Applying to teach abroad may be a daunting task. If you’re looking for the easy way to come over, programs like Interac or working at Eikaiwas in Japan sound good for the most part. If you’re considering Korea, you might go the Hagwon route, but know that not all Hagwons are created equal. Like all good things in life, it takes hard work and dedication and government funded programs aren’t a bad way to go.
For those of you debating JET or GEPIK, both have their merits and downfalls. I’ll discuss the similarities, differences and overlap between the two programs. For both programs you NEED a bachelors degree. The only difference between JET and GEPIK is for Korea, you need a TEFL certificate. You have to choose the program with the right fit for you and hopefully this will help you do so.
Related: JET Program Tokyo Orientation FAQ
JET Pros
- Depending on your situation, you don’t work very much for a great salary of ¥3,360,000.
- You have a very easy transition in the beginning (everyone will help you, people are super nice, you have a month to adjust and lesson plan before school starts).
- You get your resident card immediately when you land at the airport. This makes getting a bank account, phone, and utilities a piece of cake.
- You don’t have to pay for your flight over. JET will immediately pay for the flight and you don’t have to wait to be reimbursed.
- There’s a lot of orientations which means you’re given guidelines on how to survive in Japan. You get post departure orientation, Tokyo Orientation, and prefectural orientation. These will help demonstrate on how to teach, and lesson plans for your benefit.
- You get your pension back when you leave Japan so it’s like saving money!
JET Cons
- Depending on your school, you don’t get much time off. During summer and spring vacation you are most likely required to be desk warming at school. I was also never given Obon off because I’m not Okinawan.
- The cost of living in Japan is higher. For example, a movie ticket costs about $17 and for a 500 gram bag of granola cereal, it costs about $9.
- It’s really easy to spend a lot of money if you’re not careful because Japan is a cash is KING society.
- You’re part of a mass intake which means you don’t always know where you’ll be.
- The start up cost in Japan is about $2000-$5000 depending on if you need a car, housing, furniture, deposits, etc.
GEPIK Pros
- 300,000 won settlement fee (after you get your resident card).
- Your salary starts at 2.1 million won but the cost of living in Korea is cheaper. A movie ticket, drink, and popcorn costs $13 and a huge American size box of cereal costs $5.40. For a bowl of piping hot delicious soup and sides, it will cost about $6.
- Housing is paid for by your contracting organization.
- You will actually be teaching more.
- You get two weeks off for winter/summer vacation.
- You know exactly where your placement is and you send your paperwork in after your position is offered.
- You have get a TEFL certification which is good in many Asian speaking countries.
- You get a pre-paid sim card for your phone 4 days into Korea thanks to Korvia.
- You need about $1000 to survive your first month until pay-day.
- When you finish your contract, you receive one month’s severance pay.
GEPIK Cons
- You have to pay for your flight over (you get reimbursed 1-2 months after you arrive).
- You have to wait to make an appointment with immigration after you have your health check-up and then you can get your resident card.
- Depending on when you arrive, you’re just thrown into the classroom without any orientations.
JET and GEPIK Pro Overlap
- You get 20 days of paid vacation.
- Someone or a service will fetch you at the airport.
- All national holidays are off.
- You can renew your contract for up to five years.
- Participants who are in good standing, have successfully completed their contract, and are not looking for third-party work in their host countries will be provided their flight back to their home country.
For my American counterparts looking to go on JET, the application is now open. Go to the official website for more details and information. For those of you looking to come to Korea, I highly recommend going through the recruiting agency, Korvia for an easy transition to Korea and more information. If you’re looking to leave your host country from abroad and come to Korea, click here.
24 Comments on JET versus GEPIK
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I know it all depends on personal experience, but can you do a post about social life in Japan Vs. Korea?:) I know that Japanese people are friendlier(on the surface at least), but people say it’s harder to have true meaningful relationships with Japanese people. Whereas Koreans can be very straightforward. Some of them might come off as rude, but at the same time is it easier to find people you truly connect with? Also how is the social life like. When I was in Japan many adults joined eikaiwa clubs and thats where I made most of my friends. Do Korean adults enjoy socializing just as much or are they more family-oriented? (meaning they focus more on getting married/working etc.) Sorry for the long question, but hopefully you can touch on those subjects. Thanks!
I would love to do a post on that for you! I can definitely talk about those things. I’ll post about it this week! 🙂
super useful information! I’m definitely interested in GEPIK or EPIK in South Korea. Is it possible to get into the programs once you’re already in Korea?
Linda, it’s even easier to get into GEPIK or EPIK once you’ve been in Korea because employers don’t have to pay to bring you over.
I work for EPIK and we have the same benefits as GEPIK. However living in the “rural” area, gives me a bigger pay scale (Thanks Epik!). I can’t believe how expensive start up costs are in Japan! I did equally spend about 3-4 000 $ in start up costs in Korea because I was given a totally bare apartment – no spoon, cup or even toilet paper. I also bought a car. Japan was a lovely country to visit but I think it would be too expensive to work & save (as you mentioned before).
Oh my goodness. That’s so expensive for a start up in Korea. My apartment was pretty bare in Japan as my predecessor had only been there a year so I had to buy things like toilet paper too. In my opinion, Japan is the most expensive out of the Asian countries to live in. Girl, you are so brave for living in the Korean countryside. I lived in the countryside in Okinawa and I almost lost it. Ha. I think Korea is a much better place to save.
I love the fact that you made a pros and cons list. I tend to do that when I’m faced with an important decision. I tend to agree that the cost of living in Korea is much lower than Japan. I lived for a year and a half in Daegu, S. Korea and recently moved to Iwakuni, Japan. Great post for anyone considering teaching English abroad.
Iwakuni is pretty expensive because there’s a military base there, right? I feel like where there are bases, the cost of living is also higher. I lived on Okinawa and was right next to the Kadena Air Force base. What made you make the change from Korea to Japan?
Gina, thanks for this post! Scott and I were actually really interested in doing JET this year but when we went to apply the applications for this year were closed. We were considering looking into it for our next job just so we could afford to live in Japan for a year! As far as the cons go I think we could work through them! This post was really helpful! Thanks!
I’m glad I can help Megan. You have to be careful with JET because you have to go back to the states to interview at your nearest consulate. If you are selected, you have to depart from that consulate city. Also, you don’t have much control where you are placed. You could be close to Osaka or in the countryside of Hiroshima. Good luck!
Hi Gina, thanks for sharing! I have often wondered about the differences between JET and EPIK and it is nice to get an insider’s perspective! Is there one set-up you prefer over the other?
The $1000 first month was about right for me… I brought $800 and used my credit card a couple times until I got paid. You never really know what type of set-up you’ll get in Korea and it is better to be safe than sorry!
I personally prefer GEPIK over JET. JET didn’t pay for my housing and that ate a lot into the money I made. I was lucky to be paying about $440 per month in rent, but there were some people paying close to $1000 every month. JET didn’t provide a settlement fee or severance fee and everything in my apartment was from my predecessor. I got my pred’s swanky, free, moldy couch out of it though. 😉 I also had to pay a bunch of taxes before I left so instead of making money on JET, I lost money paying the taxes and because of the falling yen.
Great post, I’m on EPIK now but thinking of moving to JET. Did you prefer GEPIK mainly because of the money or would you still prefer it even if Japan was cheaper?
I preferred GEPIK because I didn’t want the stress of working at a Seoul school. I preferred it because of the money and because living in Korea is easier than living in Japan. I think if Japan was cheaper, had delicious Korean food and they paid for my housing then I would love it! Based on my experience your personality will definitely tell which country is better for you in general. For me, I meld more with Korea better.
This is a great, comprehensive list of points that make both sound appealing to some degree, although I think GEPIK wins for me! Thanks for sharing!
GEPIK was a definite winner for me in terms of the benefits. I wish I was born a bit earlier because the saving benefits would have been more awesome! lol
Great comparison post, really helpful for people who are deciding which route to take. I used to live in China, and now I live in Korea, but I’ve only visited Japan for 10 days. I would have loved to try the JET program for a year to see more of Japan/experience more of the culture, but I’m a ‘lifer’ here in Korea, so probably will just plan a vacation there sometime. I really want to go to Okinawa!
I think Japan is a great place to live for a couple of years. Anything after that, and you’ll probably go a little bonkers. Hahaha. Japan is an amazing place to travel, but living there is tough at times.
That is very educative and enlightening info, Gina. Unfortunately, I am not in the teaching field but would recommend to any friend who is interested in traveling to Japan for teaching job.
I think JET is a great way to live in Japan and travel the country as well. I traveled to many beautiful places while I lived there and I enjoyed it all!
Honestly, this post came at a fantastic time as I’m contemplating moving from Korea to Japan. Thanks for all of the information. I currently work with EPIK and was able to request a location, are you able to do that with JET?
With JET, you are given 3 preferences as to where you’ll be stationed. They keep those preferences in mind, but it’s ultimately a wildcard where you get sent.
What an interesting comparison for people interested in these two programs. We looked into both EPIK and JET before moving to Korea and decided mostly based on the ability to save money. After a torrid first year in Seoul at an academy, we got on with the Jeollanamdo Language Program in our humble southern South Korean province. We have, I think, a much better set up with our contracts than EPIK or GEPIK provide, but the trade-off is in the placement and distance from the larger cities. I like that you’ve shared this and I encourage anyone interested in teaching Korea or Japan to also consider some of the other programs in both countries outside of these two.
I’m sure there’s a bunch of good gigs outside of these programs. I only have experience doing both so I can definitely write about it with confidence. I always felt safer with government programs as it is a guarantee you will get paid. I’d be very interested to learn about the programs you’re doing and get a guest post too!