nikujaga
Straight outta Narita
Posts: 3
CIR Experience: Prospective CIR
Gender (Pronouns): he/him/his
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Post by nikujaga on Nov 13, 2018 8:14:55 GMT 9
Hello, aspiring CIR here! I've been lurking these forums for a couple months now and I'm really thankful for all the great information here.
I just submitted my application and now the long wait for results begins
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Post by wapiko on Nov 13, 2018 9:04:29 GMT 9
Hello, aspiring CIR here! I've been lurking these forums for a couple months now and I'm really thankful for all the great information here. I just submitted my application and now the long wait for results begins I hope we were of some help!! I can't remember when I heard back but I think it was early or mid-January. I remember I had just gotten off work and checked my email and saw that my embassy had sent the interview schedule email at 4:55. |
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Post by Leilo on Nov 13, 2018 10:57:49 GMT 9
For me it was about a month prior to my interview I think? So early January. I remember my nerves and dread continuing to build up for a month, the more I practiced...orz.
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Post by wapiko on Nov 13, 2018 11:25:53 GMT 9
I tried to binge-watch Terrace House to get my Japanese out of "rusty" status the week prior. Also Duo Lingo.
I don't think it helped but here I am xD One of my interviewers was impressed that I watched TH though! It got a smile out of his normally cool demeanor.
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Post by dr. pussy popper on Nov 14, 2018 11:50:09 GMT 9
oh christ yeah i remember the month leading up to the interview. i printed out a list of 2500 kanji and just binged them every day, over and over. didnt really help but feeling 'prepared' in a way did make me feel more calm before coming into the interviewing room?
i would also just make my japanese hulemdos ask me random questions until they were like YOURE FIND JUST STOP. GO WATCH A MOVIE OR SOMETHING.
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Post by Aya Raincoat on Nov 14, 2018 12:40:25 GMT 9
I would read some of my manga series (hadn't read Fruits Basket in so long!) and started watching Japanese Let's players. At least now I know how to say brick and molotov cocktail!
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Post by frooperyfroop on Nov 14, 2018 15:23:51 GMT 9
I would read some of my manga series (hadn't read Fruits Basket in so long!) and started watching Japanese Let's players. At least now I know how to say brick and molotov cocktail! Sorry to be off topic but, DID YOU SEE THAT IT'S GETTING A NEW ANIME? ? ? ? ?
Sadly it seems like Takaya-sensei had alot of issues with the director for the previous adaptation, so it's likely that they're going to have a new director for the new series.  Which is a pity because I really liked Daichi Akitaro's directing style; the manga was already so funny but he managed to make the anime even funnier.
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Post by rezkei on Nov 14, 2018 16:43:45 GMT 9
I would read some of my manga series (hadn't read Fruits Basket in so long!) and started watching Japanese Let's players. At least now I know how to say brick and molotov cocktail! Out of curiosity, do you have any Japanese Let's Play recs? ...what is Let's Play even called in Japanese? RETTSU PUREI? |
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Post by Ham on Nov 14, 2018 16:49:06 GMT 9
ゲーム実況
(I'd love to hear some suggestions, too.)
Also, on topic, good luck, everyone! IIRC I got my interview notification in early January, and sat for it right around the end of the month.
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hemena
Straight outta Narita
Posts: 14
Gender (Pronouns): she/her/hers
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Post by hemena on Nov 15, 2018 2:15:05 GMT 9
(I would love to hear some suggestions, too! I would also like to watch more female Japanese Youtubers, so if anyone has recommendations, please tell me. And yay for TH!)
It's interesting to see how different the application process is compared to Germany. Our application period doesn't open until mid-January, and they also haven't even updated the documents for 2019 yet. I hope they will update it sometime during December.
I've finished my statement of purpose and two of my professors are writing reference letters for me, so thankfully that's at least set already.
Good luck to everyone else for their application!
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Post by Aya Raincoat on Nov 15, 2018 9:30:46 GMT 9
frooperyfroop Woah... ok... I don't know how I feel about that, but I suppose I'm happy it will probably get the ending it deserves. I remember a recent conversation with a hulemdo where she thought Tohru ended up with Yuuki because she had only watched the anime and it didn't make her want to read the manga. rezkei Ham hemena Sorry, I only watch Anijya+Otojya and their hulemdo Otsuichi. The brothers have amazing voices (like Japanese Markiplier voices?), and some of their coop plays are really funny (if you have time, go see Twilight Syndrome, which is what got me watching them more.) I mostly watch Otojya since he plays mostly horror games. Not playthroughs, but I like the female comedy duo Nihon Elekiteru Rengou, too. And, of course, Tokyo GeGeGay, although that's mostly music. I watch most of my Japanese stuff from Recent and Popular. Oh, I also watched a tonne of YOU ha Nani Shi ni Nippon he? for a while before coming, haha. Yeah, the way it works for non-English speaking is super different it seems!
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bobo343
Straight outta Narita
Posts: 16
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Post by bobo343 on Nov 29, 2018 14:05:10 GMT 9
Hi guys, came here after trawling the subreddit for JET the past few days and saw a few people talking about this place.
I've applied as a CIR for this year's UK based JET, but I'm guessing my situation is pretty different from most. I moved to Japan in 2013 for my undergrad, which I've since graduated and I'm on the second year of my Master's. Throughout my time here I've taken maybe 900 classroom hours of Japanese, plus having used it in every day life for over 5 years now. My undergrad was pursued in English (International Relations) but my postgrad is being pursued in Japanese (International Relations again), I've worked a bunch of baito here as well, so I've gotten fairly used to practically using keigo. Japanese ability wise, I guess I can speak like a native near enough so I don't think I'll have any problems there, but I'm hoping to prepare contents wise for the interview as best I can. I was wondering if there were any UK based CIRs who could give me some advice on the interview process itself?
Any advice/past experiences at all that some UK CIRs might have would be so helpful.
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haru11
Straight outta Narita
Posts: 39 
CIR Experience: 2nd year
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Post by haru11 on Nov 29, 2018 14:58:57 GMT 9
Hi guys, came here after trawling the subreddit for JET the past few days and saw a few people talking about this place. I've applied as a CIR for this year's UK based JET, but I'm guessing my situation is pretty different from most. I moved to Japan in 2013 for my undergrad, which I've since graduated and I'm on the second year of my Master's. Throughout my time here I've taken maybe 900 classroom hours of Japanese, plus having used it in every day life for over 5 years now. My undergrad was pursued in English (International Relations) but my postgrad is being pursued in Japanese (International Relations again), I've worked a bunch of baito here as well, so I've gotten fairly used to practically using keigo. Japanese ability wise, I guess I can speak like a native near enough so I don't think I'll have any problems there, but I'm hoping to prepare contents wise for the interview as best I can. I was wondering if there were any UK based CIRs who could give me some advice on the interview process itself? Any advice/past experiences at all that some UK CIRs might have would be so helpful. Sounds like you're a pretty ideal candidate! As for content, I got asked a lot about the UK itself, and how I'd introduce it to a varied cross-section of people in a Japanese community (e.g., what kind of events, topics, etc.). Also about how Japanese society/politics is different to the UK's. Being a CIR is tbh more about knowing about/presenting on your own country rather than knowing about Japan, so I'd brush up on topical issues in the UK in general (not just politics and current affairs but pop culture, trends, and so on that might appeal to Japanese people interested in the UK). |
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Post by 𝑜𝓇𝒾𝒽𝒾𝓂𝑒 on Nov 29, 2018 15:30:19 GMT 9
Hi guys, came here after trawling the subreddit for JET the past few days and saw a few people talking about this place. I've applied as a CIR for this year's UK based JET, but I'm guessing my situation is pretty different from most. I moved to Japan in 2013 for my undergrad, which I've since graduated and I'm on the second year of my Master's. Throughout my time here I've taken maybe 900 classroom hours of Japanese, plus having used it in every day life for over 5 years now. My undergrad was pursued in English (International Relations) but my postgrad is being pursued in Japanese (International Relations again), I've worked a bunch of baito here as well, so I've gotten fairly used to practically using keigo. Japanese ability wise, I guess I can speak like a native near enough so I don't think I'll have any problems there, but I'm hoping to prepare contents wise for the interview as best I can. I was wondering if there were any UK based CIRs who could give me some advice on the interview process itself? Any advice/past experiences at all that some UK CIRs might have would be so helpful. Ooh another UK person, hey~
Well it sounds like you should be totally fine language-proficiency wise o,o
So have you been invited for interview already or are you still writing your personal statement and stuff? (I can't remember the timeline but I was pretty sure the deadline for submitting stuff was in November and I thought it took longer to hear back about the interviews)
They mostly just ask you stuff based on your personal statement thing, for example I got asked about my job in a kaitenzushi restaurant (Yo!Sushi), why I'd put the place I put as my preference, why I hadn't ticked the 'if I don't get through the CIR selection process, let me be an ALT' box, and then related to the reading comprehension passage I got, how rubbish is sorted in England and if/how we do recycling etc. Also yeah since for the personal statement they kinda ask you to write about any current affairs that would be interesting to Japanese people, I'd also recommend keeping an eye on the news and such ('cause they might ask about Brexit or sth since it's such a big thing). I also wrote about how I challenged peoples' stereotypes of Japan through my work at Yo!Sushi and said I wanted to share more about my culture as well, rather than just stereotypes like fish and chips, tea, the queen, etc. focus on how you can like, help Japan or what you can do for/teach Japanese people, and as long as you don't go on a long fan-rant about how much you love anime you should be okay. The interview is basically to ensure you're a good well-rounded individual, so if you can get that across, that'd help.
Good luck!~
Also, I have a few blog posts on the process of going from applying to be a CIR to arriving in my placement, so if those would interest you, here's a link.
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bobo343
Straight outta Narita
Posts: 16
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Post by bobo343 on Nov 29, 2018 15:42:24 GMT 9
Sounds like you're a pretty ideal candidate! As for content, I got asked a lot about the UK itself, and how I'd introduce it to a varied cross-section of people in a Japanese community (e.g., what kind of events, topics, etc.). Also about how Japanese society/politics is different to the UK's. Being a CIR is tbh more about knowing about/presenting on your own country rather than knowing about Japan, so I'd brush up on topical issues in the UK in general (not just politics and current affairs but pop culture, trends, and so on that might appeal to Japanese people interested in the UK). That's actually really useful to know, I've fallen a little out of touch with stuff back in the UK (besides Brexit...) these past five years so catching up a bit would be a big help I think. Thanks so much for your advice. Ooh another UK person, hey~
Well it sounds like you should be totally fine language-proficiency wise o,o
So have you been invited for interview already or are you still writing your personal statement and stuff? (I can't remember the timeline but I was pretty sure the deadline for submitting stuff was in November and I thought it took longer to hear back about the interviews)
They mostly just ask you stuff based on your personal statement thing, for example I got asked about my job in a kaitenzushi restaurant (Yo!Sushi), why I'd put the place I put as my preference, why I hadn't ticked the 'if I don't get through the CIR selection process, let me be an ALT' box, and then related to the reading comprehension passage I got, how rubbish is sorted in England and if/how we do recycling etc. Also yeah since for the personal statement they kinda ask you to write about any current affairs that would be interesting to Japanese people, I'd also recommend keeping an eye on the news and such ('cause they might ask about Brexit or sth since it's such a big thing). I also wrote about how I challenged peoples' stereotypes of Japan through my work at Yo!Sushi and said I wanted to share more about my culture as well, rather than just stereotypes like fish and chips, tea, the queen, etc. focus on how you can like, help Japan or what you can do for/teach Japanese people, and as long as you don't go on a long fan-rant about how much you love anime you should be okay. The interview is basically to ensure you're a good well-rounded individual, so if you can get that across, that'd help.
Good luck!~
Also, I have a few blog posts on the process of going from applying to be a CIR to arriving in my placement, so if those would interest you, here's a link.
Hey! I'm glad to see a few Brit CIRs hanging around here. I've already finished my application and submitted, the deadline was 2 weeks ago or something like that and I think invitations to interviews are in mid December some time. So I don't have an interview yet, but I'm hopeful and preparing for a best case scenario! With regards to the reading comprehension, what kind of test is it? Do they aim to stress your kanji knowledge? I passed N1 2 years ago or so but if it's something specifically taxing then maybe I should brush up on the topic for the reading side. As for the rest of your advice, it seems like brushing up on the British side of things would be a big benefit for me. Thank you for sharing your experiences with me, and I'll be sure to check your blog out! |
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Post by 𝑜𝓇𝒾𝒽𝒾𝓂𝑒 on Nov 29, 2018 15:56:29 GMT 9
Hey! I'm glad to see a few Brit CIRs hanging around here. I've already finished my application and submitted, the deadline was 2 weeks ago or something like that and I think invitations to interviews are in mid December some time. So I don't have an interview yet, but I'm hopeful and preparing for a best case scenario! With regards to the reading comprehension, what kind of test is it? Do they aim to stress your kanji knowledge? I passed N1 2 years ago or so but if it's something specifically taxing then maybe I should brush up on the topic for the reading side. As for the rest of your advice, it seems like brushing up on the British side of things would be a big benefit for me. Thank you for sharing your experiences with me, and I'll be sure to check your blog out! Yeah, we're a little outnumbered but I'm on the forums more than most people so I guess it evens out ^^;; Ahh I see, okay, I thought that may have been the case but couldn't remember for sure.
It sounds like you've got a pretty good chance of getting through though!~ ^^
Oh wow if you've got N1 you should be totally fine, I'd barely missed out on passing N2 when I did the interview and I made it (though I was actually a reserve candidate) Plus if there are Kanji you can't read (they have you read the passage aloud), just pause and the interviewers should give you the reading - I actually got the reading for one the first time it came up then forgot it the second time and they still gave me the reading, hue. The questions about the passage aren't too difficult, I was able to answer them so I would think you'd be fine. They ideally want people to have N2 level, so if you have N1 that's even better ^^ But I mean it's always good to revise if you can, I tried to do a little before the interview as well and I think it did help, at least with self-confidence a little.
Yeah, I'm not a big reader of news so I had to brush up on it as well. Also, if you can keep an eye on Japanese news as well and find things you can (logically) compare with situations in England, I think that shows good understanding and depth of knowledge. For example, in my personal statement I recalled how on my year abroad everyone would ask us about the Scotland-trying-to-become-independent thing, so I related that to the tension between the Tokyo government and Okinawa, and with Brexit I said about how it might make Britain more isolated, which Japan has experienced in the time it was closed off from the rest of the world, but how it might mean Britain would be looking more to establish more trade with Japan etc. Basically showing that you have a deep interest in both countries and what they have in common, how they link, is good.
Glad my suggestions were helpful!~ I apologise in advance that some of the blog posts are a bit long and I haven't posted anything new in a while, but I'm trying to work on that TwT;;
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bobo343
Straight outta Narita
Posts: 16
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Post by bobo343 on Dec 3, 2018 22:13:49 GMT 9
I got a call today from the JET office, I was surprised to see a number coming in from London so I answered in English and was greeted immediately with Japanese hue. They were checking some specifics with my application and schedule/ability to attend an interview in London given that I'm already here in Japan, dunno if it's any time indication for when we might start hearing back for interviews but it's a good sign I think!
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Post by 𝑜𝓇𝒾𝒽𝒾𝓂𝑒 on Dec 3, 2018 23:21:14 GMT 9
bobo343 ah yeah that sounds promising!~ hopefully you'll hear back about the interviews soon ^^
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bobo343
Straight outta Narita
Posts: 16
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Post by bobo343 on Dec 18, 2018 21:27:45 GMT 9
Just got an email inviting me to an interview in February, I recommend any other UK based CIR applicants to check their emails!
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Post by Aya Raincoat on Dec 18, 2018 22:36:10 GMT 9
Congrats!
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Post by ことしも魚ろしく on Dec 26, 2018 17:34:35 GMT 9
good luck to everybody going through the process!!
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Iris
Straight outta Narita
Posts: 12
CIR Experience: 2nd year
Location: Chiba
Gender (Pronouns): she/her/hers
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Post by Iris on Jan 4, 2019 16:56:11 GMT 9
Hello, aspiring CIR from Melbourne.
Still waiting to hear about the date of the interview.
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ninetyhugs
Straight outta Narita
Posts: 11
CIR Experience: Prospective CIR
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Post by ninetyhugs on Jan 8, 2019 16:15:38 GMT 9
Hi all! Future Singaporean CIR candidate here , been lurking around since late last year in anticipation for the results. Just received my email from the embassy stating I've been shortlisted for the interview!
A few questions, generally how difficult are the reading tests in the interviews? Also how likely are they going to make you do a lesson plan if you've tick the box to consider for an ALT position? Has anybody have any experiences with that?
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Post by Cantamen on Jan 8, 2019 17:15:20 GMT 9
From what I understand the interviews can be quite different country to country, but I (an American) was not asked to do a lesson plan despite ticking the box. I also totally messed up the reading test and was still hired somehow, so who knows! KINISHINAIDE NE~ hohoEMIsen frooperyfroop ❄icepath❄ and むちゃRABU❤ are/were all Singaporean CIRs, so they can probably give you better advice! |
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Post by bongbongbongbong on Jan 8, 2019 18:41:09 GMT 9
Hi all! Future Singaporean CIR candidate here , been lurking around since late last year in anticipation for the results. Just received my email from the embassy stating I've been shortlisted for the interview! A few questions, generally how difficult are the reading tests in the interviews? Also how likely are they going to make you do a lesson plan if you've tick the box to consider for an ALT position? Has anybody have any experiences with that? Hello. Singaporean 1st year CIR here. Did not tick the ALT box so dk about that part of the process, but the reading test is about standard simplified news article level. They will ask you questions after making you read the passage aloud so it's basically a verbally conducted reading comprehension test. Personally, I found the Japanese part of the interview easier because they don't know your level of Japanese so the interviewers won't use very difficult words or speak too fast hue (at least, that was my experience. It also helped that my Japanese interviewers looked less fierce compared to the SG interviewer hue) Congrats on getting shortlisted and all the best for the interview! |
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Post by ❄icepath❄ on Jan 8, 2019 20:53:25 GMT 9
Hi all! Future Singaporean CIR candidate here , been lurking around since late last year in anticipation for the results. Just received my email from the embassy stating I've been shortlisted for the interview! A few questions, generally how difficult are the reading tests in the interviews? Also how likely are they going to make you do a lesson plan if you've tick the box to consider for an ALT position? Has anybody have any experiences with that? First of all, CONGRATS!! I would say the reading test isn't difficult in content but I had like about 3-4 kanji terms that I couldn't read (asked for the first one and just gave up and agar-ed the rest). The questions they ask get increasingly difficult (the last one requires actual thinking, rather than lifting from the passage). I actually ticked the ALT box and mein gott I was freaking out when the guy seemingly in charge of asking ALT questions bombarded me with in-depth questions about engaging with students outside my class (I thought they'd already decided that they weren't gonna consider me for CIR, but that isn't actually the case), but I don't think you should be too hung up on them since you're not actually applying to be an ALT. Also I don't think they've got time to ask you to make a lesson plan, given that CIR interviews are already longer than ALT ones with the extra Japanese portion. Final piece of advice: wear/bring comfortable footwear because omg the walk from Orchard MRT to the embassy is freaking long. |
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Post by wapiko on Jan 9, 2019 9:27:54 GMT 9
Congrats ninetyhugs!!! I am so excited to hear about everyone who got the email for interviewing!! To anyone who received a rejection - please don’t let it get you down. You now have another 10 months to work on both your application and your Japanese and this will only help to make you a stronger candidate. |
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Post by Aya Raincoat on Jan 9, 2019 9:42:06 GMT 9
So I applied many times and checked the ALT box; I did have to do a lesson at least for half of my interviews.
The Japanese test is about N-2.
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Post by Sparkles on Jan 9, 2019 9:49:42 GMT 9
Apparently the USA interview results are out too -- congrats to all who made it to the interview! And if not, what wapiko said -- if this is something you really wanna do, next year is still there and waiting for you; hang in there and don't give up!!
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Post by frooperyfroop on Jan 9, 2019 11:35:22 GMT 9
Hi all! Future Singaporean CIR candidate here , been lurking around since late last year in anticipation for the results. Just received my email from the embassy stating I've been shortlisted for the interview! A few questions, generally how difficult are the reading tests in the interviews? Also how likely are they going to make you do a lesson plan if you've tick the box to consider for an ALT position? Has anybody have any experiences with that? First of all, CONGRATS!! I would say the reading test isn't difficult in content but I had like about 3-4 kanji terms that I couldn't read (asked for the first one and just gave up and agar-ed the rest). The questions they ask get increasingly difficult (the last one requires actual thinking, rather than lifting from the passage). I actually ticked the ALT box and mein gott I was freaking out when the guy seemingly in charge of asking ALT questions bombarded me with in-depth questions about engaging with students outside my class (I thought they'd already decided that they weren't gonna consider me for CIR, but that isn't actually the case), but I don't think you should be too hung up on them since you're not actually applying to be an ALT. Also I don't think they've got time to ask you to make a lesson plan, given that CIR interviews are already longer than ALT ones with the extra Japanese portion. Final piece of advice: wear/bring comfortable footwear because omg the walk from Orchard MRT to the embassy is freaking long. I don't have much to add to what ❄icepath❄ said, but as mentioned, if you tick the ALT box, do be prepared to answer lots of questions about what you would do if you were picked as an ALT instead of a CIR and how you would prepare for an ALT role. I was similarly taken aback at how many of these questions I was bombarded with, but I guess maybe it's just because the person in charge of asking these questions (an ang moh dude) was more aggressive about asking questions than the other Japanese interviewers. And yeah I think it's quite unlikely that they'll ask you to do a lesson plan unlike in other countries' interviews.
For the Japanese article, there were a number of words I couldn't read but I didn't bother asking how to read them, I just tried to guess the readings (cos this is what I was taught to do during school for my Chinese oral exams, haha). But a number of other people I know said they told the interviewers they couldn't read the word(s) and asked for help and it didn't penalise them in anyway.
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Which is a pity because I really liked Daichi Akitaro's directing style; the manga was already so funny but he managed to make the anime even funnier. 
