Comments on: Is The JET Program The Right Job For You?

By: makal

makal — Sat, 12 Sep 2009 01:02:40 +0000

those japs don’t like chinks,
i applied and they sent me a letter that said “No chinks allowed!”

i spent the whole weekend balling my eyes out.

By: Rose

Rose — Sun, 02 Aug 2009 05:53:34 +0000

Are Eikaiwa the conversation schools that primarily target adult students? What are the pros and cons of Eikaiwa vs JET? I know the big plus of JET is that they pay your return airfares and find you accommodation but I wonder about the working hours/conditions, the fact you are committed for a year, and that you have to fly to and from your home country. My main reason for wanting to work in Japan is to fund travels through Asia so I wonder what would be the best option?

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By: Japanese Words

Japanese Words — Thu, 07 May 2009 03:33:56 +0000

I have friends who have really enjoyed the program and those who couldn’t wait to get out. I guess it depends on what you want to get out of it. I hear they are in the process of restructuring the entire program.

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By: Turner

Turner — Fri, 10 Apr 2009 20:58:30 +0000

Yep. I think eikaiwas can justify it by claiming they are casting a character in a play, not a teacher.

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By: Tim Patterson

Tim Patterson — Thu, 09 Apr 2009 03:23:51 +0000

Yeah, I agree Turner. English schools in Japan prefer blonde blue-eyed workers. But schools don’t hire JETs – Japanese consulates in western countries do all the interviews, application reviews and hiring. That’s why I don’t think JET discriminates on the basis of appearance / race. If an Eikaiwa discriminates, that’s unfortunate and wrong but understandable. If the Japanese foreign service discriminates, that’s a much more serious issue.

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By: Turner

Turner — Thu, 09 Apr 2009 01:45:02 +0000

I believe, if given the choice between two equally qualified candidates, an employer will choose the one who most looks like what the majority considers to be “foreign”. Maybe I’m wrong.

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By: Tim Patterson

Tim Patterson — Tue, 07 Apr 2009 05:46:34 +0000

I’m not sure about the blue-eye theory. Lots of Asian-American JETs out there, and the guy who replaced me was a very dark skinned African American from Louisiana.

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By: Nic

Nic — Mon, 06 Apr 2009 16:17:31 +0000

I proposed the blue eyes theory in my book (My Mother is a Tractor) and got both a lot of criticism and praise from many different quarters.

Not sure about dressing like a young republican though.

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By: michaela lola

michaela lola — Thu, 02 Apr 2009 15:31:05 +0000

“True, Tim, but I have a feeling even JET discriminates based on appearance – your chances shoot up considerably if you have blonde hair and blue eyes.”

—> That’s actually a question I want to ask. I tried my hand at applying for different TEFL programs in China, Korea and yes, Japan (though not JET) but the largest obstacle I faced was….my face. I’m Asian and everytime I sent in my picture (despite having all the other requirements — US Citizen, Degree [even a graduate degree], teaching experience, and at the time, I was pursuing certification…) I would get rejected, and some made it clear that they preferred those that fit the mold a bit better. I don’t condemn them for this and I get it…but is JET the same way? I know that they are open to accepting Japanese applicants who grew up in the US but are they also open to other non-blueyed folks like myself? Im not asking to be antagonistic…I just want to know so that I can figure out if its a good thing to spend time applying for…

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By: Turner

Turner — Tue, 31 Mar 2009 21:11:10 +0000

“Dress as well as you can for the interview. You should look and act like a young Republican.”

True, Tim, but I have a feeling even JET discriminates based on appearance – your chances shoot up considerably if you have blonde hair and blue eyes.

I don’t know, I think I still prefer teaching in eikaiwa.

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