JET program and/or Job opportunities.
 

I am learning Japanese and considering career choices. (I'm only 15, so it will be many years until I actually get a proper Job).

What is JET like, what are the pros/cons?

What other careers could I pursue, any advice?


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I wouldn't mind being a high school English teacher in Japan, but who knows.. I can barely speak any Japanese right now.. =.=

This is what I plan to do after I finish university, which will be about 3 & a half years away. I'm currently studying IT, which I've read in various places, is an area where foreigners living in Japan can find work. Of course, other more experienced forum members can give better insight, as I'm only 19. But I hope this helps in some way :)

Interesting, can anybody give me a rough idea of the pay?
Pros/Cons
Or maybe just what someone on the JET program actually does on a day to day basis?

On a Scottish site, I've read you can make about ¥250,000 per month. Which is around £1800, or $2800

On a day to day basis you assist native Japanese speakers who are teachers of English with their classes.

Pros:
- More immersion
- Money will most likely go further than somewhere like Tokyo
- A step up from English conversation schools
- More of an actual life (possibly owning a car, having a larger apartment, etc)


Cons:
- Possibly living in the middle of nowhere
- Teaching as a job (unless you actually like to teach)
- Relatively low pay (you could make more back home, but this is really just a means to Japan for most people)

These are just a few I considered.

I don't wanna burst your bubble, but do not get your hopes up too high for JET, by the time you will be of age to be able to come here, I am betting that JET (at least what it is now) will no longer exist.

Umm.. actually JET really is not all that bad for pay (if you are from the States), coming out of college in the States (unless you are something special) you would probably not be making much more, actually probably less, than what you are paid on JET, consider the what kind of annual income (pre-taxes) it would take to get a net pay check of roughly $3000 dollars a month. And this is only for the time being, but consider the current exchange rate as well. I think that adds up to a pretty decent salary. (of course decent is relevant to where in the States you live).

Sure, purchasing power/cost of living and all is different here, but when I was on JET I always managed to save more than 50% of every paycheck.

Interesting, well, I don't know WHAT I want to do with my life right now, but learning to speak Japanese is defiantly a high priority :P