“You have been invited to an interview!”
As time went by, the seasons changed, and the UK grew colder. Finally, at the start of December, my email arrived. I was pleasantly surprised to have made it to the interview stage. I had read it can take multiple applications just to land an interview.
My work hours increased over the festive period, so I had little time to overthink this next step! But I started researching! What questions to expect? What to bring and most importantly what to wear!
At this point, I had been wearing a uniform for my job for almost a decade. My last job interview was 10 years ago. I suddenly realised I couldn’t remember what interviews even felt like. I found myself in the position of asking questions when we hired new employees at the company. So, suddenly being on the other side felt surreal.
For the JET interview, you should wear a smart suit. The interview will take place at the Japanese Embassy in London if you apply from England. There is an embassy in Edinburgh for those applying in Scotland. After thorough research, I deduced formal attire as the best approach. It's surprising to hear about individuals not dressing appropriately. When applying for a role that represents the country on an international level, it's imperative to make a strong and confident impression by dressing professionally.
I headed over to Ebay because it was Christmas time and I had limited funds. I hit the jackpot! I managed to score a second hand barely worn suit set for just under 100. I already had a very nice tie to match! I also read that red was considered a lucky color in Japan. So the red tie was in! You can opt for a skirt and stockings if you feel more comfortable, but I disliked the idea of having my legs on show.
My friend gave me some valuable advice: always bring a notebook. It demonstrates that you are serious, allows you to keep notes, and shows genuine interest. I am grateful for this advice as I had never thought about it before. During the interviews I conducted, it wouldn’t have been considered necessary.
I wrote down some mock answers to the commonly asked questions, and listed 3 books I would recommend to a class. I also wrote why I chose the 3 preferences I did. I had chosen Kyoto, Osaka, and Yamanashi Prefecture. Now looking back I really would have swapped Kyoto for Nagoya and maybe Osaka for Chiba. But this is why it is important to research.
It is still up for debate if your preferences play a role in any placement given. I have heard reports of people getting a preference and those who didn’t. People beg for the snow and receive a sunny island and vice versa.
The preferences simply give JET an idea of what you would pick if the option was there. It provides a talking point and also shows you have researched the country and know some places. One candidate I spoke to had left them blank and they had asked them if they knew any towns in Japan. Leaving the fields blank can be seen as being flexible. If you don't have a strong preference, this approach may be suitable for you.
Overall my advice is to dress up! research and prepare for anything and keep in mind that there will always be a question you did not prepare for. In my next entry, I will cover my own interview experience, the questions I got asked, and the curveballs I encountered.
