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snowbunn20
Joined: 04 Nov 2004
Posts: 14
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 Posted: Sat Nov 20, 2004 9:53 am Post subject: JET and reccomendations |
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I just decided to try to do jet since the app. is due DEC 1. Which is no problem for me since i do live in DC. The only problem is that i am unemployed and out of school. There for i have no clue who should i even ask for recomendations  . it says to have Business, profferes or an employer to write the rec. *sigh* should i just ask a friend and a friends parent or what. Any ideas would be appreciated...
Desperate |
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lou lou
Joined: 31 Oct 2004
Posts: 37
Location: England
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| Posted: Sat Nov 20, 2004 5:02 pm Post subject: |
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Although you say you are out of school, could you not contact them for a recommendation  If you have a previous employer I would ask them, or ask this question in an email to the JET website, they are relly helpful. |
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Nismo
Joined: 27 Jul 2004
Posts: 520
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| Posted: Sat Nov 20, 2004 6:12 pm Post subject: |
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| You need to have a former teacher or employer write one for you. You can't have a friend write one for you - you will not get past the first stage of application screening. |
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Willy_In_Japan
Joined: 20 Jul 2004
Posts: 329
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| Posted: Sat Nov 20, 2004 6:44 pm Post subject: |
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When I applied to JET, I had been out of school for about 10 years and was not too keen on walking up to former Prof's and saying 'hi, remember me? Could you write me a recommendation?"........I included some letters of reference, and said that I had no access to that kind of thing.
My application was tossed in the garbage for being 'incomplete'.
Don't even bother sending it in without those letters.
As an aside, I met one of my Prof's later, as I was driving people to the airport, and he did remember me, and said that he would have been pleased to have written a letter of recomendation for me. So, don't be shy......go to your university, and get the letters. |
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Mike L.
Joined: 28 Feb 2003
Posts: 519
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| Posted: Sun Nov 21, 2004 2:29 am Post subject: |
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| it says to have Business, profferes or an employer to write the rec. *sigh* should i just ask a friend and a friends parent or what. Any ideas would be appreciated... |
Listen to Willy! At some universites, mine included, there seems to be an unwritten rule that profs should provide these letters.
Whether they remember you exactly is irrelevant. You attended that school and graduated so you should be entitled to a little after grad help.
JET can be a great experience. Don't miss this chance, go for it!
And well, if you lok at your current situation well what have got to lose?
Good luck! |
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mike82
Joined: 25 May 2004
Posts: 3
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| Posted: Mon Nov 22, 2004 6:18 am Post subject: |
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| well i just decided to apply for the jet program and have already graduated from college and just got hired last month. i didn't really feel comfortable asking my boss for a recomendation for a job since i just got hired. so i asked some friends who are clients of mine to write the recommendations. just wondering if this is a good idea or will jet just flat out reject my application. |
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PAULH
Joined: 28 Jan 2003
Posts: 4672
Location: Western Japan
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| Posted: Mon Nov 22, 2004 8:29 am Post subject: |
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| mike82 wrote: |
| well i just decided to apply for the jet program and have already graduated from college and just got hired last month. i didn't really feel comfortable asking my boss for a recomendation for a job since i just got hired. so i asked some friends who are clients of mine to write the recommendations. just wondering if this is a good idea or will jet just flat out reject my application. |
As a rule of thumb, you should ask people who were in a position to supervise you or were your professors. People like tutors, your teachers, any supervisors.
I would avoid any personal recommendations such as from friends or from your local minister or Scout headmaster. If you have done work for people, even if they are clients that should work OK, as indirectly, they are employing you.
PS recommendations are only a small piece of the puzzle. they look at other areas such as your age, your suitability for the position, your appearance and attitude,and why you want to apply. Your application will not live or die on a couple of references. |
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King of Babylon
Joined: 09 Oct 2004
Posts: 24
Location: Brisbane, Australia
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| Posted: Tue Nov 23, 2004 2:37 am Post subject: |
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Not long ago I had intentions of applying for the JET program. Not anymore for reasons too numerous to mention at this juncture, but I still amassed about 85% of my application, including the two references.
The rules are that if you have not actually graduated from university by the application date, at least one of your referees must be from your university, or whatever academic institution you attended.
I also do volunteer tutoring in ESL, so I got the teacher of the class I tutor to provide me with one reference, and I got the other from one of my university lecturers (in linguistics (and has actually taught in Japan, and I think his brother was once a JET). He casually informed me that these 'To whom it may concern letters' are worth NOTHING. LESS than nothing.
Those are the words he used. He still took the trouble to give me a really professional sounding reference though.
Thats my two cents. Whether they're worthless or not I have no idea. My lecturer is American, but he was also talking about how things are in Australia. I'd say get references from previous teachers or employers, but if your application succeeds or fails it will probably be due to something else entirely. |
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Tremac
Joined: 25 Jan 2005
Posts: 13
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| Posted: Thu Feb 17, 2005 1:40 am Post subject: |
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I'm on exchange right now in Belgium in a high school. Could I get the English teacher here to write a letter about me, describing how well I speak with the class or what a great help I am  ?
Anyone familiar with OnlineTEFL.com? I just got my certificate there, could my tutor write a letter about me?
The only job I've ever worked at that required my social security number was a gas station, will that just make me look stupid? I've done volunteer work at a hospital, but that won't help me.
I'm 19, btw. |
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PAULH
Joined: 28 Jan 2003
Posts: 4672
Location: Western Japan
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| Posted: Thu Feb 17, 2005 2:01 am Post subject: |
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| Tremac wrote: |
I'm on exchange right now in Belgium in a high school. Could I get the English teacher here to write a letter about me, describing how well I speak with the class or what a great help I am ?
Anyone familiar with OnlineTEFL.com? I just got my certificate there, could my tutor write a letter about me?
The only job I've ever worked at that required my social security number was a gas station, will that just make me look stupid? I've done volunteer work at a hospital, but that won't help me.
I'm 19, btw. |
Tremac
what do you plan to do for a work visa? You need a degree to get a work visa, though in another post you said you were Canadian and thinking of the JET program.
You can apply for the working holiday visa but you can only apply from Canada.
Getting a reference from a teacher should be OK. |
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Tremac
Joined: 25 Jan 2005
Posts: 13
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| Posted: Thu Feb 17, 2005 10:31 am Post subject: |
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On another thread somewhere, I heard for Japan, you need either a degree to get a visa or three years work experience in the target job.
So I could teach English in some country for three years and get a job in Japan, right? I mean, we'll overlook the competition and all that, I could physically get a job, right? |
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PAULH
Joined: 28 Jan 2003
Posts: 4672
Location: Western Japan
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| Posted: Thu Feb 17, 2005 10:43 am Post subject: |
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| Tremac wrote: |
On another thread somewhere, I heard for Japan, you need either a degree to get a visa or three years work experience in the target job.
So I could teach English in some country for three years and get a job in Japan, right? I mean, we'll overlook the competition and all that, I could physically get a job, right? |
I said you could get a visa. Getting a full time job here is another story, and you have to find someone willing sponsor your work visa. However with three years experience you become eligible for a visa.
MY advice is simply to go to university and get the degree as you then qualify for any other job, including the JET program. Maybe 90% of jobs advertised in Japan require a degree, a valid work visa and japanese residency. Jobs advertised outside japan require a university degree so they can process your work visa. It has nothing to do with your previous experience or ESL qualifications. If immigration here wont give you a visa, you're sunk.
The applicant must fulfill the following conditions. However, these conditions shall not apply in cases where the applicant plans to engage in work involving proxy duties in procedures relating to international arbitration cases as designated in Article 58-2 of the Foreign Lawyer's Law (Law No. 66 of 1986).
1. When planning to engage in work requiring knowledge in the humanities, the applicant must have acquired the relevant knowledge by graduating from college majoring in a subject relevant to the knowledge required for performing the work concerned, or by receiving an equivalent or higher level of education, or by accumulating at least 10 years of practical experience in the planned work (including the period of time spent majoring in a subject related to the required knowledge at college, "Koto senmongakko", senior high school, the latter half of unified secondary school, or during specialized course of study at an advanced vocational school ("Senshugakko")).
2. When planning to engage in work requiring specific ways of thought or sensitivity based on experience with foreign culture, the applicant must fulfill the following conditions:
The applicant is to engage in translation, interpretation, language instruction, public relations, advertising, overseas transactions, fashion or interior design, product development, or other similar work.
The applicant must have at least 3 years of experience in work relating to the relevant job. However, this does not apply if the applicant has graduated from college and is planning to engage in work involving translation, interpreting, or language instruction. |
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Tremac
Joined: 25 Jan 2005
Posts: 13
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| Posted: Thu Feb 17, 2005 2:08 pm Post subject: |
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Ah thanks... I really don't want to get a degree though, 4 years of studying I find boring as hell.
I graduated by gettigng 90%+ on almost all my exams but almost failing the courses because I never did any homework. If I do get a degree, will the schools be checking my transcripts to see how well I did? |
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canuck
Joined: 11 May 2003
Posts: 1921
Location: Japan
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| Posted: Thu Feb 17, 2005 2:38 pm Post subject: |
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| Tremac wrote: |
Ah thanks... I really don't want to get a degree though, 4 years of studying I find boring as hell.
I graduated by gettigng 90%+ on almost all my exams but almost failing the courses because I never did any homework. If I do get a degree, will the schools be checking my transcripts to see how well I did? |
Great attitude! No, schools don't check your transcripts. |
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PAULH
Joined: 28 Jan 2003
Posts: 4672
Location: Western Japan
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| Posted: Thu Feb 17, 2005 2:42 pm Post subject: |
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| Tremac wrote: |
Ah thanks... I really don't want to get a degree though, 4 years of studying I find boring as hell.
I graduated by getting 90%+ on almost all my exams but almost failing the courses because I never did any homework. If I do get a degree, will the schools be checking my transcripts to see how well I did? |
To get the work visa from immigration you have to show your actual degree diploma. If you have finished your coursework but havent received your degree yet i.e. come before graduation, immigration will wnat to see your transcripts and a letter from your university saying you have enough credits for graduation. They are not interested in your grades but simply whether you qualify for a visa. Most employers will not see your transcripts unless they ask for them.
If you find study boring you will find teaching boring as well, because you will actually discover how much you dont know about your own language and how to teach it to someone who doesnt speak it. Will be fund for the first six months, then after that it becomes a day on day drag as you haul yourself to work every day.
You can get by in an entry level job here with a rudimentary knowledge of grammar and pronunciation, syntax, etc, but sooner or later you will want to upgrade your teaching skills.
What a degree teaches you also is self-discipline and putting off self gratification, which you will need when you are teaching 6 or 7 classes a day back to back, 5 days a week. Teaching gets boring and without qualifications training and experience, you will stay at the bottom of the food chain and earn the lowest salaries or just lots of part time work at different places. |
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