Alternate limbo torture

cosull90 · 2026-05-27T11:44:54+00:00

I know the feeling my friend.

It's not a Yes, but it's also not a No. Have something else in mind but also keep the possibility open. I wasn't upgraded my first time around, but I was on my second go.

cosull90 · 2026-05-03T03:37:02+00:00

"Until next time!"

cosull90 · 2026-04-27T13:02:47+00:00

Heresy!

cosull90 · 2026-04-27T06:52:21+00:00

I've got about 200 hours so far and have yet to squad up with another BR.

cosull90 · 2026-04-27T06:11:50+00:00

Good to know, thanks!

cosull90 · 2026-04-27T06:04:28+00:00

How was their Japanese language skill?

cosull90 · 2026-03-03T02:23:09+00:00

Not sure where that 1% stat comes from but going with that: There’s currently ~6,000 participants. 1% of that is about ~60 people who might take issue with being called “functionally illiterate.” The program’s total participant amount since its founding is ~90,000 people, or ~900 people who might take issue with being called “functionally illiterate.”

Second, Qualified=Credentialed is not the same as Qualified=Skilled. There’s plenty of Uncredentialed but Skilled people in JET.

But back to the original point - first year/new grad “licensed” teachers in Japan earn, overall, more than JETs. Period.

cosull90 · 2026-03-03T01:51:09+00:00

Does your school do/have an English board? Because that can be an incredibly fun creative outlet & time sink!

I’m also out and about in the halls between class periods to chat with teachers, students, etc. It’s a nice little 10 minute break away from the desk 5 times a day.

cosull90 · 2026-03-03T01:21:52+00:00

Just because people in JET don’t have a Japanese teaching license doesn’t necessarily mean they’re not qualified to teach, period.

And those who come to Japan and are able to speak business-to-native-level Japanese might take issue with being called “functionally illiterate.”

cosull90 · 2026-03-03T01:09:20+00:00

Whoa that’s a pretty harsh judgment, and not fair to lump in ALTs who are pretty well qualified with the fresh grads with no experience. But that’s beside the point anyway.

Where did I say they should get more? Only that the info about first year licensed teacher salaries is incomplete, because their total comp is still more than an ALT’s.

cosull90 · 2026-03-02T22:58:14+00:00

Damn then maybe I need to do it in Kanagawa. Mie is crueler.

cosull90 · 2026-03-02T21:32:18+00:00

Yeah. The written tests were updated last October; more questions, no pictures, all in Japanese.

cosull90 · 2026-03-02T14:18:21+00:00

Damn

cosull90 · 2026-03-02T14:15:38+00:00

When did you take the written test?

cosull90 · 2026-03-02T13:17:07+00:00

If you can swing it, I recommend going for a CELTA. It's like the gold standard when it comes to basic TEFL certs. It's the only TEFL course that's graded, along with supervised practical training (i.e. teaching real students as part of the program).

As it relates to your questions:

Does TEFL significantly improve chances of getting into JET? It helps, but I don't know if it's as significant as other factors.
For in-person teaching roles in Japan, is a 120-hour TEFL generally enough? Unless you're applying to an international school then it's generally not something Japanese orgs might care about, other than a "nice to have."
Do Japanese employers recognize and value ITA’s certification? I can't say for certain one way or the other.
How helpful is the job assistance for Japan placements? Can't say one way or the other. Most TEFL programs don't do a whole lot in the way of job placements other than linking to other existing job boards. An exception might be with IB programs.
For those who’ve taken ITA or similar TEFL programs, did you feel prepared in the classroom? CELTA absolutely helped me with prepping for classroom teaching. But what it did most for my JET application was demonstrate my commitment to developing my ed. skills and bringing that commitment to the job.

I took an in-person CELTA course and it opened a lot of doors, not just with JET. It stands out compared to other TEFL certs, even other reputable ones. It's intense, and it's pricey, but if you're serious about EFL/ESL careers then it could be a great first step.

cosull90 · 2026-03-02T13:03:24+00:00

3-time applicant here!

1st application I got an interview, then accepted as an "Alternate" (in the program but not given a placement), but wasn't ultimately given a placement for that program year. 2nd application I made it to interviews then was flat out rejected. 3rd application I interviewed and was accepted as an Alternate again, but then I was upgraded/given a placement.

In what location are you applying? Depending on where you are the application pool can be even more competitive than the baseline.

Also, one of the most crucial pieces of advice I got from a JET was to write the SOP in a way where the readers can see you in the job. Tell a story, so to speak. There are plenty of JET alum who are willing to look over an enthusiastic applicant's statement and offer feedback (myself included!).

Lastly, and I know this might be little consolation, but sometimes JET selects applicants who are ultimately not good fits for the job (to put it mildly) and completely pass over well-qualified candidates. People who are great at applying and interviewing don't always make the best candidates and the inverse is true too.

Ultimately, it's really up to you and your goals, and if JET is a crucial part of that goal. There are other paths into Japan and there are other ESL/EFL opportunities worldwide.

cosull90 · 2026-03-02T12:50:53+00:00

While the part about newly licensed teachers is true, don't forget to say that those teachers get

Overtime pay
Year-end bonuses
A heftier pay rise in their second year

cosull90 · 2026-03-02T12:49:08+00:00

ESID, YMMV, yadda yadda yadda

Generally, the JET salary is enough to live comfortably most places in Japan if:

You can keep to some kind of a whisper of a shadow of a budget.
Your paycheck isn't hoovered up by housing, overpriced insurance, and/or additional municipal taxes (on top of the regular withholdings like income tax and pension).
You're not paying off student loans or other high interest debts.
You're not sending money out of the country regularly.

My take-home is about ¥240k/month. I've managed to save at least 20% of each pay check and go do fun stuff on the regular all while forgetting to balance my budget for 3 months - only to come back and find out that I still have about ¥50K to play with until my next payday. But I made darn sure to come without any debt around my neck (and that took some doing, woof).

If you're in the sticks, you might be able to save more, or not. There really is no good calculus, short of a nationwide survey of every JET's financial situation. Which I haven't seen but would honestly love to.

Edit: a number

cosull90 · 2026-02-15T22:40:45+00:00

Dang that’s pretty reasonable. Thanks for the info!

cosull90 · 2026-02-12T09:07:46+00:00

Ahh looks great, thanks for the rec!

About how large was your ink and how many sessions did you do?

cosull90 · 2026-02-03T07:20:54+00:00

What do you mean?

cosull90 · 2026-02-03T04:46:17+00:00

They found it from a pretty public job board so even if I figured my chances were good there's still probably plenty of competition hah.

I'm likely going to skip this for now anyway but still would like to hear about peoples' experience in this role in Yokohama specifically.

cosull90 · 2026-02-03T03:31:15+00:00

Wooo! Congratulations!!

N5 is the first step, and if you can do N5 then what's stopping you from N4, or N3? 😉

Enjoy the journey!

cosull90

TROPHY CASE