The JET Program: The Interview

I was freaking out on the day of the interview! I spent the entire morning getting ready and making sure that I looked perfect. The Consulate General of Japan in Miami is in Brickell, which is about a good 30-40 minute drive depending on Miami traffic. Fortunately, I had been to the Consulate many times and, since my boyfriend at one point worked at a restaurant near it, there was no problem for me to find parking. Once at the Consulate, I rode the express, Tower of Terror elevator and waited my turn with fellow JET interviewees. They were running a little behind schedule, which was no problem for me, so I chatted up the JETAA representative who was there to help. I want to say that on the outside I looked calm and collected, but on the inside I was freaking. Thank God/Oprah/Tom Cruise/and Baby Jesus for the material of the dress and clinical strength deodorant. 

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Before I knew it, I was called in for the interview. I sat in a chair facing three panelist. I was about to be grilled

Every question that was asked was expected and easy to answer. You'll need to know yourself, your application and your statement of purpose. I heard that there is usually a good cop/bad cop scenario in the interviews, but I didn't have that experience. I tried to be lighthearted and funny. For example, when they asked what I would like do in Japan, I told them I know Mt. Fuji is on everyone’s list, including mine, but that I read an article stating that they might have bungee jumping off of the Tokyo Sky Tree [see article here]. If so, I would be the first to sign up. They laughed at that, and I felt a bit more relaxed

They went through my application asking basic questions and then asked for a teaching demonstration on Halloween, my favorite holiday. I was to teach towards elementary children. I assume that I was supposed to use more Japanese, but I stuck with just basic English since I am teaching English after all. I began to draw on the board, but that didn't really seem to work, so I kicked aside the marker board and began to act out. I had the panalist repeat words after me and I gave out "candy" if they correctly said "trick or treat." I also gave a lot of praise because they'll attempt to mispronounce English words. As dumb as I felt, I'll admit I did a pretty great job. 

My teaching demo high was brought to a crashing low with the Japanese portion of the interview. My self-introduction was fairly easy. However, I also had to read a short paragraph. I sped through it but in my nervousness I did not pay attention to what I was reading. Afterwards, I sat outside and called my friend who had her interview earlier in the week and had lunch at a nearby restaurant. I did my best, but it was the toughest interview I had ever experienced. 

The JET Program: The Email

It was a Tuesday afternoon while I watched students give oral presentation as a graduate assistant for my professor's class, when I noticed my phone light up. It was a text message from my friend who also applied to the JET Program:

CHECK YOUR EMAIL!!!!

Without shame, I refreshed my email. There was a message from the Miami Consulate General stating that I had made it past the first round of applications and was asked to select an interview date. I could barely contain my joy as I not-so secretly text my loved ones about the news. The interview was on weekday, and my boss let me skip a day of class and work for the interview without any repercussions [谢谢!]. With the time and date set for my interview, I prepared for possible questions. I didn’t know anyone who previously interviewed, but I searched through forums and had a little secret help. 

Bitch! Refresh faster!

Next up, my interview outfit. I had enough BCBG suits in my arsenal from my days at Bloomingdale's. However, did I just want to be another person in a suit? It’s not that I don’t like suits or business attire but I really wanted to stand out.. Plus, the bulkiness of a suit on my petite body can be off putting. 

If I was going to be professional, it was going to be my way. Therefore, I searched online for the perfect “Michelle Obama” dress. I instantly fell in love with a long-sleeved knee-length dress in my favorite color of royal blue. It was conservative enough, but also hugged by body so that I didn't feel too matronly. I ditched my usual 5-6 inch pumps for low and sensible heels and added accessories and spanx. The next issue was my hair. At this time, my hair was about waist length and pinning it into a bun was a mission. It wasn’t just the length of my hair, but the thickness too. Moreover, the tattoo behind my ear doesn’t exactly scream “classy and professional.” Therefore, I had to fix my hair into a side and low ponytail with curled ends and a braid around the hairband. With the interview questions prepared and my outfit selected, I was ready for the JET interview. 

Ready!