My Story (new)

If this survey shows one thing it is that "every situation really is different".

When CLAIR say "every situation is different" they infer that "situation" refers to things like work hours, geographical location and academic level of school.

In reality "different" can mean the difference between being beaten up by your students or having students that form their own English club. It can mean the difference between receiving large subsidies for your excellent apartment or being charged 2,000 US dollars key money to live in an apartment with no electricity, running water and high rent.

It can mean the difference between going to a school where many friendly teachers speak English and going to a school where ten words are spoken to you all year and your kocho sensei molests you.

It can mean the difference between teaching over 20 classes a week on your own and only acting like a human tape recorder in your two classes a week.

MAKE SURE YOU KNOW EXACTLY WHAT YOUR PREDECESSOR THINKS ABOUT YOUR SITUATION BEFORE YOU LEAVE FOR JAPAN. After your arrival there is no support for you. If your employers do not wish to give you your predecessor's contact information the chances are they have something to hide.

This is by far the most important advice a prospective JET can hear.

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