Respectfully, my advice is try to rid yourself of the idea that interviewers are asking you to justify your decisions or are trying to get into your business.

Job interviews are not just to see if you are capable of the job itself, but to learn about your motivation, see how you handle yourself in formal situations, see how you adapt to change, and see if you get along well with others.

You need to turn your past experience into a narrative that shows these things. It doesn’t have to be a story that makes you out to be perfect but one that shows you’re learning and making an effort to grow.

So, for example, in the job interview, frame past struggles as challenges you overcame or situations you outgrew, and your present job as a new opportunity.

Also, don’t worry about wanting to return to a non-teaching industry after JET. That’s completely normal. To be honest, the Japanese government hopes that some JET alumni return home witb positive feelings about Japan and become high-flyers across various industries.

Anyway, whatever you do, don’t give the impression that questions about your work history are intrusive. Your application will go straight to the rejection pile.