After working as a JET for one to five fabulous years, you may find yourself in Tokyo
with no job and living off the money you have saved thinking how can I get that perfect
job. As “what’s next” ravages in your mind to look for that perfect job, you come across
the Japan Exchange Teaching Program Alumni Association (JETAA) Tokyo seeking

What’s the difference between 契約社員（けいやくしゃいん） and 正社員（せいしゃいん）?

契約社員 can be translated as “contracted employee”, meaning that the length of employment is defined in the contract (usually one year). Near the end of the contract, the company will have to decide whether or not they want to re-hire the employee. In some cases this is a very informal meeting, but other companies may look at a variety of factors before making a final decision as to whether or not they extend the contract. 契約社員 typically have a specific job to do, and it is common for people with specialized skills to be hired as 契約社員.