Well, I finally hit the big crossroad in life that most of us get to eventually; graduating college and figuring out what to do afterward…
I just had my university graduation ceremony yesterday, and within the next week all my grades should be processed and I will officially graduate with a B.A. in East Asian Language & Literature (country of emphasis being Japan). Of course, with a degree like this, I’m hoping to get some job related to Japan. Unfortunately, even with 4 years of formal Japanese language study, I’m still not fluent enough to be a paid translator or interpreter. So I’ll probably have to seek some other Japan-related job, at least for the time being.
One of the jobs that many Westerners with an interest in Japan pursue is teaching English in Japan. The annual JET Program is one of the most well-known and supposedly the best paying of these types of jobs. I applied for this year’s 2009 JET Program back in November and went through all the grueling paperwork and the stressful interview over the proceeding months. Unfortunately, I was informed back in April that I’ve been placed on the alternate list, which is basically the waiting/back-up list of candidates who will take the place of chosen candidates who drop out. Depending on where you are on the list and how many people drop out, you could get upgraded soon or not at all. It was a bit disappointing, since the 4+ other people I know at my university who also applied to JET got chosen. I think the main reason I only got on the alternate list is because they’re not really seeking people with a lot of knowledge about and interest in Japan; they’d rather have people passionate about teaching and who will be good English language and cultural ambassadors for their country. But I still haven’t given up hope. Alternate list candidates could still be upgraded anytime from now until December (the program actually starts July 25th) so I’ll continue to pursue JET until then.
Also, though not a job unfortunately, I applied for a 4 week-long cultural study in Japan coming up in mid-July called the Rainbow Student Exchange Program. The reason I would be able to go on this program is because it’s all-expenses-paid if you match their specific requirements. The only problem is, if I go on this program, I might lose any chance I still have with JET, since they could want me while I’m doing this program, or they might not excuse me from the orientation in late July. I’ve been kind of conflicted over this but I think, if I do get accepted into the Rainbow Program, I will take the risk with JET and go on it. Since you have to be between the ages of 18 to 23 for the Rainbow Program, and I’m 23 now, I wouldn’t get another chance.
Another Japan-related job program that I recently discovered is AEON. Though I have yet to find out more information about it, it looks very similar to JET. But I’m going to wait on this one a few more months in order to possibly do the Rainbow Program and to give JET more time, but mostly likely I’ll apply to it eventually.
And, if JET and AEON don’t come through, I’ll either research more jobs in Japan or simply look for jobs here in SoCal for now, perhaps tutoring Japanese to English speakers or tutoring English to Japanese speakers. Hopefully something will lead me to a job/career that will enable me to go out and live on my own =)
So yeah, the rest of this year is going to be interesting as I pursue various Japan-related (or other) jobs. But, at least for the next month or so, I intend to take a much-needed summer vacation. Unfortunately I won’t be going to AX this year because I have a short-term job that same week and I could really use the money. But since I’m no longer tied down with tons of schoolwork, I should definitely have time for more blog posts and site updates in the coming months, and perhaps beyond if the job that I’ll (hopefully) get soon isn’t too time-consuming =)
Anyway, I just wanted to update you guys about my post-college plans thus far and let you know that I’m ready to take my sites off hiatus and do a lot of overdue updates this summer. Some plans off the top of my head are reviews of the spring ’09 anime I’ve been watching and episode reviews of the new Haruhi season. Also, if anyone wants to offer any information about JET, AEON, or other Japan-related job programs, I’d appreciate it ^_^ I’ll let you all know if any program comes through for me. And I’ll be back with better posts soon XD
Way to go!
Good luck!
I really hope you get a job!
JET is good, probably the best entry-level English teaching job but as you said you’re still 23 so you can go for JET anytime.
Besides AEON, also look at GEOS, Berlitz, etc.
They are good and bad. Basically it depends on the individual managers of the particular AEON/GEOS/Berlitz school. Each company has hundreds of schools.
If I was you I would go for all of them and take the first one.
That will get you a job and visa. They will set you up with everything you need including accomodation etc.
After a few months, decide whether you like it or not. Then you can look for jobs at companies that dont advertise outside of Japan.
Often these are smaller companies, or non-English teaching companies which just happen to have one section for English teaching, but sometimes the conditions are much better than the larger well-known AEON,Berlitz,GABA, GEOS etc.
Good luck mate!
GJ. I’ve still got more than 3 years to go. If you’re up for teaching, you could perhaps teach locally in any particular field, just to build up some experience first, before applying to JET. 23 is still a young age and one or two years of teaching domestic wouldn’t hurt too bad.
Best of luck with everything! I’m entering my senior year of college myself and am also planning to apply for JET and other Japan-related programs for next year. (I’m graduating with a dual degree in History and East Asian Studies.)
Have you taken a look at the Fulbright program? The application process for next year is starting now, and their program in Japan involves doing research at a university for a year. It’s a long application, but you probably have all the background they require.
Thanks for the link about the Rainbow Program, I haven’t heard of that one. ^_^
I dread this as well. I have a semester left of college and I’m studying Japanese. Lately I’ve been studying like mad so I can pass JLPT 2. I don’t know if this will help me in getting into JET or not but hey it would be another feather in my cap.
Good luck to you in finding what you want to do. You are definitely not alone in your search.
You said even though you went through four years of learning the language, you still aren’t fluent enough to be a paid translator or interpreter. Exactly how do you become fluent in Japanese? Because I wanna be a translator too. If you know anything at all, I’d be really glad to hear.
If you don’t start learning a language before the critical age (12 or younger), chances are you’ll never attain fluency unless you spend years taking classes and/or living in the country for a long period of time. Because of my four years of taking classes, I’ve reached a point where I can communicate and understand everyday matters in Japanese, but I’m definitely not fluent in all subjects, which is what a paid translator or interpreter needs to be. I know Japanese grammar very well now, I just have to learn more vocabulary and kanji. Living in the country and studying on my own would probably be my only ways of obtaining fluency from here on.
Yumeka. Nice way to be right brained. I had a teacher tell me that I’d never learn Spanish. I was 27. I’m a translator now and I have only been living in Spanish speaking country for a total of 5 months. I didn’t start studying it until I was 28. I’m not amazing or anything but I am a translator now for a private detection agency which specializes in a Hispanic community in a major metropolitan area. Whatever worked for me may work for someone else. Everyone is good at something, not everyone is good at everything. But that old BS physiological statement that “you’ll never learn if you didn’t before age 12” is only doing one thing: discouraging. Dream everybody. Try, try, try, try, and dream. You’ll get someplace, and then you’ll be in another.