Document Submission & Interview

As the timeline goes, I submitted my final university assignments on October 31, the deadline to submit documents was November 7, and I was due to fly out for a solo trip to Japan on the 10th. I was pressed for time and stressed out of my mind! I vageuely remember sending off a document I forgot AT the airport, at the gate before I flew out of the country. Maybe my memories are playing tricks on me, though…

I’m in the program now, though… so it all worked out in the end!

List of documents I had to submit:

• Official Academic Transcript (JP signed)University Testamur (both)
• Graduation document (statement from professor indicating prospective date of graduation) (JP signed)
• Australian Passport (JP signed)
• Statement of Purpose
• Two reference letters (one from placement mentor and another from a professor) (signed, dated, with letterheads)

Funnily enough, I forgot to attach my testamur with this slew of documents and they only followed that up with me on August 27… almost 9 months later. Once I was selected as an alternate, they then reminded me to submit two more docs – these take a bit more time and money to complete so I would suggest handling these earlier than I did…

Remaining documents:

• Certificate of Health (with Xray < 6 months old, eyesight, blood tests, urinalysis, and learning disabilities)
• National Police Check/Criminal Record submission (> $50 and can take 24-48 hours to come through, it can be done online)

Ah, yes. I distinctly remember rushing this Health Certificate while I was working at school. I’ll say this multiple times throughout this blog, but the JET Programme is not very friendly to those of us with full time jobs… I almost thought I wouldn’t be able to submit this on time. Mostly because of the urinalysis I had to get redone and my eyesight records which I thought I had to get from my optometrist. But again… it eventually all worked out! Somehow?!

I flew out and had a great time in Japan for 10 days, at Tokyo, Kyoto, and Hiroshima. The final day was hilariously chaotic as I booked my return flight from Narita at 1pm and I was still in Hiroshima by 6am… so I had to catch a 6am bullet train and… pray. Speaking of pray, I tossed my yen into whichever shrines I stumbled across. I prayed that I would be able to make it into this programme, that I would end up living happily no matter what I chose, that I would be successful as a first year teacher, and that somehow, the universe would show me signs about what I should do.

I arrived back home to then delve straight into back-to-back shifts at my casual job as a traffic controller. I’m talking 3 days in a row, one day break, 2 days in a row, etc. I worked as much as I humanly could, saved money, hung out with my friends, ran dance rehearsals with my crew, and attended a faculty planning day for school on the 10th of December, and finally, I graduated on the 19th! I brought my parents and best friends to my university, donned my robes, and an entirely too-small black dress as well as uncomfortable shoes, just to look pretty on stage. After seven years, it was but a scratch. I couldn’t have been happier and I consider those weeks to be a golden time in my life where I mentally transitioned into becoming ready for the challenges that lay ahead no matter what they turned out to be.

The day before I graduated, I was emailed to say that I had landed the interview with JET which doubled my excitement.

I remembered texting my friends as soon as I found out. Our messages are a large reason why I’m able to remember these dates! They emailed me again on the 12th of Jan with an interview date, and requeted that I fill out and bring two things:

• Interview voucher with passport-style photos
• Health certificate (optional depending on whether you identified you could do the early departure) (again, recommended to get this done and over with)

On the 20th of Jan I had school orientation for three days before school started the next week on the 27th. The week after that, the interview fell on a Thursday so if you could imagine it, I had to write my very first supervisions for my classes while I attended the interview. I straightened my hair and wore my best blazer and white shirt.

In the midst of the interview, information, and my nerves about teaching, I thought I would make myself manifest I would pass the interview and make it in, every day before school. I added it to my self care app, and put up a map of Japan on my desk, so that when I looked at it, I would remember my goals and aspirations. Time passed, though. One month and then another. I removed the manifestation from my list of priorities, was getting better at handling my students and school processes, and began to re assess my mindset and approach to things as well as my priorities.

I decided I would embrace whatever happened and I was no longer sitting at the edge of my seat. That wasn’t a bad thing though. I just had two things I loved very much, with one being an added benefit and a side quest if I made it in. And if I didn’t, I would get to spearhead the implementation of Japanese at our high school and continue improving and making connections as a teacher. There was absolutely no way I could lose!

It was my birthday on April 10. I met with my placement mentor, Claire, to get coffee and while sitting together, we joked about how funny it would be if I got my interview results in that moment. Life has a funny way of pulling shenanigans on you because I did, in fact, get my results right then and there.

There’s one main document you have to submit with this:

• Alternate Reply Form

I had mixed feelings, mostly positive. I was glad to not have been rejected, but I also wished I had made it in with the standard-start applicants. I was glad to have gotten the news on such a day, but I dreaded the lack of clarity that would inevitably follow. Nevertheless, my mentor was a huge help, being there when I needed her the most to discuss the ramifications of this news. I called my parents on the way home, and informed my superiors at school.

At this point it was becoming awkward to have told everyone I applied for this thing, but that I may not make it in till December at the absolute latest. More time passed. One month, then two. I quit my dance crew, and sat on the water after, thinking about how many new beginnings I just opened myself up to, and how much I’ve grown to respect myself that I can let go of something that formed so much of my identity.

Three months. It was July, and most applicants were starting to leave. This was the most likely time for upgrades to happen, but I got nothing. I wasn’t waiting for it. I spent my time continuing to focus on school, and felt like I was really good at putting JET away like a suitcase in my mental wardrobe when I had to focus on what needed my attention the most.

And finally the four month mark. I began telling people it wouldn’t happen, and Term 3 had begun. We planned to prepare for 2027 Japanese and I was most looking forward to that. However, on August 6, I got a call in the middle of my class. I let it ring out thinking it was nothing I couldn’t follow up afterwards. I couldn’t have been more wrong.

“Oh, shit,” were my exact words upon seeing THAT in my recents. It was followed up by this email.

To be perfectly honest, no point in that day would have been convenient, and no part of it could have prepared me for when our coordinator said “congratulations” on the phone. But most of all, nothing could have prepared me for the idea that I only had 24 hrs to decide whether I wanted to accept or decline. I was sent this follow up email with more details:

At this point, I’m royally freaking out. Bursting into nerves, excitement, tension, stress, confusion, shock, all at once. I couldn’t tell anyone either – I had a meeting and a class to teach. Ah… JET isn’t really friendly to full time workers. So, I waited till we had a break in the meeting to tell two of my heads of department, and they were supportive. I told another, she was supportive too. Of me going, that is.

My heart already knew I was going to accept. It was the idea of letting go of school that got me. It’s like watering a plant that you then have to leave to someone else to nourish. I negotiated teaching Term 4 before I go, but with the unclear departure dates, it was very set in stone that I would be finishing in Term 3 indefinitely.

I told the principal, he freaked out a little. Then warmed up to it as it was my dream. I beelined to my mentor’s house that evening after I told my parents, which is where I emailed the principal to inform him I would be accepting and would like to talk about it more the following day. Thank the stars one of the heads of department was willing to come and support me in this meeting so I wouldn’t be alone.

The meeting went well. I taught my classes. Began to mentally process and tell my closet friends and family. It was all quite turbulent, but eased out into calmer waters toward the end. And as I wait for more information, I can’t help but reflect on all of this and think, wow…

Life can really change in an instant.

But it’s all about what you make of it.