Aspiring Canadian JETs 2012

[OttawaPC]

I'm in Vancouver and I got the general interview notification e-mail but I haven't gotten sort of contact for the interview date and time....

Am I supposed to get a phone call or e-mail??
Because I (sadly) don't have caller ID on my cell phone so if I happened to miss it, I wouldn't know they called.
But they also never tried calling my house (my house phone have caller ID)
I tried e-mailing the JET Desk 3 days ago but still haven't heard anything back, should I just call the number that was on the e-mail??

Please help T_T

Definitely call in!!! We all got our detailed info last week! I think the number on the email is the Ottawa embassy...don't quote me on this. Just google up Vancouver Japanese consulate for the number or heck, if you're in downtown, just drop by their office. The people there are SO nice <3

You're right the phone number is in the email, or you can find it at the bottom of http://www.jetprogramme.ca.

[KoeiS]

They were for you and thank you for the very thorough explanations !

You're very welcome. I know how confusing it can all seem, before JET I worked for an eikaiwa and had to figure it out on my own so I hope to help people so they don't have to.

So now, with JET, I live in a small town (4000 people) in North Eastern Hokkaido. It's very rural but I love it. The people are so friendly and kind. They bend over backwards to help me and take care of me, huge change from my previous job.
I work at 11 schools in the small but spread out town area, basically the town and nearby villages. Nursery all the way through high school. Keeps me very busy and always on my toes. I love the little kids they have so much energy and they still get excited about English class, something I'm hoping to instill in them so strongly it continues in JHS, HS in my town is a real tough spot as the kids there are mostly fed up with school as a whole let alone English. Great kids, so-so students.

Any other questions you have let me know!

Also, as an aside the 280 000 is still very very liveable even if your rent is high, though debts at home might make it a bit tighter. At my previous job I made 250 000 in an urban area and paid 48 000 in rent a month (and walked uphill both ways in a blizzard) and still had money to travel, go to concerts, buy silly things, indulge in my love of clothes and save up a little.

Sorry for the ridiculously delayed reply! It's midterm season right now if you dare to recall those days.
Thanks for your input! Hope I can get a community as awesome as yours

I do have one more thing that has been bothering me since I've thought about it...
I don't drive (I AM ASHAMED!), just started to learn to ride a bike (just for JET), and I get very bad motion sickness (on ALL forms of transportation...and I think I've grown immune to anti-motion sickness pills/strips/wristlets/etc.). Will that affect my chances of getting in? I'm not sure if I should bring that issue up because I don't want to be seen as picky but after I thought about it, it really doesn't seem to make sense for me to do a rural placement though that was what I wanted originally.

[AVN]

They were for you and thank you for the very thorough explanations !

You're very welcome. I know how confusing it can all seem, before JET I worked for an eikaiwa and had to figure it out on my own so I hope to help people so they don't have to.

So now, with JET, I live in a small town (4000 people) in North Eastern Hokkaido. It's very rural but I love it. The people are so friendly and kind. They bend over backwards to help me and take care of me, huge change from my previous job.
I work at 11 schools in the small but spread out town area, basically the town and nearby villages. Nursery all the way through high school. Keeps me very busy and always on my toes. I love the little kids they have so much energy and they still get excited about English class, something I'm hoping to instill in them so strongly it continues in JHS, HS in my town is a real tough spot as the kids there are mostly fed up with school as a whole let alone English. Great kids, so-so students.

Any other questions you have let me know!

Also, as an aside the 280 000 is still very very liveable even if your rent is high, though debts at home might make it a bit tighter. At my previous job I made 250 000 in an urban area and paid 48 000 in rent a month (and walked uphill both ways in a blizzard) and still had money to travel, go to concerts, buy silly things, indulge in my love of clothes and save up a little.

Sorry for the ridiculously delayed reply! It's midterm season right now if you dare to recall those days.
Thanks for your input! Hope I can get a community as awesome as yours

I do have one more thing that has been bothering me since I've thought about it...
I don't drive (I AM ASHAMED!), just started to learn to ride a bike (just for JET), and I get very bad motion sickness (on ALL forms of transportation...and I think I've grown immune to anti-motion sickness pills/strips/wristlets/etc.). Will that affect my chances of getting in? I'm not sure if I should bring that issue up because I don't want to be seen as picky but after I thought about it, it really doesn't seem to make sense for me to do a rural placement though that was what I wanted originally.

Don't worry about not driving. My best friend is also in Hokkaido, and doesn't drive. She is fine.
I'm assuming you put that you can't drive on your application. As long as you did that you should be fine.
They will not put you in a town you can never leave without a car if you can't drive.
My friend is still in a rural town too. Less rural than mine but she gets around on foot just fine.
She also gets very motion sick but says she finds the trains in Japan don't really bother her so hopefully you're the same.

[Shea]

Sorry for the ridiculously delayed reply! It's midterm season right now if you dare to recall those days.
Thanks for your input! Hope I can get a community as awesome as yours

I do have one more thing that has been bothering me since I've thought about it...
I don't drive (I AM ASHAMED!), just started to learn to ride a bike (just for JET), and I get very bad motion sickness (on ALL forms of transportation...and I think I've grown immune to anti-motion sickness pills/strips/wristlets/etc.). Will that affect my chances of getting in? I'm not sure if I should bring that issue up because I don't want to be seen as picky but after I thought about it, it really doesn't seem to make sense for me to do a rural placement though that was what I wanted originally.

Don't worry about not driving. My best friend is also in Hokkaido, and doesn't drive. She is fine.
I'm assuming you put that you can't drive on your application. As long as you did that you should be fine.
They will not put you in a town you can never leave without a car if you can't drive.
My friend is still in a rural town too. Less rural than mine but she gets around on foot just fine.
She also gets very motion sick but says she finds the trains in Japan don't really bother her so hopefully you're the same.

I agree, although I don't envy you the plane trip over (I find plane food to be particularly bad for motion sickness), once you get there it's not so bad. I've worked in Japan before, and although I'm not as bad as you with motion sickness, it can get fairly bad, especially on buses. I found the train system there to be fantastic though. I worked in a medium size city (about half a million people), and when I was surfing around YouTube for JET apartment videos, I found one of a JET in the same city I was! I was really surprised because I thought placements were more rural than that, and on average they probably are, or perhaps the JET's in the video were on the outskirts of the city. Anyways the thing is I was able to make do with a bike and trains my whole time I was there (mostly my bike, I had an awesome shiny green one which I completely loved!). Even though I do have a license (and will be getting my international certificate) I put on my application that I prefer not to drive because I was seriously worried about driving on the other side of the road lol (since then I've had many people assure me I'll be fine, and it's pretty easy). At least I have it in case I need to rent a car (I'm thinking more for day trips further away, and perhaps a shopping trip to a furniture store). I'm really looking forward to the whole experience if I get a job with JET (and a new shiny green bike!!).

[AVN]

Sorry for the ridiculously delayed reply! It's midterm season right now if you dare to recall those days.
Thanks for your input! Hope I can get a community as awesome as yours

I do have one more thing that has been bothering me since I've thought about it...
I don't drive (I AM ASHAMED!), just started to learn to ride a bike (just for JET), and I get very bad motion sickness (on ALL forms of transportation...and I think I've grown immune to anti-motion sickness pills/strips/wristlets/etc.). Will that affect my chances of getting in? I'm not sure if I should bring that issue up because I don't want to be seen as picky but after I thought about it, it really doesn't seem to make sense for me to do a rural placement though that was what I wanted originally.

Don't worry about not driving. My best friend is also in Hokkaido, and doesn't drive. She is fine.
I'm assuming you put that you can't drive on your application. As long as you did that you should be fine.
They will not put you in a town you can never leave without a car if you can't drive.
My friend is still in a rural town too. Less rural than mine but she gets around on foot just fine.
She also gets very motion sick but says she finds the trains in Japan don't really bother her so hopefully you're the same.

I agree, although I don't envy you the plane trip over (I find plane food to be particularly bad for motion sickness), once you get there it's not so bad. I've worked in Japan before, and although I'm not as bad as you with motion sickness, it can get fairly bad, especially on buses. I found the train system there to be fantastic though. I worked in a medium size city (about half a million people), and when I was surfing around YouTube for JET apartment videos, I found one of a JET in the same city I was! I was really surprised because I thought placements were more rural than that, and on average they probably are, or perhaps the JET's in the video were on the outskirts of the city. Anyways the thing is I was able to make do with a bike and trains my whole time I was there (mostly my bike, I had an awesome shiny green one which I completely loved!). Even though I do have a license (and will be getting my international certificate) I put on my application that I prefer not to drive because I was seriously worried about driving on the other side of the road lol (since then I've had many people assure me I'll be fine, and it's pretty easy). At least I have it in case I need to rent a car (I'm thinking more for day trips further away, and perhaps a shopping trip to a furniture store). I'm really looking forward to the whole experience if I get a job with JET (and a new shiny green bike!!).

Shea, just so you know. Half a million people is way more than a medium sized city... I mean it's not Sapporo or Osaka but... For a JET 500 000 is HUGE. Within most of the JET community anything over 100 000 is a medium-large city. 500 000 you're probably looking at the capital of a prefecture. The place all the other JETs go to go shopping to get the foreign food they want etc. Those placements do exist though.

You have a license but put you can't drive..? I don't know to me that's a little bit unfair. You might take a really good placement from someone who actually can't drive. They might also put you in a placement where you're not allowed to drive at all even outside of work. I would think about that decision carefully before the interview. Driving on the other side of the road takes about 1 day or 2 to get used to. It's super easy and makes living in Japan, especially as a JET, much more convenient. You might send strange signals if you show up and they think you can't drive then you buy a car.

[Namisuke]

I have been here for 1.5 years and I still ritually try to jump in the driver's seat when my boyfriend drives (I don't have my license now). I can never kick that habit, but when I am in the car it feels normal to be on the left side.

[KoeiS]

Sorry for the ridiculously delayed reply! It's midterm season right now if you dare to recall those days.
Thanks for your input! Hope I can get a community as awesome as yours

I do have one more thing that has been bothering me since I've thought about it...
I don't drive (I AM ASHAMED!), just started to learn to ride a bike (just for JET), and I get very bad motion sickness (on ALL forms of transportation...and I think I've grown immune to anti-motion sickness pills/strips/wristlets/etc.). Will that affect my chances of getting in? I'm not sure if I should bring that issue up because I don't want to be seen as picky but after I thought about it, it really doesn't seem to make sense for me to do a rural placement though that was what I wanted originally.

Don't worry about not driving. My best friend is also in Hokkaido, and doesn't drive. She is fine.
I'm assuming you put that you can't drive on your application. As long as you did that you should be fine.
They will not put you in a town you can never leave without a car if you can't drive.
My friend is still in a rural town too. Less rural than mine but she gets around on foot just fine.
She also gets very motion sick but says she finds the trains in Japan don't really bother her so hopefully you're the same.

I agree, although I don't envy you the plane trip over (I find plane food to be particularly bad for motion sickness), once you get there it's not so bad. I've worked in Japan before, and although I'm not as bad as you with motion sickness, it can get fairly bad, especially on buses. I found the train system there to be fantastic though. I worked in a medium size city (about half a million people), and when I was surfing around YouTube for JET apartment videos, I found one of a JET in the same city I was! I was really surprised because I thought placements were more rural than that, and on average they probably are, or perhaps the JET's in the video were on the outskirts of the city. Anyways the thing is I was able to make do with a bike and trains my whole time I was there (mostly my bike, I had an awesome shiny green one which I completely loved!). Even though I do have a license (and will be getting my international certificate) I put on my application that I prefer not to drive because I was seriously worried about driving on the other side of the road lol (since then I've had many people assure me I'll be fine, and it's pretty easy). At least I have it in case I need to rent a car (I'm thinking more for day trips further away, and perhaps a shopping trip to a furniture store). I'm really looking forward to the whole experience if I get a job with JET (and a new shiny green bike!!).

Thanks for the input guys! Good to know it's not that big of a deal and I can survive without a car and with motion sickness.

PS - I'll be damn happy for a 500000 people city. Transportation would be a breeze!

[Threz_]

They might also put you in a placement where you're not allowed to drive at all even outside of work.

While your CO can try to keep you from driving in your free time, they can't force you to. They can, however, keep you from driving to and from work. In Japan, your commute to work is considered part of your work and is thus covered under your school's/BOE's/CO's insurance policy (as I understand it). They might just plain not be able to cover a high-liability foreigner driving in Japan for the first time.

But you can always buy a car and drive on the weekends or after work.

[AVN]

They might also put you in a placement where you're not allowed to drive at all even outside of work.

While your CO can try to keep you from driving in your free time, they can't force you to. They can, however, keep you from driving to and from work. In Japan, your commute to work is considered part of your work and is thus covered under your school's/BOE's/CO's insurance policy (as I understand it). They might just plain not be able to cover a high-liability foreigner driving in Japan for the first time.

But you can always buy a car and drive on the weekends or after work.

Search the threads there are people who are forbidden to drive. True the BOE doesn't really have the authority to tell you that but... if they do and you drive it could be a whole load of trouble.
So they can forbid it unofficially.

[Shea]

I agree, although I don't envy you the plane trip over (I find plane food to be particularly bad for motion sickness), once you get there it's not so bad. I've worked in Japan before, and although I'm not as bad as you with motion sickness, it can get fairly bad, especially on buses. I found the train system there to be fantastic though. I worked in a medium size city (about half a million people), and when I was surfing around YouTube for JET apartment videos, I found one of a JET in the same city I was! I was really surprised because I thought placements were more rural than that, and on average they probably are, or perhaps the JET's in the video were on the outskirts of the city. Anyways the thing is I was able to make do with a bike and trains my whole time I was there (mostly my bike, I had an awesome shiny green one which I completely loved!). Even though I do have a license (and will be getting my international certificate) I put on my application that I prefer not to drive because I was seriously worried about driving on the other side of the road lol (since then I've had many people assure me I'll be fine, and it's pretty easy). At least I have it in case I need to rent a car (I'm thinking more for day trips further away, and perhaps a shopping trip to a furniture store). I'm really looking forward to the whole experience if I get a job with JET (and a new shiny green bike!!).

Shea, just so you know. Half a million people is way more than a medium sized city... I mean it's not Sapporo or Osaka but... For a JET 500 000 is HUGE. Within most of the JET community anything over 100 000 is a medium-large city. 500 000 you're probably looking at the capital of a prefecture. The place all the other JETs go to go shopping to get the foreign food they want etc. Those placements do exist though.

You have a license but put you can't drive..? I don't know to me that's a little bit unfair. You might take a really good placement from someone who actually can't drive. They might also put you in a placement where you're not allowed to drive at all even outside of work. I would think about that decision carefully before the interview. Driving on the other side of the road takes about 1 day or 2 to get used to. It's super easy and makes living in Japan, especially as a JET, much more convenient. You might send strange signals if you show up and they think you can't drive then you buy a car.

On the application it asks if you have a driver's license... BUT it also said to put 'no' if you have one but would prefer not to drive. I don't appreciate being attacked for my preferences, because I truly feel uncomfortable being forced to drive to work everyday if I don't feel confident doing so (they can't make you drive if you feel uncomfortable, and that's probably why they put in the subtext). Although since then I've had many people try to put my fears to rest, and now I would be willing to try out driving, but maybe for a day trip or something, but definitely not everyday for work. If it turns out I'm not allowed to drive, well then so be it, I don't mind (it was my decision to put 'no' on the application). Japan has a great transportation system. I am sure I'm not the first JET to prefer not to drive, and likely won't be the last.

I've also lived in a city with half a million people my whole life, and I live close to much larger cities with a million or more people, so half a million feels like a medium sized city to me. Although I do agree that some other people may think it is rather large if they are from a smaller city. I also know that JET usually places candidates in much smaller, and rural towns, I've read everything on the JET site like 10 times over.

[jim]

I'd be wary of all this talk that it's no big deal driving on JET. In my prefecture anyway, almost everyone can and does drive. Going from conversations at orientation it's similar elsewhere also.

Some people seem to think that saying you cant / would rather not drive will lead to getting a sought-after placement in Osaka, Kyoto, Sapporo or the like but in truth it's far more likely just to hinder your chances of getting in at all. Why should someone who hasn't been bothered to put the work into getting a license be given a more convenient and / or more desirable placement than someone who has?

Having a car, or at least access to one, is utterly essential for a significant number of JETs. I'm not sure it's a great idea to suggest otherwise to current applicants when come August, they could find themselves several miles from the nearest convenience store with just a rattly old bike to get them there.

[jim]

I agree, although I don't envy you the plane trip over (I find plane food to be particularly bad for motion sickness), once you get there it's not so bad. I've worked in Japan before, and although I'm not as bad as you with motion sickness, it can get fairly bad, especially on buses. I found the train system there to be fantastic though. I worked in a medium size city (about half a million people), and when I was surfing around YouTube for JET apartment videos, I found one of a JET in the same city I was! I was really surprised because I thought placements were more rural than that, and on average they probably are, or perhaps the JET's in the video were on the outskirts of the city. Anyways the thing is I was able to make do with a bike and trains my whole time I was there (mostly my bike, I had an awesome shiny green one which I completely loved!). Even though I do have a license (and will be getting my international certificate) I put on my application that I prefer not to drive because I was seriously worried about driving on the other side of the road lol (since then I've had many people assure me I'll be fine, and it's pretty easy). At least I have it in case I need to rent a car (I'm thinking more for day trips further away, and perhaps a shopping trip to a furniture store). I'm really looking forward to the whole experience if I get a job with JET (and a new shiny green bike!!).

Shea, just so you know. Half a million people is way more than a medium sized city... I mean it's not Sapporo or Osaka but... For a JET 500 000 is HUGE. Within most of the JET community anything over 100 000 is a medium-large city. 500 000 you're probably looking at the capital of a prefecture. The place all the other JETs go to go shopping to get the foreign food they want etc. Those placements do exist though.

You have a license but put you can't drive..? I don't know to me that's a little bit unfair. You might take a really good placement from someone who actually can't drive. They might also put you in a placement where you're not allowed to drive at all even outside of work. I would think about that decision carefully before the interview. Driving on the other side of the road takes about 1 day or 2 to get used to. It's super easy and makes living in Japan, especially as a JET, much more convenient. You might send strange signals if you show up and they think you can't drive then you buy a car.

On the application it asks if you have a driver's license... BUT it also said to put 'no' if you have one but would prefer not to drive. I don't appreciate being attacked for my preferences, because I truly feel uncomfortable being forced to drive to work everyday if I don't feel confident doing so (they can't make you drive if you feel uncomfortable, and that's probably why they put in the subtext). Although since then I've had many people try to put my fears to rest, and now I would be willing to try out driving, but maybe for a day trip or something, but definitely not everyday for work. If it turns out I'm not allowed to drive, well then so be it, I don't mind (it was my decision to put 'no' on the application). Japan has a great transportation system. I am sure I'm not the first JET to prefer not to drive, and likely won't be the last.

I've also lived in a city with half a million people my whole life, and I live close to much larger cities with a million or more people, so half a million feels like a medium sized city to me. Although I do agree that some other people may think it is rather large if they are from a smaller city. I also know that JET usually places candidates in much smaller, and rural towns, I've read everything on the JET site like 10 times over.

To be fair to AV, your previous comment effectively states that you have a driving license, yet are unwilling to use it on JET. This does not speak particularly well for your suitability to the JET programme.

Interviewers look for flexibility and open-mindedness. By refusing to drive, despite having the ability to do so, you show a lack of flexibility and possibly a lack of self-confidence. This could seriously damage your prospects so I'd recommend that you bite the bullet and say you're willing to drive if required.

The cars are all automatic, speed limits are low and the roads are comparatively safe. It's no big deal.

[KoeiS]

I'd be wary of all this talk that it's no big deal driving on JET. In my prefecture anyway, almost everyone can and does drive. Going from conversations at orientation it's similar elsewhere also.

Some people seem to think that saying you cant / would rather not drive will lead to getting a sought-after placement in Osaka, Kyoto, Sapporo or the like but in truth it's far more likely just to hinder your chances of getting in at all. Why should someone who hasn't been bothered to put the work into getting a license be given a more convenient and / or more desirable placement than someone who has?

Having a car, or at least access to one, is utterly essential for a significant number of JETs. I'm not sure it's a great idea to suggest otherwise to current applicants when come August, they could find themselves several miles from the nearest convenience store with just a rattly old bike to get them there.

^ All that is what I was worried about. I got my (learner's) license after passing my written test, but to be behind the wheel, I must have someone 25+ years old with a valid drivers license in the passenger seat. My entire family moved out of the country 2 years ago and my friends are around my age (21) so I have no chance to practice. The only other options is driving lessons but I can't really fork out the $40/hr while having to pay for tuition.

I am trying to learn to bike (my boyfriend claims I have the worst spacial & balancing coordination which kind of reflects my progress so far...) and if having a driver's license is indeed VERY significant for JET, I can borrow money for the lessons. I would just like to know how important it really is.

[AVN]

I'd be wary of all this talk that it's no big deal driving on JET. In my prefecture anyway, almost everyone can and does drive. Going from conversations at orientation it's similar elsewhere also.

Some people seem to think that saying you cant / would rather not drive will lead to getting a sought-after placement in Osaka, Kyoto, Sapporo or the like but in truth it's far more likely just to hinder your chances of getting in at all. Why should someone who hasn't been bothered to put the work into getting a license be given a more convenient and / or more desirable placement than someone who has?

Having a car, or at least access to one, is utterly essential for a significant number of JETs. I'm not sure it's a great idea to suggest otherwise to current applicants when come August, they could find themselves several miles from the nearest convenience store with just a rattly old bike to get them there.

^ All that is what I was worried about. I got my (learner's) license after passing my written test, but to be behind the wheel, I must have someone 25+ years old with a valid drivers license in the passenger seat. My entire family moved out of the country 2 years ago and my friends are around my age (21) so I have no chance to practice. The only other options is driving lessons but I can't really fork out the $40/hr while having to pay for tuition.

I am trying to learn to bike (my boyfriend claims I have the worst spacial & balancing coordination which kind of reflects my progress so far...) and if having a driver's license is indeed VERY significant for JET, I can borrow money for the lessons. I would just like to know how important it really is.

Well you would have to do it at least 3 months prior to departure or there would be no point as you wouldn't be able to drive in Japan, so keep that in mind.
It can affect your ability to get a placement depending on the needs of the CO but having said that I know many people without licenses.

[Namisuke]

They will likely ask you about driving in your interview. I know I was asked about transportation issues, so it is good to have an answer in place for not wanting to drive that won't have a negative impact on you.