Comments on: Graduated college, now seeking Japan-related jobs…

By: thomas

thomas — Fri, 16 Oct 2009 03:00:47 +0000

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.

By: Yumeka

Yumeka — Tue, 21 Jul 2009 23:08:35 +0000

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.

By: Patricia

Patricia — Tue, 21 Jul 2009 04:20:50 +0000

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.

By: Koji Oe

Koji Oe — Sat, 27 Jun 2009 11:40:08 +0000

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.

By: Kyjin

Kyjin — Thu, 25 Jun 2009 19:32:16 +0000

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. ^_^

By: Zeroblade

Zeroblade — Tue, 16 Jun 2009 17:01:59 +0000

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.

By: Josh

Josh — Mon, 15 Jun 2009 23:11:55 +0000

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!

By: Ashley

Ashley — Mon, 15 Jun 2009 00:00:03 +0000

Way to go!
Good luck!
I really hope you get a job!