JET Interview!

[TrendSeven]

Today I got excited because I was finally notified that I have an interview with the consulate on Valentine's Day! I can not wait! :bwitch:

Anyone else get an acceptance email? :hat:

[jindojim]

Yep :) I'm happy, but it ain't over yet.

[JusenkyoGuide]

Congratulations!

[Matt W]

Yeah, I got one today too. I am excited, but am nervous for the interview.

[羽之助]

I felt like crying after my interview. Be prepared for one of your interviewers to fall asleep on the desk during the classroom role-play.

[kitsunepixie]

Congratulations! :clap:

If you have any questions, don't hesistate to ask. I interviewed in Chicago for a CIR position and here I am, though I made myself sick from the anxiety of having to interview once in English and a second time in Japanese. :duh: You gotta charm the pants of them! Be passionate, and show your enthusiasm for what you can bring to the JET Program! It sounds like you are far more prepared on what to expect about Japan than a lot of the other interviewees, and I know you'll do fine!

[Chinpokomon]

Today I got excited because I was finally notified that I have an interview with the consulate on Valentine's Day! I can not wait! :bwitch:

Anyone else get an acceptance email? :hat:
Congratulations!

On another note, your smilies make no sense.

[SoulPlay]

On a sidenote, does a CIR and ALT have the same salary?

[Invictus]

Yes to Tenma.

[jingi893]

got mine this morning...good luck to all

[Vic_Rattlehead]

Good luck chaps!

My friend has just got an interview too I believe, he has to travel to London for it! Quite the journey!

[jingi893]

Congratulations! :clap:

If you have any questions, don't hesistate to ask. I interviewed in Chicago for a CIR position and here I am, though I made myself sick from the anxiety of having to interview once in English and a second time in Japanese. :duh: You gotta charm the pants of them! Be passionate, and show your enthusiasm for what you can bring to the JET Program! It sounds like you are far more prepared on what to expect about Japan than a lot of the other interviewees, and I know you'll do fine!
actually...if you would be willing...could you possibly post a brief synopsis of your interview...and what questions they asked...as i've done the research i've found that a lot of sights don't contain any real information...or the people don't ask the right questions...i don't know how many times i've seen this "i have a degree in (nose picking/basketweaving/rocket science)...will that be okay for jet?"...if you don't want to...no prob...just thought it would help ease the tension/stress...i've always found the anxiety of the un-known is a killer...

[TommyA]

Haha, everyone is getting theirs, but I got DENIED! Poor me! Haha. Oh well, time to use my BS in Visual Communication for something else.

[kitsunepixie]

Yes, CIRs and ALTs do get paid exactly the same. All JETs do, even though each person's work and living situation may vary widely. Some JETs may live in ultra cheap housing that is super close and convenient to where they work, and get a bajillion days off a year (seems especially true of my ALT friends..."Oh, your students have tests this week, so you can take a trip or something"). Others spend a good chunk of what they get on living/commuting expenses and work their asses off, and get fewer days off to boot. :bored:

My interview was divided into two parts, English and Japanese.

English Interview:
A panel of three judges, a Japanese lady and Japanese man who worked for the consulate, and an American lady who had been a CIR herself. The past CIR who was part of the panel seemed quite shy and nervous herself, which actually put me more at ease b/c it reminded me that the interviewers were human, too!

Anyway, they asked me a lot about my CV, my past experience studying abroad in Tokyo, and my hobbies. Things that they asked about myself included my dream of becoming a doctor, my past experiences volunteering at a psychiatric center (I entertained them with stories of my favorite clients), and my interest in martial arts (they thought it was funny that a sweet, petite blonde girl like myself was a kickboxer). Some sample questions they asked to test my ability to adapt included:

What would you do if you had to teach elementary school students about Western culture (something a lot of CIRs have to do)?
Luckily, I had done that several times as an exchange student, and it was actually something that I really enjoyed doing. I told the interviewers about how the students would react when I told them something that shattered their stereotypes about Americans, and they quite entertained.

What would you do if someone in your office sexually harrassed you?
I explained how I was familiar with how office relations were different in Japan (some of the things a Japanese boss would say to a worker would considered uncomfortable but innocent here but sleazy in the States), and that I was not uptight enough to become irrationally offended in a case in which there may have been a misunderstanding. I also said that if the situation was a dangerous one (and I have been stalked before), that I would talk to one of my supervisors (in case my immediate head he was the culprit!) or the authorities if the situation escalated. If I was facing potential bodily harm, well...(*struck a kickboxing stance*) They seemed satisfied enough with this response. The sexual harrassment thing really hasn't been an issue where I was placed, either; I work in an office that is 80% women, and they specifically requested a female CIR (all their previous CIRs had been men). We talk a lot about PMS. Maybe that's why they requested me. :duh:

Japanese Interview
Had a cute Japanese lady who was a teacher somewhere in Chicago give me some articles to read aloud, then she asked me questions to test my reading comprehension. That was pretty much it.

An aside: I had to make special arrangements with them to interview late in the evevning since that day I had a major exam that I couldn't skip (cat lab) and it was the only week they were interviewing for the CIR positions (and I live like 6 hours away from Chi.), so they seemed to be in a hurry to get the hell out of there, which I took personally at first. I thought I did well but the attitude toward the end made me feel like I blew it, but yeah...they were just ready to go home! So yeah...keep that in mind if you interview late in the evening.

[jingi893]

kitsunepixie - thanks for taking the time...i think we all appreciate it....

[羽之助]

In my interview, after going through the usual 'What makes you think you're actually good enough to get in?' rigamarole and the questions like 'what would you do if this happened or this happened?' (expect the worst, and think of an answer - exactly as kitsunepixie posted. For example, what happens if you don't get your placement request (which you won't)? What will you do if you get posted somewhere where NOBODY speaks any English whatsoever? What will you do if your JTE is incredibly jealous of you and hates you and just sticks you in a corner for the day to occasionally read from the textbook? What if your apartment is all by itself on the other side of town and you have zero social contact?

Second half of my ALT interview was a classroom roleplay. The older Japanese gentleman kindly said 'It's your first day in a school. The Japanese Teacher of English is nowhere to be found. The principal puts you in the class with the students and tells you to start, then leaves. You have no preparation. Act out what you would do. Now.' And then put his head down on the desk and started to snore.

[mawande]

Vic, I was not hired when I interviewed. At this point, being as how it was over eight years ago, I no longer remember whether I interviewed for JET or NOVA. Either way, I was heartbroken. So I went and was proactive and am living happily ever after because I lucked into a great situation. But this was not without TRYING.

[TrendSeven]

Second half of my ALT interview was a classroom roleplay. The older Japanese gentleman kindly said 'It's your first day in a school. The Japanese Teacher of English is nowhere to be found. The principal puts you in the class with the students and tells you to start, then leaves. You have no preparation. Act out what you would do. Now.' And then put his head down on the desk and started to snore.
Haha. So, what did you do?

I didn't know there would be a roleplay. Now I can prepare for that. Thanks for all of the great responses and good luck to all of the others that have an interview.

[羽之助]

I did a silly walk and acted supergenki. I think I broke chalk when I drew a map of where I was from. I always break chalk ... The old man said 'What the hell is he talking about?' in Japanese when I asked where he was from in English, so I repeated my sentence in J ... I guess, use Japanese only when necessary?

I felt sick after that interview.

[Daddaluma]

I did a silly walk and acted supergenki. I think I broke chalk when I drew a map of where I was from. I always break chalk ... The old man said 'What the hell is he talking about?' in Japanese when I asked where he was from in English, so I repeated my sentence in J ... I guess, use Japanese only when necessary?

I felt sick after that interview.

heh . . . They tried to make me do a roleplay, but I totally didn't get the point. To be fair, they phrased the buildup and prompt differently. The guy said to me, "Your Japanese teacher comes up to you 5 minutes before a lesson and says, sorry, I can't make it to class, please teach it by yourself. This situation might come up at your job, and you're going to have to make some lesson plans, so make a lesson plan." I just floundered around asking questions like, "What? What are you talking about? Wouldn't there be some lesson plan to work with already? Wouldn't I have a book or a topic to work with? I'm confused. . . Do you want me to just make up some random thing to teach the kids right now?" And then I just proceeded to explain what I would try to teach in that situation rather than act it out.

I still got in.

[JusenkyoGuide]

For some reason, I never had to do the role play. But it could have been because I held two education degrees and was coming in with loads of classroom experiance.

I got asked a lot about why Japan, what I hoped to do while on JET, and what I was planning to do after JET.

I also got asked if I had watched a certain samurai drama with Yoshida Shoin in it, and why I was engaged to a woman from Hagi when women from Hagi have a reputation in Japan as being very strong and stuborn women (I had to stop said fiancee from Hagi from going back to the hotel and trying to bite the interviewer after she heard that).

[Komachi Angel]

From what I was told, the interview is mostly designed to see if you are a stable and somewhat outgoing person. This is to say, they are looking to see how well they think you are going to survive the transition into life in Japan.

You will be asked any number of questions, from 'why do you want to be part of the JET program?' to 'can you do your own laundry and keep your house clean?'.

Good ways to shoot yourself in the foot would be to give the impression that you might have a lot of difficulty in adjusting, you don't have much of an aim in going, or any of that sort of thing. Just keep being genki, and show them you are going to make it just fine.

If you are going for CIR, I suggest you learn a bit more about recent events in Japan - things from last year included topics like 'Ore ore sagi' and the like, so come with a bit of prehand knowledge on what is going on and you are in good stead.

ALTs may or may not have a demo lesson. Don't be too nervous - there is only so much you can do on the spot, and they will know that. What you have to do is show you have at least a basic idea of how teaching works. Remember - you may not have taught before in your life, but if you're going for JET, then it means you have around 16 years (probably most of ones life) spent *being* taught. Remember what worked, and how your teachers acted, and you will be fine.

Good luck, all.

[Pierrot le Fou]

Show that you're interested in Japan. Don't start ranting about anime, but show that you have a genuine interest in Japan as a whole as a country. You're applying to live and work in Japan after all, and if you say, "I've always wanted to live in another country..." or "I'm young so I want a new experience..." without giving reasons why that experience should be in Japan, it may not come off so well.

Show that you are not going to flake out and disappear within a year. Plane fare and orientation money is expensive. It also causes some serious problems if you cut out with no replacement. So be sure to show that you can handle living there, can deal with tough situations without freaking out, and are a generally likeable person who coworkers can get along with. As a side-note, saying that you want to live in Japan forever is not the best idea, because they want you to go back and tell everyone how great Japan is.

Finally, be professional. That means try to speak clearly, dress professionally, be early, be prepared, look over the materials you sent to them (because they'll likely ask you questions pertaining to them), and generally show that you're serious. Lots of people don't even bother to wear a suit, and that baffles me.

[jindojim]

Wow, are you serious PLF?? There are actually people who come in w/o a suit?! I thought that was common sense for any interview...looking professional, acting professional, speaking clearly, and being confident. And making constant eye contact.

Every man should have a suit -_-

[Vic_Rattlehead]

I dunno what you would class as a 'suit'. However for formal interviews I normally opt for; shirt,tie,trousers and polished shoes.

I don't wear a blazer or anything.

[jindojim]

http://www.themorningnews.org/archives/editorial/mens_fashion_part_1_suits.php

A suit is a suit. As in blazer, shirt, tie, matching slacks, and polished shoes. It's a mandatory part of a man's wardrobe. Get one and wear it to the interview. Sorry, maybe I shouldn't be giving advice since I'm one of the people being interviewed. But it seems so fundamental.

Oh, I thought of a question though about the JET interview. How long is the interview itself? And if someone could describe exactly what happens as soon as you at the consulate for the interview to the time you walk out of the interview, that would be great.

[TrendSeven]

Of course a suit! No jacket = no suit. Does someone need to borrow some back issues of GQ?

[JusenkyoGuide]

A suit is a suit. As in blazer, shirt, tie, matching slacks, and polished shoes. It's a mandatory part of a man's wardrobe. Get one and wear it to the interview. Sorry, maybe I shouldn't be giving advice since I'm one of the people being interviewed. But it seems so fundamental.
Seriously, yes. It's time to get a full suit, slacks, jacket, the whole nine yards. You're going to need it in Japan anyway (a word of advice though, remember that the Japanese are very conservative. Remember that when suit shopping).

Oh, I thought of a question though about the JET interview. How long is the interview itself? And if someone could describe exactly what happens as soon as you at the consulate for the interview to the time you walk out of the interview, that would be great.
In San Francisco at least, mine took 20 minutes. You were supposed to check in with the desk no eailer than a half an hour before hand. Then you get to wait for a bit. I spent the time chatting with the ex-JETs who were there about their program experiances (hey, every bit helps).

About five minutes before the time, I was called into the hall to wait on the chair outside the door, told good luck and left to stew in my own juices and get seriously nervous. Finally I was called in and interviewed for about 20 minutes.

After it was all done, that was that. I was thanked, given a sheet of paper saying what happens next (mainly, wait till May), said good bye to and I was off on my merry way.

[Pierrot le Fou]

Get one nice suit. Black. Get a nice tie. Get a nice shirt. Wear it to the interview, and then bring it to Japan and wear it for when you meet your contracting organization (if you get accepted).

Then put it away for everything but graduations, weddings, funerals, or whatever.

For usual suit-like occasions, buy a 6000 yen off-the-rack suit in Japan. They're all over. Or go to Vietnam or Thailand and have one custom made for you for about $100 US (but God it'll be a sweet suit). The Japanese wear suits a lot. Therefore there are many cheap suits here. They look cheap, but who cares? You have the good suit for important occasions.

[jingi893]

Get one nice suit. Black. Get a nice tie. Get a nice shirt. Wear it to the interview, and then bring it to Japan and wear it for when you meet your contracting organization (if you get accepted).

Then put it away for everything but graduations, weddings, funerals, or whatever.

For usual suit-like occasions, buy a 6000 yen off-the-rack suit in Japan. They're all over. Or go to Vietnam or Thailand and have one custom made for you for about $100 US (but God it'll be a sweet suit). The Japanese wear suits a lot. Therefore there are many cheap suits here. They look cheap, but who cares? You have the good suit for important occasions.
so IF you get in...what do you *edit*wear to class?...i.e, how casual is it...or not...

[Rogue_7]

Yeah you guys are lucky that way. I got to wear a suit to the interview. A suit to training, and a suit every day. Man, before June I didn't even know how to tie a tie! and Now I'm an expert!

[Pierrot le Fou]

Dress code depends on the school. The better dressed the better (obviously).

Things to Avoid:
- Jeans
- Track suits
- T-shirts
- Shorts

Basically, I wear a collared shirt (or a sweater, or both), khakis or cordoroys, and real socks (read: not gym socks). Nobody complains. The more ambitious get off the rack suits in bulk and wear those every day. You will likely get more respect if you do.

I'm shocked at how many people didn't realize they had to wear a suit. Or should wear a suit. It's funny that right after mentioning that he couldn't believe such people existed, someone immediately chimed up with, "What's a suit?"

Quality.

[JusenkyoGuide]

so IF you get in...what do you where to class?...i.e, how casual is it...or not...
Adding in, I wear a shirt and tie everyday, with a nice v-neck sweater in the winter on top of that. I also wear slacks, but I do get to wear nice thick tube socks. I suspect that no one says anything because 1, it's really too cold to wear dress socks, two, everyone's inside shoes are tennis shoes/sandals so who's really going to complain what that combination?

[jindojim]

so IF you get in...what do you WHERE to class?...i.e, how casual is it...or not...

Good thing you got past the written application to interview :P Jk...unless we happen to be competitors :yuck:

[mikem]

Or go to Vietnam or Thailand and have one custom made for you for about $100 US (but God it'll be a sweet suit).

It's seriously almost worth going to Thailand just for this. I got two very sweet suits custom made for me for $150 US. They fit me so perfectly and look so good.

Also Thailand is big on silk so you can get nice ties for about $15 a piece. (Or maybe that was for two. I haven't been in a few years.)

[jingi893]

Good thing you got past the written application to interview :P Jk...unless we happen to be competitors :yuck:
did :clap: and unless your from socal...which you aren't...i don't think we are competitors...from the numbers they post online...i assume that they try to pick a diverse group...

[litost]

Can somebody talk a bit about standards of dress for women? I've been looking for a pantsuit that's not too pricey (to no avail) because I'm not sure about the jacket/skirt combination I have now. Overall it's pretty professional, except for the fact that I've gained some weight recently so the skirt doesn't quite come down to my knees anymore. Also, this may seem stupid, but would it be okay to wear my dressy black-heeled boots with a skirt? They're nice and close-fitting to my calf (NOT big, furry mucklucks), and I frequently wear them to upscale restaurants, but I don't know about job interviews. Can someone help me?

[Zensouken]

A suit for a man is the equivalent of a handbag to a woman, it's like unfathomable not to have one.

Men should really have one in black and one in grey, and the third doesn't matter.

[JusenkyoGuide]

Can somebody talk a bit about standards of dress for women? I've been looking for a pantsuit that's not too pricey (to no avail) because I'm not sure about the jacket/skirt combination I have now. Overall it's pretty professional, except for the fact that I've gained some weight recently so the skirt doesn't quite come down to my knees anymore. Also, this may seem stupid, but would it be okay to wear my dressy black-heeled boots with a skirt? They're nice and close-fitting to my calf (NOT big, furry mucklucks), and I frequently wear them to upscale restaurants, but I don't know about job interviews. Can someone help me?
Good rule of thumb, walk into a professional buisness office, what they're wearing there is good. ;)

Women can get away with pantsuits, and as long as it's not a very short skirt, it would be ok. Hmmm. I'd trade the boots in for a nice pair of short heels or pumps though.

[gyoza]

A suit for a man is the equivalent of a handbag to a woman, it's like unfathomable not to have one.

Men should really have one in black and one in grey, and the third doesn't matter.

I'm cheap... I own one suit. It's dark blue, but looks black or grey depending on what light it's under. :)

[immi]

And what about female dress code during school hours? I know it's always a harder line to draw with women, but assuming jeans and mini skirts are out, what can I expect to wear every day? Are pretty dresses okay? Or should I still wear a suit? How do the Japanese feel about women in pants? Do you always have to wear stockings and heels or are nice flats okay?

Sorry, so many questions. ;_;

[litost]

I'm curious about the answer to immi's question as well. Can't someone help us?

[kitsunepixie]

I can't really answer for ALTs, but my friends seem to dress in stuff from the GAP. Khakis or twead pants, a cute top, jacket...Jeans are a "no."

CIRs are kind of here and there...My office is very laid-back, and I found that my nice button-down blouse and black slacks were a bit too dressy to fit in when I first arrived (thank goodness, since that image isn't exactly "me"). My coworkers all kind of dress to fit their individual tastes...one girl wears peasant shirts, long flowing skirts, and cowboy boots, and another girl came in wearing a black skirt with tennis shoes one day. I usually have fun with fashion and wear about anything but jeans or T-shirts. For special events, I wear a black skirt suit. It's good to be a girl sometimes. :gwitch:

[Lisa M]

I'm so pissed. I had this great pink cotton summer pantsuit. 3/4 sleeves. I got the $100 suit for $27. Pants had to be taken in at the back and taken up, but that's okay, I'm a seamstress, and I saved $70.

I take the pants in so that they're perfect. They fit like a glove.

I wash them, and put them in the dryer on low tumble, as they are machine wash and dryable.

Problem is, I am at my grandmother's house, and she walks by and goes "AAAAH INEFFICIENCY!"

I now have a suit with pants that are exactly 1" too short, and can't be taken out because I already customized them for me.

[/rant]

Basically, I'm also having problems finding a nice suit that isn't $150 and polyester. Natural fibers, please! I'm thinking I'm just going to get a below-the-knee skirt suit because I can't deal with the pants issue anymore.

[TrendSeven]

Lisa M, are you in Japan? I have no idea where in Usofa I would find a suit for $100, let alone $27. Or are girls suits less expensive?

Also, INTERVIEW IS TOMORROW!

[Lisa M]

I'm in America. The suit was probably closer to $130 or so, but it was cotton, not a super-formal suit, and was on super-mega-clearance. Buy one get two for free. Since the suit was separates, and the pants were the most expensive and on sale for $27, that's what I got the whole thing for. Plus a hat.

[JusenkyoGuide]

Immi,

To answer your question, but first...

1. I am a guy, so please take everything with a grain of salt.
2. I did have to sit and listen to about an hours worth of questions about this in San Francisco and again in Tokyo so...

Conservative is what you should strive for at the begining. Think of how women dress at, say, JC Penney's or other nice department stores. Not suits per se, but business casual is the order of the day, and pants are more than fine (I'd actually recomend that as it gets cold here and the schools are not really heated well). Once you're in the school you can check out how the other female teachers dress.

One word of caution is NEVER have any exposed midrifts or shoulders unless you want a hord of junior high school students following you around saying "Sexy sexy!"

As for shoes, you'll have a pair of school shoes that are for indoors. Most teachers just wear tennis shoes, even with their formal suits (looks great). The indoor shoes range from tennis to mocs (for the large gaijin) to formal dress shoes for the administration. Get something comfortable (and warm if you're in Northern Japan). You'll be on your feet a lot when teaching. It might be worth it to get a pair of pumps for formal occasions at the school, but you'll use them only two times a year.

My pred actually beat the Nagano cold by going around school in a pair of big fuzzy slippers during winter. She got a lot of giggles from the kids, but no one said anything.

One of my female JTEs wears khakies and a fleace all the time and the female AET next door pretty much does the same. Nice, but not too formal.

Hope that helps.

[Allison]

Hey, some of us didn't really grow up with any knowledge of suits other than that they're something rich people and executives wear. All that was in my background was t-shirts, jeans, sweats, clothes grannies wear, clothes short/skinny girls wear, clothes short/skinny executive women wear, etc. (insert trailer trash smiley here)

On the other hand, this is definitely good stuff to know; it's all going in my notes. Any more info on women's clothes in formal and casual situations is always appreciated... I wasn't really groomed on what clothes I could wear for "business casual," given the whole "trailer trash" background and that most clothes (age- and gender-appropriate, anyway) don't seem to come in my size. I'm already assuming I probably wouldn't be able to find any clothes in Japan, but I've found them a bit scarce Stateside, too. :bang:

[atomiton]

depends... if american sizes are too big, then you'll have no problem in Japan.

I don't think Japan is Business Casual. It's business formal.

Business casual is a polo shirt and khakis.

[immi]

Jusenkyo,

Brilliant reply. Thanks for taking the time to type all that out! Especially the part about indoor shoes, I had totally forgotten about them. Cheers!

[TrendSeven]

Well, the interview was yesterday and I think it went really well. I thought it was a bit strange that none of the people that interviewed me were Japanese. I didn't have to do any role-playing either.

I guess I'll know around April 1st if I'm in or not.

[steelegiraffe]

well good luck man, what part of dayton you live in?

[jindojim]

I had the interview yesterday too, and I didn't think it went too great. They asked pretty difficult questions from me, such as how would I prove I'm American to my students even tho I look Asian. Thought I coulda answered that one better. And they asked me questions about my teaching experience as well, along with hypothetical questions about what I would do if I had to conduct class without the teacher. And how I would introduce myself to the class on the first day. Those questions I thought I could have answered a lot better in retrospect :(

Is it possible that they have special interview groups? Maybe I'm being stupid or paranoid, but I have some suspicions I had a different kind of interview from others. Here is my evidence for this: 1) I arrived about 30 mins before my interview and witnessed several people go before me. For each of those people, it was the same 2 people coming to fetch them to rooms within the lobby area. But for me, a new lady came to fetch me, and I was taken to a different part of the consulate behind 2 locked doors. 2) I had a Japanese professor, a woman from the consulate, and a former JET interviewing me from across a long table in a giant conference room. When I arrived at the consulate, I saw the Japanese professor come at the same time as me. 3) My friend that I came with to the consulate said that his interviewers were much more friendly with him. And the other people coming out of their interviews seemed to have a good impression of how they did as well.
....Yeah, I'm just trying to justify the results of my interview. There's prob no such thing as a special interview group, heh.

[JusenkyoGuide]

....Yeah, I'm just trying to justify the results of my interview. There's prob no such thing as a special interview group, heh.
Nope, sorry. I know they have different shifts because they interview the entire day.

Good luck!

[TrendSeven]

well good luck man, what part of dayton you live in?
I live in Oakwood and go to UD. You?

jimmyjindo - I'm pretty sure they stick to their schedule, so if you were there early other people were probably just showing up. I know I got in after some people (I was about 10 minutes early) and some of them were still waiting outside when I got out 30 minutes later.

[jindojim]

I'm pretty sure they stick to their schedule, so if you were there early other people were probably just showing up. I know I got in after some people (I was about 10 minutes early) and some of them were still waiting outside when I got out 30 minutes later.

I don't get your quote... That wasn't a problem for me, but I'm just sayin that I just had a completely different interviewing group from the others before me.

JusenkyoGuide: Yeah, thought not. Oh well. I'm probably overstressing in any case...but since they gave me no signs of approval and greeted my responses with blank stares (at best), I'm a bit ill at ease about their thoughts.

Two questions: When do we find out the results? and Are the interview and application equally important or is the interview weighed more at this stage of the hiring process?

[JusenkyoGuide]

Two questions: When do we find out the results? and Are the interview and application equally important or is the interview weighed more at this stage of the hiring process?
Depends on the consulate, the embassy, and CLAIR. Um, I was told in San Francisco that we'd find out about acceptance in April and placement in May. Instead I found out I was accepted AND where I was placed in May.

And I think the interview has more weight, but I honestly don't know for sure.

Don't sweat the reactions though, I got the same lack of responce and they let ME into the country. ;)

[jingi893]

I had the interview yesterday too, and I didn't think it went too great. They asked pretty difficult questions from me,*snip* And they asked me questions about my teaching experience as well, along with hypothetical questions about what I would do if I had to conduct class without the teacher. And how I would introduce myself to the class on the first day. Those questions I thought I could have answered a lot better in retrospect
dude...i had mine yesterday too...and i'm right there with you...i walked thinking that it didn't go that well...in retrospect, it's obvious that the questions are not geared to be right or wrong...but how you handle the situation...i dunno...it's a craps shoot until april i guess...although...it's a 1 in 3 chance to get accepted...those odds aren't bad...

[steelegiraffe]

i pass UD every day on my way to school. im out at a ghetto ass charter school for dropouts and teenage moms, over on the west side.
i live in belmont not to far from jokewood actually.