Experiences at JET Program

I'm not sure if there is a secret to being selected to participate in the JET program. I think, as with most jobs, you need to begin with an objective in mind. Then let this idea guide your application essay writing. (Yes, you're required to write an application essay.) In mine, I touched upon my desire to return to Japan and to share my learning experience with young people -- I studied Japanese as I helped teach English to the students at my high school.
At the interview I went in with no contacts within the program, I knew no one who had participated in the JET program before. I had just researched the history of the program and various websites used by current JET's. At the consulate, I tried my best to be enthusiastic and to show my flexibility and sense of humor. Apparently it worked....