Hey everyone, it’s me, Zoe, back with another JET programme post.
Continuing from where I left off in this post, I had got my results and moved to Ibara City. But first, let me rewind for a sec.
The timeline for the UK JET Programme is as follows:
Late Jan/early Feb is interview
Early April is around when you get the actual results (unsuccessful, alternate, shortlisted) and in that email is when you’ll get your scheduled departure date which is usually end of July/beginning of August.
As I was part of the cohort just after coronavirus, our departure was eventually pushed back a few weeks due to the border restrictions at the time. I believe everything is now back to normal now though, so expect the end of July as summer departure/arrival contracts run in two "halves" from 1st Aug-31st March and 1st April-July 31st.
You find out where you are placed around the beginning/middle of June.
This is a nerve-wracking time.
JET is effectively a match-making service between you abroad, and each city hall/organisation who wants a CIR in Japan. They take into account your language skills and certifications, your country of origin, your gender, what you’ve written in your application (I had written about my interest in tourism) and to a much lesser extent, where you actually want to go.
I knew that the last one didn't count for much, but when I got my placement, I was still shocked at just how little it mattered.
Coming from Birmingham, the UK’s second largest city, this city girl was dismayed to realise she’d been placed deep in the countryside, straight BF nowhere. Despite having put down 3 major cities (but not Tokyo), I had received none of them or even anything like one. It would be a lie to say I didn’t cry. I doubted myself, I doubted the program, I doubted whether I would even go. But having worked for years to get to this point, I told myself I’d give it a go and stick it out for one year.
Spoiler alert, I’m coming up to 2 years now and have recontracted for a third, so I think we know how this turned out. Contrary to everything I expected, Ibara City in Okayama Prefecture was quite possibly the best place for me.
But that’s skipping ahead.
Having decided that I would participate in the programme, it was all about sending the necessary documents to prepare for departure. Having done this 3 times already (I applied for early departure that first year, which means all documents need to be prepared at application stage) it was a walk in the park to get the necessary materials. Also lucky for me, the coronavirus pandemic forced many things online, including my interview which I describe in this post, so materials were scanned and uploaded into the online portal (no more paper, yay!).
After that, it was just a waiting game.
In this time, you should be contacted by your placement, but YMMV (your mileage may vary). When I was waiting, I heard through the discord grapevine that CLAIR (the organising body of the JET Programme) had warned placements off from contacting their successors before a certain date. However, in true Zoe fashion, I got to stalking and quickly found my predecessor online. A facebook message later and I was able to really find out what I had signed up for.
I was lucky in that my predecessor was leaving on good terms, so was lovely and happy to help. He gave me invaluable insight on the position and ultimately his information reassured me on choosing to go. However, I definitely felt I was filling big shoes. For those like me who compare themselves to others constantly, I would like to remind you that we each bring something special to the table. You may not be as good at one thing as them, but you wouldn't have passed if you didn't have something else that made you a good fit for the job.
Anyway, sermon over. If you aren't contacted as fast as you'd like and can't find your predecessor online, I would highly recommend going onto reddit r/JETPROGRAMME and finding your relevant country discord group so you’re not waiting alone. You can also make valuable connections with your cohort before meeting them.
They plan a pre-departure orientation in London with all JETs in early July, which was super useful to meet the other ALTs/CIRs in person, and give you the chance to have an informal chat with a former CIR about their experiences.
After that, it is two weeks or so until your departure, so it’s time to get a’packing.
This post is already long enough, so I’ll end here for now, but next time, I’ll talk a bit about the lead up to departure day, the day itself and the Tokyo Orientation.
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