JET from US, returned in ‘10



JET from US, returned in ‘10

Q. When do you suggest leaving JETs should start to seriously search for their next job?

Do initial research in November or December of the year before leaving to get a sense of what's out there, then start sending applications in the Spring, March or April. Most jobs will want an interview which could complicate the process until you're actually home, unless you can arrange to do it on Skype.

Q. What sort of things helped when looking for your next job?

In applying for grad school  forums helped me make an informed choice.

Q. Any advice to the many of us who are worried about finding a decent job with the economy and job markets still stagnant?

Search on yahoo groups for the JETAA chapter in your area and see if they have any leads for someone with Japanese experience. Or consider delaying the real world a little longer with grad school.

Q. To those who went on to graduate school following JET, do you have any advice for JETs currently applying to schools?

If you're interested in International Relations (trade/finance, policy/negotiations, international development, etc.) look at Columbia SIPA, Tufts Fletcher, Georgetown Walsh MSFS, George Washington Elliot School, Johns Hopkins SAIS, UC San Diego IR/PS, American University and Harvard Kennedy School. See below too.

Q. At this point (still 8-9 months before the end of the JET contract), what sort of planning and preparation should JETs intending to leave be doing?

Register for and take the GREs asap if you haven't yet, but spend at least 4 weeks studying first. Check the syllabi of classes in programs you're interested in—if you can't find them through the school's website email a professor and they'll send them. Once you narrow down the programs you're interested in get the admissions team to put you in contact with some current students and alums to ask the questions that probe deeper than the school's ads and internet forum speculation.

Q. Is there anything you did during your last year that made it especially memorable? Or, is there anything you wish you would have done during your last year?

Karate was my best specifically Japanese memory. I wish I had hung out more with my teachers, making an effort to forego another Saturday night drinking with other JETs to go to the bar with my teachers. Also, play soccer with the students and curry their favor to get some goodbye notes, they'll be happy memories later.

Q. Anything else you want us to pass on?

Believe in your dreams.

JET from Jamaica, returned in ‘10

Q. When do you suggest leaving JETs should start to seriously search for their next job?

I DON'T think it can be too early to start looking for or at least thinking seriously about what you'd like to do. I know it might be difficult given distance to actually apply for/set-up job interviews and so on. But in all areas, I suggest quite a bit of forward thinking. 

I know it may be hard, given that you're in a place so distant in many ways, but it's important. So, I'd say at least six months before. At most, 8 months..? Ideally, one year.

Q. What sort of things helped when looking for your next job?

I CURRENTLY teach part-time at a university. I got that job purely through networking. They knew I was coming back. And I ran into a friend in the airport on my way home who also teaches there, and reminded them for me. A couple of days later, I got an e-mail. I said yes instantly because I had no other prospects. 

You see, I left JET wanting to teach in high school. But by the time I got home, it was already quite late to apply for teaching jobs for September. Even though I had been applying to jobs before I left Japan, I didn't have a teacher's diploma, which made it hard for me.

Q. Any advice to the many of us who are worried about finding a decent job with the economy and job markets still stagnant?

"Links," we call it in Jamaica. Networking. It sounds like some useless smiling and empty talk done by PR people only. But what it really means is maintaining good relationships and exploiting them when necessary.

Soon after I started teaching, one of the lecturers with whom I was working recommended me to somebody else at the same school who was looking for somebody to do some writing/researching. That person has since offered me a chance to teach a couple courses next semester/summer. 

See, I had told that first lecturer guy that I was looking for stuff and he was to keep an ear out for me. He had also taught me when I was a student there. 

Q. At this point (still 8-9 months before the end of the JET contract), what sort of planning and preparation should JETs intending to leave be doing?

I'd say the packing should start from now. Start clearing out the unnecessary stuff. I didn't really realize how much stuff I needed to get rid of until the last week or so. That was not good. 

I also think setting your mind as much as possible, that you will not be living the same way you have for the past however long you've been in Japan. 

With that in mind, do well with the last months in Japan. Do the things you love. The things you have to get out of the way or clear up, even if they may be a bit uncomfortable. Work on the relationships you'll never forget.

Q. Is there anything you did during your last year that made it especially memorable? Or, is there anything you wish you would have done during your last year?

Well, I think I did everything I wanted to do. I didn't have a grand list of must-dos, I just knew that I wanted to have the fullest experience possible in that second year. I had a couple of things I wanted to do. Like climb Mt Fuji. But while those were great things, sometimes they almost feel like they never happened, like they didn't really matter. But the everyday things, the drive to or after school, the dinners with the friends, some days I actually still feel like I want those to be a part of my day here.

JET from Canada, returned in ‘09

Q. When do you suggest leaving JETs should start to seriously search for their next job?

Depending on the job...But I would say in the spring.

Q. What sort of things helped when looking for your next job?

NETWORKING, without a doubt. I went back to work at the school I worked at before I left. I made sure everybody knew I was coming back looking for a job, and made sure all my paperwork was good and done way before I came back. A friend did it for me, so you need to get in touch with the good efficient friends to help you out!

The right frame of mind is also important... Keep in mind that you might be caught up in a life hurricane when you get back (seeing people, lacking sleep, going out drinking way too often, unpacking Japanese stuff and packing boxes to move into the new flat that you also have to paint, etc.) and not super efficient in your job search.

Or, you might feel lazy and unmotivated, and still not super efficient in your job search. Think ahead, and you'll be proud of yourself and of the fact that you don’t feel guilty hanging out with your friends and family!

Q. At this point (still 8-9 months before the end of the JET contract), what sort of planning and preparation should JETs intending to leave be doing?

Do your resume NOW. Things get hectic and we get insanely busy closer to the return date, and that's the kind of thing that always gets pushed to the side, and then when you get back, you feel bad about not having done it earlier.

Don't forget to get a Japanese person to take care of your Japanese pension stuff. Make sure, if you choose a teacher, that he/she won't be transferred far away in April.

Read the newspapers from home to know what's going on, so that you will be able to participate in conversations when you get back. Rent movies and TV shows that were on. Those are the things people talk about, and you can easily feel left out if you have no idea of what happened while you were gone.

Get in touch with your friends. Make sure you know what's up in their lives.

Q. Is there anything you did during your last year that made it especially memorable? Or, is there anything you wish you would have done during your last year?

I made a list of things that were important for me to do while in Japan. You don’t want to come back with regrets; it's already tough enough to get back.

Also, I took pictures everywhere around where I lived, in my schools, with my students, I shot videos, and when I miss Japan, I'm very happy I have all that to look at. Even if it makes me cry sometimes, those memories are good to have.

Q. Anything else you want us to pass on?

Make sure to have a plan and people waiting for you when you get back. This will help the transition a lot and make it much more motivating to get back home. The first weeks, people are excited that you're back. They call. Then, they go back to their lives, which can mean the life they had when you were not there... and they might not want to hear you start all your sentences with « when i was in japan... ». Keep that in mind!

JET from Canada, returned in ‘09

Q. When do you suggest leaving JETs should start to seriously search for their next job?

That's a tough one as we return home mid-summer it is hard to find a job right away. I think it is good to send out some resumes before you leave just so you have everything sorted as far as references, job duties, etc. It is much harder to remember all the stuff you did once you are back home. Figure out what you want to do but don't be an unbendable reed, flexibility and a desire to try new and different things will help.

Q. What sort of things helped when looking for your next job?

I already knew I was returning to my hometown when I was leaving. I did contact former colleagues to see about getting on the substitute teacher list and lined up some references. I found it encouraging to email my references and let them know I was coming back to Canada and they were all very positive about my teaching abilities so that was a nice boost.

Q. Any advice to the many of us who are worried about finding a decent job with the economy and job markets still stagnant?

There are lots of decent jobs around although they may not be in the line of work you were hoping for. Teaching is not such a good prospect these days (I might become a truck driver). Be prepared to get out of your comfort zone. And remember if the going gets tough it will soon pass and hopefully by then your pension refund will have arrived! Also, your family may still like having you around after being gone so long so don't be in a hurry to run off. Enjoy the love and home-cooking!

Q. At this point (still 8-9 months before the end of the JET contract), what sort of planning and preparation should JETs intending to leave be doing?

Now start sifting through all the stuff you have accumulated over your time on JET, decide what you would like to keep, get rid of, or don't know who it belongs to. As the seasons change sort through the stuff that you won't need again. I mailed a few parcels home at the beginning of June just so it felt like I was doing something. I also made a list of items in my apartment to give to my supervisor to find out what belonged to my school, BOE, landlord, etc. then I put the stuff that was mine up on the Kumamoto-jets listserv in hopes of finding new homes for it all.

Q. Is there anything you did during your last year that made it especially memorable? Or, is there anything you wish you would have done during your last year?

The best thing I did was make a list of things I still wanted to do in Japan that I hadn't done yet and made a plan for getting them done. It made the time much more enjoyable and there was always something new to look forward to instead of all the good-byes. I also made a list of favourite restaurants/pubs etc. that I wanted to go to one last time before I left. It was a great way to hang out with friends too! Just remember time flies by in the final 4 months.

Q. Anything else you want us to pass on?

It's good to be home. Prepare for the reverse culture shock, it can catch you when you least expect it. Make arrangements with a friend who will be in Japan when you return home so they can send you a package of your favourite Japanese delights and you can hook them up with some treats from their home country. Try to get active in the community as soon as you get back. It helps to get you reacquainted with old friends, make new friends, and try new things. It also gets you out of the house. I am still living with my parents but for the majority of the year I house/pet-sit so I am not really home that much and I get paid to live in other people's houses! Stay positive. There are positives and negatives in any situation you just have to spin it well! For example, I could tell people I am 36 years old, I live in my parent's basement, and I don't have a job. Or, I am 36 years old, I spent an amazing 5 years in Japan, now I work as a substitute teacher, tutor and house/petsitter. I am lucky because my parents still want me around and they even feed me! I also volunteer as a figure skating coach and my niece and nephew teach me how to play Guitar Hero!

JET from UK, returned in ‘10

Q. When do you suggest leaving JETs should start to seriously search for their next job?

I think it's important to have some time off to readjust to life in your home country before starting work. I think if you have enough money saved to support you when you get home it's ok, but if you don't you need to sort it before hand.

I do think that there is no harm in looking for work before you leave Japan but most of it is easier to handle when you get home. The UK JET job open day thing was really useful. (That's how I got my job)

Q. What sort of things helped when looking for your next job?

The JET careers open day in London was amazing. Good to get some meishi and do a bit of networking. I did a lot of walk-ins as well which is pretty good.

Frame of mind is also really important. So many people said to me "Oh! Don't go home now. The economy is in tatters. There are NO jobs!" What a load of rubbish though. If you sit around believing there are no jobs out there and sulk about it, you aren't going to get a job. There are still tons of jobs and having JET on your CV is going to propel you above so many people. BE POSITIVE!

Q. Any advice to the many of us who are worried about finding a decent job with the economy and job markets still stagnant?

Read the bit above. You are coming out of two years full-time work and living in another country. Two really strong things for your CV. It might be harder with lack of jobs but you are all in a privileged and strong position above most others out there. So don't sulk and use the economy thing as an excuse, put yourself out there! 

Do be prepared to be turned down though and try not to take it to heart. 頑張ってください！

Q. At this point (still 8-9 months before the end of the JET contract), what sort of planning and preparation should JETs intending to leave be doing?

Make the most of your time there. The time will fly by soooo fast. Bring some stuff back this Christmas because it's a right pain and well expensive when you have to send it back at the end. Try and save some money and bulk up your CV with more experience. For example if there are things you thought of doing or joining at the start, get on it now. Having extracurricular stuff on your CV when you get back is GOLD! Even if was just going to basketball practice or whatever.

Q. Is there anything you did during your last year that made it especially memorable? Or, is there anything you wish you would have done during your last year?

Travel is important. Cram in as much as you can in your spare time. The memories you bring back home are the weird weekends in some distant temple or eating a dolphin’s eyeball at a party with some guy you met at the onsen. Jeff's bar, etc. has mushed itself into one night. Nothing solid about the memory. Just boozy mush, so yeah get experience doing strange and interesting things. 

Q. Anything else you want us to pass on?

Pass the dochie on the left hand side.

JET from Australia, returned in ‘09

Q. When do you suggest leaving JETs should start to seriously search for their next job?

I did not actively look for a job until I was well and truly back in Tasmania. For me, the search took 9 months. I saw other leaving JETs start applying and searching a good 4 - 9 months in advance; a good number of them managed to secure jobs or have interviews lined up by the time they left and from what I have observed, nearly all those who prepared have been successful and are now working. Whether you search before you leave or after, either way will take considerable time.

Q. What sort of things helped when looking for your next job?

I secured my job through the local paper, but I had also signed up with two recruitment agencies. The agencies did not really come up with much for me so I would recommend going through the paper—it is more direct. I got 3 interviews through the paper.

Q. Any advice to the many of us who are worried about finding a decent job with the economy and job markets still stagnant?

It is incredibly difficult to suggest ways of dealing with finding a job during an economic low—if a company has the space they will hire; if they do not then they will not. Having said that, some private firms are more flexible in the way they hire—if you have the right skills with strong potential to fill a role in the future, they may take you on but place you in a different role until an opportunity comes up that better suits you.

An example—I now work in a law firm. We have just hired a graduate lawyer as a personal assistant to one of the younger, fee earning lawyers. Currently we do not have a space for another lawyer but hiring her as support staff means she is still able to learn about the areas we practice in. In the future when an opportunity comes, she will be able to fulfill the full role as a lawyer and she will need less training than a new graduate, due to the experience she gains as support staff.

I think government jobs, while having a high turnover and numerous graduate programs, are one of the more difficult to get particularly if you have little working knowledge. From my experience, these jobs are very skills specified—you grow 'up' the hierarchy as opposed to growing your skill set 'out'. Everyone who is hired has a skill and they fill their place with that skill.

An example—in my current role (legal secretary), I am not only gaining experience in general office administration (diary management, dictaphone typing, file management, etc.), but I am also in charge of my fee earner's accounts (accounting), drafting and proof reading (Wills, Powers of Attorney, Enduring Guardians, Caveats, litigation documents etc), and also marketing (designing advertisements and other graphics for the firm). I get these varied opportunities in a small private firm as opposed to a large government department.

Finding a job is also to do with timing. Sometimes the time is just not right no matter how right you might be. So you have to keep trying.

Q. At this point (still 8-9 months before the end of the JET contract), what sort of planning and preparation should JETs intending to leave be doing?

Don't make last minute preparations. 3 or 4 months before, start sending packages home—clothes, books, memorabilia, furniture etc. It also means you don't have to carry as much when you go home.

Make sure you also find all the paperwork that is necessary before you leave—namely the pension paperwork. You might not need it immediately but knowing where it is saves you from scrambling last minute.

If you are going to work after JET, start researching into jobs at this point. It gives you plenty of time to search and explore as many avenues as you can to secure a job.

Q. Is there anything you did during your last year that made it especially memorable? Or, is there anything you wish you would have done during your last year?

I just bonded with the people I made friends with in Japan. The chances for me that I will ever see even 10% of the people I met while on JET are so slim, so I just enjoyed the time we had together—karaoke nights, dinners, house parties etc.

Q. Anything else you want us to pass on?

Use the personal experiences you gain on JET to help bolster the potential you can give to a job. I believe the fact that I had experiences working with children at school, and working with locals who may have been anxious about working with a foreigner, led to one of my successful job interviews with the Department of Health and Human Services in the area of Child Protection.

One of the greatest skills that we gain from being on JET is adaptability—living and functioning in a foreign country, particularly one that is so culturally different from our Western homes, is a life skill that most people are never fully exposed to. Use this adaptability in your life because it is difficult to survive smoothly when you are rigid.

JET from UK, returned in ‘08

Q. What sort of things helped when looking for your next job?

About four months before get your CV up to date, and start to write some base covering letters which you can then customise for different jobs later. You simply don't have the time in the 8 weeks leading up to leaving, with packing, enkais, last minute places you want to go and things you want to do. I had a job lined up, but my CV and cover letters weren't up to date. When it all fell through when I came back; it took a couple of weeks to settle in, update my CV and write cover letters, and I didn't get work until the beginning of November. The key is definitely doing the preparation work BEFORE you get back.

Q. Any advice to the many of us who are worried about finding a decent job with the economy and job markets still stagnant?

Get yourself on job search sites and LinkedIn, these have been invaluable. But be sure to lockdown your facebook and any other social network sites you're on to close friends only, and no public searches. Firms do look at these and the photos and blogs that are on there. My company certainly does, and the last thing you want them to see is a picture of you red faced and living up a nomihodai with hoola girls in Okinawa.

Q. At this point (still 8-9 months before the end of the JET contract), what sort of planning and preparation should JETs intending to leave be doing?

Make sure you plan your holidays and getaways well. Think of all the things you want to do and the places you want to go and note them down. Get all your friends around and match up how your list compares and get booked in early as it is cheaper. This also means when you have left you don't regret not doing something. (For me it was not going over this famous 'indiana jones esque' ropebridge attached through the trees in Shikoku, this was because I didn't talk to my friends at the time and plan with them)

If there is anything BIG (i.e. will need to go by sea) send it around six months before you leave, so start planning it now and looking for the cheapest shipping companies. Ohh and just chill out and enjoy your last year, go out late, wake up at 3am and go to the nearest vending machine, for a hot burrito and a can of beer. Take as many onsens as possible, and don't worry about putting on the weight and indulging in as much Japanese food as possible. Because the one thing I miss the most is the little Japanese pieces of culture, which you cannot take with you, and which (no matter how hard I try) just cannot be replicated at home. These are the things that I would plan to get as much of a stomach full as possible before you leave.

Q. Is there anything you did during your last year that made it especially memorable? Or, is there anything you wish you would have done during your last year?

Man, how do you say this... the whole Japanese experience was the bomb, but the most memorable thing I did in my last year was climb mount Fuji with my friends. Everybody should do this before they leave, and go on some road trips. Grab a guy or girlfriend or two, jump in the car and just go for a few days, or for a week in my case with no real plan, just a general direction. I went with my friend Mark and we toured around the South coast of Kyushu for a week camping and having BBQ's on the beaches, and touring the surfing beaches of Miyazaki, up to Beppu for Kurokawa onsens, and back to Fukuoka for some last minute partying...where the car battery died and we had to push it through the streets on a mini adventure to a 24hr Garage, and getting the help of drunken Japanese guys (who wanted to help while obviously showing how strong they were to the girls around) to give us a hand pushing and get a jump start.

Q. Anything else?

Just a shout out to all my K City cats and friends in Kyushu, I miss you guys!!!

JET from Ireland, returned in ‘09

Q. When do you suggest leaving JETs should start to seriously search for their next job?

I started searching for my post JET job early in the year, around March, but the job I wanted did not come available (i.e send your CV on this date) until June. Because I was applying to be the Irish JET coordinator I had all the information at hand already, the main prerequisite being an ex-JET!

Q. What sort of things helped when looking for your next job?

As a back up, I did upload my CV onto a few Irish Job seeking websites.

Q. Any advice to the many of us who are worried about finding a decent job with the economy and job markets still stagnant?

It was definitely daunting moving back into the economy as it is, and I had the majority of my eggs in the one basket. Luckily I got the job but I really could have done with more money behind me to fund my new living conditions. I tried to save while on the JET Programme, and I still regret not saving more. I would advise anyone heading home next year, to put a few man or more away every month to help you settle post JET. Ex-JETs have great transferable skills for the job market and although I didn't have to go for more than one interview, I like to think I could have succeeded elsewhere too.

Q. To those who went on to graduate school following JET, do you have any advice for JETs currently applying to schools?

After one year working, I am now back in School too to become a Science and Japanese Teacher at secondary school. I only applied for graduate school when I returned, but immediately after starting my new job I began to apply for the following year, in November and December. It is vital to get those applications in! I only applied to universities that I had researched and was advised about. I talked to several career advisors (all university located and therefore free!) prior to my decision.

Q. Is there anything you did during your last year that made it especially memorable? Or, is there anything you wish you would have done during your last year?

My last year was extremely memorable and I wouldn't change it. Even the everyday things became special before I left. I have tried my best to keep in touch with those I wanted to, but it can be hard.

Q. Anything else you want us to pass on?

There is life after JET and it does take time for you to adjust to it. But you will never get Japan out of your blood. I keep dreaming and planning for my trip back there. JET doesn't let you go!

JET from Australia, finished JET in ‘10

Q. When do you suggest leaving JETs should start to seriously search for their next job?

At least 6 months in advance, although the job you least expect will pop up at the last moment so be flexible with plans.

Q. What sort of things helped when looking for your next job?

Word of mouth, networking, etc.

Q. Any advice to the many of us who are worried about finding a decent job with the economy and job markets still stagnant?

Don't leave Japan!!

Q. At this point (still 8-9 months before the end of the JET contract), what sort of planning and preparation should JETs intending to leave be doing?

Start writing up the manual for the next alt. I wrote about 30 comprehensive pages and included some great pictures. It took a fair bit of time to write and that is the last thing you want to be doing around farewell speech preparations. It is important to give details of each school so start accumulating that information early. Send home clothes you won't be needing or give them to other alts.

Q. Is there anything you did during your last year that made it especially memorable? Or, is there anything you wish you would have done during your last year?

Go on another ryokan weekend with close friends. Save up some money and treat yourself to a luxury stay somewhere in Kurokawa Onsen.

Q. Anything else you want us to pass on?

I don't have much good advice but I think the one thing that I didn't see coming was that I wouldn't have a salary for 3 full months and still be living in Japan. Some companies only pay the first salary a full two months after work commencement date. I had no idea!! So even though I had saved more than 35man in my bank account, I drained that all when I moved houses, paid for key money, moved furniture etc...I did not foresee how expensive that all was and drained all my hard earned savings. I guess people going home may have the same problem too if they are not moving back home.

JET from UK, returned in ‘09

Q. When do you suggest leaving JETs should start to seriously search for their next job?

Ideally, have a bit of a look before you leave, but bear in mind jobs aren't as thick on the ground as once they were! I found a temporary job through an employment agency after a few weeks of being home.

Q. What sort of things helped when looking for your next job?

Contacts—talk to people in your home country who've already been there and done that, and learn dos and don’ts from them. I also registered with as many employment agencies as possible as well as putting the word out amongst my friends back home that I was in need of a job. Bear in mind that its hard out there at the moment—you'll get a job, it may not be paying quite what you'd hoped or happen overnight but bear with it and be kind to yourself!

Q. Any advice to the many of us who are worried about finding a decent job with the economy and job markets still stagnant?

If you knock on enough doors, one will open to you. Don't expect to walk straight into your decent job—it's not about big leaps into the decent job, but mini-stepping stones along the way. As long as the job you're in pays something and is vaguely coherent within your employment history, and will build out your life skills a little, don't sweat it too much. My story; after 10 months working in a temporary job which was nowhere near as fun or exciting or near what I wanted to be doing as JET, I'm now working for a children's charity combating poverty and social exclusion and doing a broad range of tasks—something I've always wanted to do. Hang in there!

Q. At this point (still 8-9 months before the end of the JET contract), what sort of planning and preparation should JETs intending to leave be doing?

Start looking for work. Make sure you're in good contact with friends back home, and do a bit of research about pop culture in your home country (I still have no idea if I walk past a "famous" person in the street, it gets a little annoying after a while!). If you're likely to need your own place when you get home, start doing the groundwork now. If you really want to, you could also start looking through what you intend to keep and throw away and start getting your apartment in order. I also started writing up handover notes for my successor around January.

Q. Is there anything you did during your last year that made it especially memorable? Or, is there anything you wish you would have done during your last year?

Yes! I spent a lot of time volunteering with local organisations in my final year—I knew it would be my final year and I didn't want to leave without having done some of the stuff I was hugely into. I wish I'd had the opportunity to travel more during my final year, although funds weren't great for doing so. General advice would be to leave Japan feeling proud of yourself and grateful for your time there.

Q. Anything else you want us to pass on?

When people tell you it's tough going home, listen! It's not insurmountable, and it’s not awful, but there's a lot to get re-accustomed to. Considering that your social base will now be spread worldwide, do your best to stay in touch with Japan and Japanese friends, but don't get stuck in the past. The best advice I got (and ignored) is to be kind to yourself—it can be really difficult to reintegrate into your home society, just be aware of the fact that you and your friends back home may well have changed a lot over the years. Look at the move home as a massive opportunity—though it may be challenging, it's hugely exciting to be back (and it's not necessarily irreversible—14 months on, I'm still thinking I may resettle elsewhere in the world).

JET from Singapore, returned in ‘09

Q. When do you suggest leaving JETs should start to seriously search for their next job?

I started searching for a job only after I returned to my country because I spent some time travelling and just wanted to relax. I got a job about 2 months upon my return. Some of my friends started looking for a job 2months before they left Japan and they started work about a week after their return. I have a feeling they wish they had taken a longer break before starting on a new journey.

Q. What sort of things helped when looking for your next job?

I think networking helps because that's how I got my current job—word of mouth. I tried using job search sites but they didn't work out. Some of my friends registered with recruitment agencies.

Q. Any advice to the many of us who are worried about finding a decent job with the economy and job markets still stagnant?

I think the economy and job market was in a worse situation more than 1 year back. Things are picking up now so people shouldn't be too worried about getting a job if they know what they want and they have a good attitude. Everyone wants good employees! 

Q. At this point (still 8-9 months before the end of the JET contract), what sort of planning and preparation should JETs intending to leave be doing?

I started planning on what I wanted to do for the remaining time I had in Japan (where to go, who to visit, what to try). I also started to plan a schedule on when I wanted to send things home because surface mail takes time.

Q. Is there anything you did during your last year that made it especially memorable? Or, is there anything you wish you would have done during your last year?

Everything I did during my 2 years in Japan was fantastic but I guess knowing that it was probably going to be last time I was doing particular stuff (like rice planting with students for the last time, attending graduation ceremonies for the last time, having nomikai with my teachers for the last time) were specially touching and I consciously told myself to appreciate what I had. And no regrets (except maybe I should have stayed a third year....haha).

Q. Anything else you want us to pass on?

JETs should show more appreciation to the Japanese community.

Oh, JETs also shouldn't try to assume their successors would take over all their crap. They should be considerate to their successors and make responsible arrangements for handing and taking over. Nobody should use the excuse of having had horrible predecessors to be mean to their successors.

JET from UK, finished in ‘10

Post-JET Employment

 * You should already be looking if you are sure you're heading back home.

* Attend the Yokohama Returner Conference, even if you are sure what you want to do after JET! The Conference opened my eyes to just how many opportunities are out there and gave me invaluable advice on writing resumes, getting good references and thinking about your future career.

 In General

* As soon as winter is over ship your winter clothes back home.

* Start sending boxes home as soon as possible - if you have a lot of things, send a box a month and spread out the cost of moving home.

* You will have no time in July to do anything - people will want to say goodbye and you will be given lots of presents.

(I started packing during Golden Week and I still had a mad panic before I left)

JET from US, returned in ‘08

Graduate School

Post JET I enrolled in a small community college and did something random. That isn't really relevant here. Then, in Fall 2009, almost a year after returning from Japan, I started the Masters TESOL program at San Francisco State University. I realized that I really wanted to continue teaching and getting a Masters in TESOL would be useful. The program is great and the campus and area are also great. For people from the San Francisco Bay Area (or anywhere in California) who want to continue teaching, this might be a good option. It’s a state university so it’s still relatively cheap (going up though—dang CA budget). One would need to start the application process soon if hoping to start the program right after leaving JET. For anyone thinking about doing that, it would also be important to make sure that they still have California residency (I waited a year so that wasn't an issue). Of course, anyone from any state can do the MA TESOL program, but if you are a resident it’s SO much cheaper.

In General

 If people are looking for some great things to do before leaving, here are a couple of suggestions.

1. The best food I EVER had in Japan was at a temple in Yamaga. The chef is the priest there and all the food is vegetarian (since priests can't eat meat.) The flavors, atmosphere, and experience are mind blowing, on par with a religious experience. I mean if you want to 'level up' your eating experience, this is the place. I can guarantee that few JETs (or Japanese people) have had an experience like it. It’s not cheap, though, but worth every penny. Here is the website: 

2. There is a restaurant outside of Ozu that makes its own 100% buckwheat soba, daily. The place usually closes early, around 4, because after they sell what they made for the day, well, there is nothing else to sell. They also make THE BEST (the Japanese people I have taken there agree) tempura that includes stuff collected from the area, which means the tempura is always changing. Sometimes there are maple leaves, sometimes baby bamboo, sometimes a dandelion looking flower, and much more. The atmosphere is also amazing. Here is the website: 

3. This third restaurant, while not as spiritually orgasmic as the other two, will still rock your palate like a shot of shark adrenaline. It’s a roast katsu place in Nishihara-mura. They make a roast katsu that will blow you away. The cabbage and rice are also all you can eat and few places have cabbage and rice that can rival theirs. This place...mmmm, yummy. Here is the website: 



And for those that want some good onsen experience before they leave, I have two recommendations.

1. My favorite onsen in Japan is Kafuutei Onsen, in Kikka-machi, which is in Yamaga. I guess some people might say there are better onsens, but for people that really appreciate onsens (as I do, a person who has been to over 30 different onsens), this place is awesome. Part of the reason why it’s so amazing is that everything is made out of kusunoki (a beautiful wood). You don't see many onsens like that. Here is the website: 

2. Another onsen that is great partly because it’s so off the beat is Akagawa Onsen. It also has the whitest water I have ever seen. Everything is covered with a coating of beautiful sulfur. They also make an amazing soap. And the atmosphere is wonderful. It’s no Yamamizuki Onsen, but it’s pretty good. Here is the website: 

One last place for those who want a most unique, unusual, and random experience coupled with perhaps the best river fish sashimi they could imagine. I found this on a drive into the middle of nowhere. It is a place that raises fish to be sold to stores. However, if you go there they'll serve you up some of the fish. Sooooo good. The place is by no means nice, but when you add up the drive there, where it is, the atmosphere of the place (not that it’s a nice atmosphere, but it’s different and slightly exciting) and the taste of the fish, it’s just a really interesting and unique experience. You can also camp at the campground down the road. Here is the website: (This place is more for the adventurous and open minded). And if you do go here, don't forget to check out perhaps the most amazing bridge to nowhere in the world! It’s nearby. Here is the website:



By the way, most of these places will require a car. And going to the last place is a long but nice drive. I have a lot of other places if you, are anyone else, wants some more ideas. Having a motorcycle on which to explore Kyushu really opened things up for me and my explorations.

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