Well, the first thing you should do is read about the purpose of JET and the jobs that this program offers. Here is their official website: http://www.jetprogramme.org/e/aspiring/countries.html
JET Program stands for Japan Exchange and Teaching Program. You will also see the British spelling of it often -- JET Programme.
All you have to do is click on the country you reside in, and it will take you to JET's homepage for that country. The position I'm going to be primarily talking about on this blog is ALT, or Assistant Language Teacher, which is a job teaching English to native Japanese people, elementary to high school. The ALT position is the most popular, as the most slots are available for it each year, and no Japanese language skills are required. The other positions with the JET Program are CIR and SEA, which you can read about more on the website if you're interested. Keep in mind that the CIR position does require you to be proficient in Japanese. Japanese skills aren't required for the SEA position, however, very few positions are available. They usually only hire 1-2 SEAs from each participating country a year.
One thing you may notice while looking through the website is that there is a rather strict application timeline. Also, the application process takes almost a year to go through. You'll want to start collecting items for the application around September. The main application will become available in either October or November, then you submit the application at the end of November/early December. Interviews are held at the end of January - February, you find out if you got the job in April, you send even more documents, then you attend a predeparture orientation and leave for Japan end of July/early August. In other words, if you wanted to apply to teach in 2012, you're already too late. The process begins this fall for jobs starting August 2013. Yeah. Lots of waiting. (Edit: There is the option of applying for early departure, in which you could possibly start the job in April. You have to submit certain documents earlier than you normally would, so read more about it on the website if you're interested. I applied for normal departure, so I don't know all the details about this option.)
If the waiting is something you are willing to endure, you should check out the requirements to apply. You absolutely must have a bachelor's degree for any position with the JET Program. It can be in any subject; your degree does not have to be related to Japanese or teaching. This means that if you're planning to begin the application process this fall (2012), you must have your Bachelor's degree by Spring 2013 (before you would move to Japan in July/August 2013). I graduated May 2011 and am applying for this year, so I haven't had to worry about this aspect myself. There is more info about this on the website.
Also, you should read on the website about other qualifications before deciding to apply. On the USA website (and I believe the other countries' websites are set up similarly), if you click on the ALT tab off to the side, it lists the duties of the job, as well as the eligibility criteria. You must be adaptable, genuinely interested in Japan, be physically and mentally healthy, be a citizen of the country you are applying from, and be able to speak English loudly and clearly. Once again, Japanese skills are not required, but you must have a willingness to learn at least the basics of the language while living/working in Japan.
I would also suggest that you take a look at the Terms and Conditions. Keep in mind that all jobs with the JET Program are for a minimum of one year. If you leave before your contract is up, they will not pay for your way back home. If you're doing the job well, they may allow you to renew your contract for up to 5 years. The job typically consists of 8:30am - 5:15pm workdays, Monday through Friday, but, as you'll see A LOT as you continue to research about JET, every situation is different. Some days, you may need to stick around for extra-curricular activites or additional paperwork. Pretty much what they are saying is -- be flexible.
The salary has recently gone down, however it is still good enough pay to support yourself, and perhaps a spouse, while living in Japan. It is currently ¥3,360,000 a year for first year JETs (before taxes), and you get a little bit of a raise if you stay for additional year. 3,360,000 yen is equivalent to about $41,660. Keep in mind that cost of living could be expensive in Japan if you are placed in an urban area, or depending on how many luxuries you decide to indulge in, such as cell phones, internet, cable, etc. I've heard having a cell phone in Japan can be quite expensive.
If you've read all this and you're still interested, congratulations! You're a brave soul! Haha. Seriously, though, it's not a scary as many people make it out to be :)
In the next post, I will talk specifically about how to go about beginning the application process.
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