Back when I was going through the process of applying to JET, tips on how to survive the JET interviews were akin to tips on surviving a zombie apocalypse. Instead of running around trying to find every last bottle of water and canned peas at Costco however, us wannabe JETs were ravaging suits from stores and practicing every last possible interview question like it was going out of style.

Since I know firsthand how stressful applying can be, I thought it might be nice to share some handy tips that I would tell my past self if I could step into a Tardis and turn back time. So without further ado, here is Samantha-sensei's advice:

1. Fill out your application as soon as you possibly can. There is a lot of information you need to gather in order to have everything ready to send. A nice, safe cushion of time allows you to get your professional recommendations without stressing your boss out (no stress = happy review) and it allows you to quadruple check the spelling in your application and in your essay. You don't want to be rushed at the end or else you might make simple grammar or spelling errors that can be detrimental to your overall score.

2. Watch videos and read blogs of past JET finalists. Every situation is different and it is great to think about a range of different interview styles and questions. I found these blogs and videos to be the most helpful for me so check them out if you like:

• This Japanese Life
• Tofugu
• Constantine in Tokyo  / Constantine's Awesome List of Questions

3. Accept the fact that you will not have the answer to every question the interviewers ask you. Scary but true! For example, they asked me what I knew about the ongoing political situation between the Canadian and Japanese government...

*Visualize my inner panic attack for this question here*

The trick is not to freak out (or more likely, not let them see that you're freaking out)! I told them honestly that I didn't know the exact situation, but that lack of knowledge is just one of the many reasons why I want to travel to Japan and delve into the culture so that I can be more politically and socially aware. It's all about a positive perspective and how well you can spin things and mean it.

4. Do not boost your application/resume. Telling them you speak Finnish or Laotian may sound cool, but they painstakingly comb your application and will bring up any interesting additions. On that note, it's a great plus if you plan ahead to get your TESOL and JLPT as it adds more flair to your application.

5. Wear professional clothing! Honestly, this is the easiest thing you can do to rack up how many points they will give you. Let's take a look at two very good examples of Japanese business wear...

A knee length skirt complete with nylons = super!

A traditional black suit = awesome!

...Go for that! You might worry, "oh, black is boring and I won't stand out and I won't look good without a lot of makeup" but this is what they are looking for. I had my hair in a tight bun, little to no makeup on, a black pant suit with a white button up collar on underneath, and black closed toe pumps. This is most likely what your interviewers will be wearing and you should do the same to impress them and to make yourself more comfortable in the interview. If you're still unsure take a look at the Japanese Business Resource to find out more.

5. Get yourself in front of a mirror and start talking away. I sat for hours practicing questions with myself... which kind of convinced my roommates that I was absolutely bonkers. Nevertheless! Watching my facial expressions was really key for my interview prep. Focus on being genki and looking professional with every move. They are watching for people who can handle stressful situations, so try to react calmly to every question even though you may be freaking out on the inside.

Unikitty know what to do with her fears in order to stay genki XD

6. If you know a friend who is also applying, ask them to run mock interviews. Practice makes perfect and both of you will feel more confident and comfortable from it.

7. Know yourself! Who you are, what you like, your goals and aspirations. They are looking for someone with personality who is directed. In my interview, they asked me about the hobbies that I had put in my written application so I told them about the chamber orchestra that I played in and the books that I like reading. When the questions are about you, don't be shy! Let them know that you've got moxie!

8. Know your culture! I wish I had done more practice on this one! They will want to know how you will be a successful global ambassador for your country. Know your city, town, province, country, capitol, most known foods, most known festivals, etcetera! I was asked what I wanted to tell the kids about my Canadian culture so I told them about my family that lives all around Canada. I went on about the differences between the plains in Saskatchewan and the Northern Lights in Yellowknife. I also sprinkled in a few interesting Canadian facts like how Saskatchewan is a cree word for "swift-flowing river".

#Canadianandproud

9. Know what you want to do in Japan. Who you want to teach, why you want to teach them, what you will teach them, and how. Teaching experience and cultural exchange experience is important so make sure you let them know your multicultural interests and teaching abilities!

10. Be sure to let them know that you are not just applying for this job for yourself. The Japanese culture itself is consecrated around the ideal of the group instead of the individual as seen within western culture. Tell them that you want to help the kids and establish better Japanese relations and you're not just using JET as an excuse to travel.

11. Learn some lesson plans. I cringe every time I think of my demo lesson that I had to do in my interview. If your situation is anything like mine, there will be a white board beside your interview desk and they will give you a few minutes to create a demo lesson based on a theme and age group they give you. For example I was given the theme of "fruits" and the age group of "high school students with little to no English". I attempted to do a simple Wheel of Fortune style of letter guessing game (attempted being the key word here). What's also good to note is that the interviewers will actually act like children. One interviewer was playing with paper and the other one was giving me the blank face "student stare" that many teachers know all too well. I had to muster every last bit of me not to laugh it was so comical.

The stare I was up against....

12. In the waiting room before your interview make as many friends as you can! Everyone is nervous, but it really helps to chitchat with the people who are in the same boat as you. Also, there is a long-standing JET folklore that the previous JETs signing you in will be watching how you interact with the others which I can't confirm or deny so just make sure to be genki and nice!

13. If you know Japanese, be prepared to speak it. The Japanese interviewer will at some point say something like "じゃあ、日本語で話してもいいですか？” and you have to be ready to turn that Japanese button on. I had to give an introduction, talk about my favourite Japanese author, and explain what some cartoons were doing on a sheet of paper. It wasn't really nerve wracking since I've been studying Japanese for a long time, but this is another reason why you should never fluff up your Japanese skills. They will test you depending on the level you put on your written interview sheet. For this reason it is a good idea to compare your level to the JLPT Standards.

14. Read your essay and written application until you know it like the back of your hand. This won't be too hard since all of the information is about yourself!

15. Prepare for "The Trick" question. I think this is what I was dreading the most. How will they try to slip me up, make me nervous? For me it wasn't so bad actually. They just said something akin to "Oh, I see here it says that you have no Japanese language skills?" "AHA!" I thought to myself, "I SEE WHAT YOU DID THERE!" I pulled on my best "super-cool-and-ultra-professional" face and told them that actually on my sheet I had filled out language sufficiency in both Japanese, English (duh), French, and Mandarin. Then I saw an opportunity to tell them about the JLPT N3 test that I had just taken so I plugged that for a bit. You only have 25 minutes to convince these people that you are awesome so plug whenever appropriate and possible.

16. Something else you might be dreading is "The Song". I know most people who got into the program in my year were asked to sing a song in front of the interviewers as well. My best guess is that they are just trying to see if you can be silly and fun in front of young kids. I asked them what language they wanted the song to be in and I chose a French song since that's what I grew up singing in school. I went full out and did the actions along with the song as well. I also told them to prepare their ears because comparably I can make crow caws sound beautiful which elicited a few welcome chuckles.

Basically the extent of my singing abilities

17. Don't worry too much about your interviewers being mean or anything like that. I know every experience is different, but the two interviewers I had were extremely nice. They smiled and laughed at a few things that I said. They also nodded a lot which I found to be a strange comfort when I was answering their questions. My advice is that even if your interviewers don't look nice, you have to be the nicest person in the room. Your job at that moment is to make them like you so be genki even if they don't respond to your energy.

18. Be sure to check out the JET Programme GIH. Familiarize yourself with the content and you will have a better idea of how to shape your answers to the interviewer's questions. Also, you might get some approving nods if you can base your answers to situation questions around quotes from the GIH.

          This concludes Samantha-sensei's advice giving column on applying for JET! I hope this post helped you in some way, shape or fashion! If you have any questions whatsoever about the written application or the interview itself, please leave a comment below and I'll be happy to respond as best as I can!

Good luck everyone! I'm rooting for you!

          As the "moving away" countdown continues, I thought it would be a good idea to make a recurring post to motivate me to keep some of my hobbies up while I am away. Since lugging my violin to Tokyo is out of question for me, I decided to stick with sketching for now.

Since sketching is just a hobby, don't expect anything too mind-boggling! I mostly stick to charcoal and graphite, but sometimes I do like to jazz it up and reach for water colours or pencil crayons. Hopefully, I will be able to do some landscape paintings/drawings in Tokyo when I get there, but for now please enjoy these sketches.

Graphite - Inspired by day of the dead and flower crowns

Charcoal - Inspired by existing anatomy drawing and by Noh masks

Graphite & Pencil Crayons - Inspired to attempt a self-portrait in business attire 

Help me keep up with my initiative to keep drawing by brainstorming some sketch ideas in the comments! I'd love to hear your thoughts. See you in the next doodle blog!