept the rest of us waiting for really really really long while attending to her request, and we just stood there waiting for things to happen when they could just have processed our applications while he was trying to settle the issue of her phone.

so that was number 1. number 2 was the way in which applications are done. basically, the mentality is that because you're signing a contract, it's paramount that the customer understands in FULL DETAIL what they're getting themselves into, which means that the staff in charge has to explain to each applicant (or explain to 2 applicants at a time) every single line of the contract to ensure that we fully comprehend. and so this means that it's not enough for the salesperson to have explained to us and we understand before proceeding with the application. instead, the person handling the application has to go through clearly all that is included in the contract, and that took quite a while. and because we dont speak japanese and there was only 1 member of staff who spoke english, we werent given the choice to split to be attended by different service staff and had to queue at only 1 counter and be attended by 1 staff.

and the application process.. goodness. i dont understand why it took so long actually, because all the service personnel has to do is key in our details into the computer, choose the number for us and let us sign a few stuff. however, they have to wait about 1/2hr for the phone to be activiated, and the entire process of application - post-explanation of contract - took a really really really long time as well. i think we were sitting at the counter for at least 1.5hours each yesterday, and if you add the 1/2hr for activation time, that means 1hour per person applying for a phone (we were attended to in twos).

it's madness! there certainly must be a quicker way to handle all these phone applications as the sheer amount of waiting time is ridiculous. 2.5hours at yodabashi today? and 4.5hours there yesterday? it didnt help that we all were really hungry and tired by then and thoroughly sick of waiting. urgh. so yeah. be prepared to waste half of your day waiting if you're ever applying for a phone in japan. or maybe it's just softbank. either way it was really crappy!!

 

^: the morning involved waiting for about 1hour at the bank with the other osaka city JETs trying to set up our accounts and having this bank personnel spend a tremendously long time trying to explain to us the different cards that they offer (believe me, cash cards, international bank cards, credit cards and debit cards are all different, and their debit cards may not be able to work overseas despite having Master and Visa on it. things are different in japan.) and basically hanging around getting bored.

^^: this is something that i've noticed not only among japanese speaking to non-japanese, but also among caucasians speaking to non-native speakers of english. somehow, they think that just because you speak a bit of japanese/english - and it's obviously you havent gained enough mastery of the language because you struggle with getting the right words and you're not as fluent and your vocabulary is limited etc - you can understand whatever they're talking about and rattle on at full speed or without slowing down much to cater to your language ability. after several experiences i think all those people who very kindly and nicely slow down to cater to my ability and try to ensure that i understand them cannot be taken for granted at all!

JET Programme Singapore Souvenirs

this title should be the puzzle for "Before and After" on Wheel of Fortune! (and i bet no one got what i mean..)

anyway, i attended the JET farewell reception on thursday, and it was really nice to get to know some of the other singaporean JETs better before we leave, and just as nice to have had the chance to meet some JET alumni and learn more about what's in store for us :)

but perhaps the most interesting piece of information was regarding the JET applicants for 2008. contrary to rumours that there were more than a thousand applicants, the actual number was far far less - about 168 applicants in all. from these 168 applicants, about 40 were shortlisted for the interview, which means that how you appear on paper is extremely important. all the more reason to put in more effort for the statement of purpose and application form!

i also discovered that i'm the 2nd singaporean to be posted to osaka! whee! feel quite privileged :) the first one was also the very first singaporean on JET, and went as a CIR. there arent any CIRS this year, although we're the biggest batch so far. i think the previous 2 batches numbered 18 people, and the good news is that the number of singaporeans going on JET has been increasing steadily.

meanwhile, the bunch of us have been sharing what we're bringing over as omiyage too, and i just feel that i ought to make a public service announcement here regarding buying souvenirs of singapore. do be careful when buying souvenirs from lucky plaza! i'd say that apart from those stuff that are going for 2 for $10 - most of these are being sold at roughly the same price elsewhere, like in chinatown - some of the others are priced really high! for example, this rather beautiful mug featuring scenes of Singaporean culture that i bought at chinatown for $9.90 was going for $12.90 at one shop in lucky plaza, and at $18.90 (!!) at another shop in the same place! this is so clearly a ripoff, and i'd advise all to exercise caution when buying things from there.

better still, just dont buy from lucky plaza unless you've shopped around at other places or if you dont want to inconvenience yourself by travelling elsewhere. i'd say that chinatown is one of the best place to buy souvenirs due to the sheer number of stalls - even then, do check out the stalls nearest to the road along which sri mariamman temple is located before buying anything as they're generally the cheapest - although i heard that arab street and mustafa are great places as well. i dont go to the other 2 that often because they're a little out of the way for me, but i agree that the shops in arab street do sell some pretty nice things that can't be found elsewhere.

oh. and the ultimate ripoff? the souvenir shop at merlion park. buy from lucky plaza if you want, but DO NOT, i repeat, DO NOT EVER buy from the shop at merlion park. and please announce this to every other person who visiting singapore too. if some things in lucky plaza can be a ripoff, just about everything in that shop is CUT-THROAT. check out that place for yourself and you'll realise that i'm not exaggerating at all!

Applying to JET - tips and suggestions

Applications for Singapore typically open in late September, with the deadline usually 2 months later in end November. Application for the 2008 programme began and ended on 25th Sept and 30th Nov respectively, so it'll be a good idea to check the Embassy of Japan's website regularly from 20th September to obtain the application form.

Filling in the form is easy enough once you figure out how to type in your information. It's quite impossible to enter anything until you highlight the entire Word document, select the table settings to show all the borders and lines and merge those within which you want to type something. Maybe it's just that I'm stupid, but it really frustrated me till i figured that out :P if there're any sections for which you need more space and more lines, feel free to attach appendices to your application :)

2 of the most important components of the JET application are the statement of purpose and section 29 (in last year's application form) of the form. I'm not sure if the theme of the latter changes from year to year, but last year's application form requested applicants to state the "proposed direction of their current or future profession and its relationship to the JET Programme".

I heard that there were about 1000* applicants for JET last year! While I cant vouch for the reliability of that information, there are certainly many many applicants yearly, hence making yourself stand out is very important. Here are some suggestions and tips for applying for JET which I hope will be helpful :)

 

First and foremost, JET is a job. It's the first thing that my lecturer said to me when I asked her for a referral letter, and i think it's especially relevant to applicants applying to go on the programme fresh out of university. Many apparently treat the programme as an opportunity for them to travel and have fun, which shows in their application form, and my lecturer informed me that it's usually not as easy for fresh grads to be selected as compared to those with some working experience. I think no more than a quarter of us among the 25 Singaporeans on JET this year are fresh grads, which perhaps may be a reflection of my teacher's advice. So, sound professional and give serious consideration as to what you want out of being an ALT on JET as a career choice!

 

Section 29 of the form is fairly focused, and mine comprised 2 paragraphs and 228 words. I think this section was designed to filter the serious job applicants from those who treat the programme as a travel ticket to Japan, and require applicants to really consider how applying for JET would fit into their long term career plans. It basically wanted the applicant to state:

• why work overseas? --> overseas experience, exposure to different cultures?
• why work in Japan? --> interest in Japan, want to improve command of the language, want to use Japanese in future careers?
• why choose to be a teacher? --> enjoy working with children, want to enter the education sector?

Of course, these can (and should?) link up to personal aims and aspirations too, which are part and parcel of one's career choices anyway!

 

The Statement of Purpose is a bit trickier, as it should cover a broader range of topics. the JET Programme is as much about being an assistant language teacher of English as it is about cultural exchange and sharing. From these arise three very important questions:

1. what skills and strengths do I have to be a good English teacher?
2. how great is my wealth of knowledge regarding my home country and culture (or a variety of countries and cultures) that makes me a worthy applicant?
3. why do I want to apply to teach in Japan and not any other country?

 

What skills and strengths do I have to be a good English teacher -- Perhaps you've done relief teaching and enjoyed it a lot. Maybe you have lots of passion for teaching and conduct lively and interesting lessons. Do you have certain character traits which make you suitable as a teacher? How confident are you regarding your English ability? Why do you think it's important to help to develop the English language skills of (Japanese) children? Has your interest in teaching been inspired by other events or people?

How great is my wealth of knowledge regarding my home country and culture -- I sort of pulled out all the stops when I was addressing this aspect in my essay. haha. I mentioned having been on the Hyogo Ship Programme and sharing information and knowledge with Japanese peers. I talked about how my student exchange to London has impacted me, not just culturally but also in giving me the confidence and the knowledge that i can live overseas - something which i'll be doing when on JET. I highlighted how being Singaporean makes me unique and different from applicants from other countries. Just make a list of everything you can think of, and find a way to link them all together and sell yourself!

Why do I want to apply to teach in Japan and not any other country -- I didn't talk much about this, as most of it was already covered in what I had written in Section 29. But it should state clearly why you're interested in Japan when there're many other countries in which you can work as an ALT too. The culture, the food, the language, the society? Perhaps it's because you've studied these in school but want to experience Japan first hand. Maybe you've been to other countries and want to experience Japan. Whatever it is, just remember that there's far more to Japan than anime, manga, computer games and gadgets!

Besides these, I think it's really important to read, and re-read, and re-re-read the statement of purpose. I refined mine over and over again till I was satisfied with the final product and couldnt make it any better - not that it's perfect, but that it's really the best I can do. I tightened sentences, checked my grammar and punctuation - which MUST be flawless considering you're applying to teach english! - and rephrased paragraphs to squeeze in as much about myself as i could. i added a conclusion, as i felt that it was a good way to end the essay and summarise everything that i'd written.

All in all, I think completing the various components of the JET Programme application form requires spending time and effort. Dont short-change yourself by doing a sloppy job of your statement of purpose thinking that you can always apply again next year if you dont succeed. Ask yourself why you want to go on the JET Programme so much. Readers of your statement of purpose should be able to gain a sense of who you are - as an individual, not just any other person with good qualifications and skills plus a yen for japan - hence it should convey your passions and interest in going on JET. Search your feelings, dreams, hopes and aspirations, write them down, and do your best to convey them in the essay so that whoever reads it will sense your strong desire and be convinced of your motivations.

All the best, and good luck!

 

* Correction - there were about 168 applicants. See here.