Application Guidelines

Please read the following carefully before submitting your candidacy application for the AJET National Council

RULES

1. All candidates must be current JETs who are recontracting for the 2021-2022 JET year.
2. Applicants for the Block Representative positions must be residents of one of the Prefectures within that respective Block. Click here to see which Block your host prefecture belongs to.
3. Applicants for the CIR Representative position must currently be a Coordinator for International Relations within their respective blocks.
4. Applications for all positions must be submitted to no later than ‘Applications Close’ deadline stated here.
5. National AJET will hold an election for the Executive Council and Block/CIR Representative Candidates. Election dates can be found here.
6. Candidates for Appointed Officer positions will be chosen by the outgoing Executive Council and the current holder of the position.
7. All parts of the application must be submitted together. Incomplete or late applications will NOT be accepted.
8. As a member of the AJET National Council, you may be asked to perform duties for the council during your normal work hours, such as attending the Opinion Exchanges with CLAIR and the Three Ministries. As such, all candidates must discuss applying for the position with their Supervisor or Contracting Organisation.
9. All candidates MUST contact both the current occupier of the position they are interested in applying for as well as the Elections Officer to state their intention of applying. This will also provide an opportunity for candidates to ask any questions they may have.

EXECUTIVE COUNCIL APPLICATIONS

The three positions on the Executive Council are:

1. Chair
2. Vice Chair
3. Treasurer

Members of the Executive Council are chosen by popular vote, and once they have assumed office are responsible for overseeing all of the work National AJET does to support JET participants. Executive Council members also have the power to take in National AJET Council votes on issues including how the council is run and the work we do within the JET community.

The application is simple – submit a 400 word (max) platform telling us:

1. What position you are applying for
2. A little bit about yourself
3. What motivates you to apply for this position
4. What skills, experiences, and personal qualities make you a suitable candidate for the role

Click here to see examples of Executive Council Platforms. For more advice, please see Platform Examples.

We will also need:

1. A recent photograph of yourself (this should be a clear photograph showing your face)
2. A “fun” fact about yourself in one sentence.

Your platform will be published on the website and on National AJET social media outlets during the election period to help voters get to know you!

Finally, to ensure you’re a current JET participant, please provide the following information:

1. The city and prefecture you are placed in
2. The name of your contracting organisation

Please be aware that National AJET will NOT be contacting your Contracting Organisation and all information regarding applications will be kept confidential. However, it is advised you ask your CO for permission. Some positions may require participation in Opinion Exchanges and Tokyo Orientation – requiring travel to Tokyo. To avoid potential conflicts, it is advised you ask for permission before taking on this additional role.

Please send your applications to with the subject “Platform Submission: Executive Council Election”. The dates for when applications open and close can be found here.

Please note – candidates must not begin campaigning until the voting period has begun. Negative campaigning against other candidates at any point in the process is grounds for disqualification!

If you have any questions about the application or voting process for the Executive Council positions, please feel free to email and .

BLOCK/CIR REPRESENTATIVE POSITION APPLICATIONS

Under the AJET block system, Japan’s 47 prefectures are broken up into 11 blocks of 3-4 prefectures, each of which has an elected Block Representative. In addition, there are two elected CIR Representatives for JETs working as Coordinators for International Relations.

AJET Representatives work to support their communities by representing the concerns of local JETs to the National AJET Council, fostering networks between them and planning great events!

Aspiring Block Representatives must live in one of the prefectures within the block they are applying to represent. To find out what block you are in, please click here.

Click here to find out more about the roles.

How to apply

Please submit a 300 word (max) platform telling us:

1. Which position you are applying for
2. A little bit about yourself
3. What motivates you to apply for this position
4. What skills, experiences, and personal qualities make you a suitable candidate for the role

For more advice, click here to see examples of Block/CIR Representative Platforms.

We will also need:

1. A recent photograph of yourself (this should be a clear photograph showing your face)
2. A “fun” fact about yourself in one sentence.

Finally, to make sure you’re a current JET participant, we need you to tell us:

1. The city and prefecture you are placed in
2. The name of your contracting organisation

Please be aware that National AJET will NOT be contacting your Contracting Organisation and all information regarding applications will be kept confidential. However, it is advised you ask your CO for permission. Some positions may be asked to participate in Opinion Exchanges and Tokyo Orientation, requiring travel to Tokyo. To avoid potential conflicts, it is advised you ask for permission before taking on this additional role.

Please send your applications to with the subject “Platform Submission: Block [#] Representative Election” OR “Platform Submission: CIR Representative Election”. The dates for when applications open and close can be found here.

Please note – candidates must not begin campaigning until the voting period has begun. Negative campaigning against other candidates at any point in the process is grounds for disqualification!

If you have any questions about the Block/CIR Representative positions, or about the application or voting process, please feel free to email and .

APPOINTED POSITION APPLICATIONS

In addition to the elected representatives on the AJET National Council, there are also a number of council positions which are appointed by the current council.

JETs who work in these positions carry out specialist roles, such as website management, communications, or community relations, in order to support the work of the AJET Council.

Appointed positions on the AJET National Council currently include:

• Translation and Interpreting Coordinator
• Director of Digital Resources
• Director of Affiliate and Community Relations
• Director of Visual Media (Two Positions Available)
• Director of Online Publications
• Director of Professional and Education Development
• Director of Volunteering
• Project Manager (Two Positions Available)
• Website Coordinator (Two Positions Available)
• Director of Social Media
• Director of Public Relations
• Director of Advertising
• Director of Alumni Relations
• Director of Alumni Resources
• Director of Human Resources

Please send your applications to and . with the subject “Platform Submission: [Your chosen appointed position]”. The dates for when applications open and close can be found here.

Applications will then be evaluated by the outgoing executive council and the current holder of the appointed position.

How to apply

Please provide one half to one full A4 page with information on qualifications, professional experience and personal qualities relevant to the position for which you are applying. You may also submit a resume/portfolio/CV with your application. Please see Platform Examples for more advice.

Finally, to ensure that you’re a current JET participant, please provide us with the following information:

1. The city and prefecture you are placed in
2. The name of your contracting organisation

Please be aware that National AJET will NOT be contacting your Contracting Organisation and all information regarding applications will be kept confidential. However, it is advised you ask your CO for permission. Some positions may be asked to participate in Opinion Exchanges and Tokyo Orientation, requiring travel to Tokyo. To avoid potential conflicts, it is advised you ask for permission before taking on this additional role.

If you have any questions about the Appointed Positions, or about the application process, please feel free to email and .

Any inquiries?

Please send an email to

Quick Election Links
Main Election Page
Election Rules
Elected Positions
Appointed Positions
Application Rules and Guidelines
Advice for Candidates
Platform Examples