|
Job Discussion Forums
"The Internet's Meeting Place for ESL/EFL Students and Teachers from Around the World!"
|
| View previous topic :: View next topic |
| Author |
Message |
goman72
Joined: 11 Aug 2004
Posts: 61
Location: Gosford, NSW, Australia.
|
 Posted: Tue May 24, 2005 2:28 pm Post subject: Withdrawal from JET (at this stage!) |
 |
|
Dear all. i have a BIG dilemma.
I have been offered a JET placement in a small village in central honshu...
My leave with out pay has not been approved by my (permanent) government job here in Aussie, PLUS I have been offered BIG incentives to stay (including massive pay rise, IT training, etc)...
I have seen the Part 1 of the JET Programme CD and it has not impressed me one bit...I feel I will be missing out on an IT career in my job at the expense of just chilling out on the JET programme for 3 years and... then what???
I have emailed JETs all over Japan asking them what their POST JET career plans are and no one replies, probably because they are having too much of a good time to worry about it, etc.
And I am now faced with the prospect of never being allowed to apply again (as I'm 34) if I don't do the JET now UNLESS I make a really good excuse and try and apply again in what, 2 years?
Guys, if I made a good excuse up does JET check? (ie: broken leg, in a coma, etc...???)... I can't believe I'm asking you this but here goes anyway........................
Thanks for any replies, please be nice to me  CG |
|
| Back to top |
|
 |
guest of Japan
Joined: 28 Feb 2003
Posts: 1601
Location: Japan
|
| Posted: Tue May 24, 2005 2:37 pm Post subject: |
|
|
| Sh*t or get off the pot. Do it now or don't. Seriously if you are being faced with such a great career opportunity, what on earth makes you think that two years from now will be a better time? If you have a good job right now, and you see it as a career stay there. JET will probably proove to be an unhappy diversion |
|
| Back to top |
|
|
chixdiggit
Joined: 21 May 2003
Posts: 60
Location: ROK
|
| Posted: Wed May 25, 2005 3:03 am Post subject: |
|
|
Where's the big dilemma? If IT is your career then it's your career. JET isn't the only way to come to Japan if you decide to later on. And no, it isn't that great. Take the raise mate.
Cheers,
Chix |
|
| Back to top |
|
|
Glenski
Joined: 15 Jan 2003
Posts: 12844
Location: Hokkaido, JAPAN
|
| Posted: Wed May 25, 2005 4:34 am Post subject: |
|
|
Why is being 34 a limit? People can get hired up to 40 according the strict letter of JET's law, but they often hire people older than that.
Also, are you in it for the money (IT wins out, doesn't it?) or for the adventure of living in a foreign land?
If you are not impressed with a mere CD representation of the JET Programme, what makes you think the real thing will be any better? |
|
| Back to top |
|
|
GambateBingBangBOOM
Joined: 04 Nov 2003
Posts: 2021
Location: Japan
|
| Posted: Wed May 25, 2005 6:40 am Post subject: Re: Withdrawal from JET (at this stage!) |
|
|
| goman72 wrote: |
I have emailed JETs all over Japan asking them what their POST JET career plans are and no one replies, probably because they are having too much of a good time to worry about it, etc.
|
Or because they honestly have no idea what they will do after JET, and don't want to think about it until their final year (if they apply to grad school- probably the number one choice of most former JETs), or even until they get back to their home country (way, way too late, if they don't want to spend upwards of a year searching for a job). Most JETs are recent university graduates, and may have vaguely thought that there would be a post-JET book telling you what career your time as a JET would prepare you for. The actual post-JET book has pretty much the same information that university career centres give you when you are about to finish your arts degree and go to them asking what you can do with your degree in Philosophy, or English or History or whatever. (i.e. Employers are looking for 'generalists' with varied soft-skills- IME not true at all-. Start early. Network etc.) In other words, you're on your own. JET experience can be useful, coupled with extra training on top of your BA. By itself, it's not really all that useful. But you already have a career, and have to ask yourself what the chances of picking up where you left off are after even a year gone.
Guest of Japan is right, you may find that JET proves to be an unhappy diversion. Half of all JETs leave after a year. That means that they are here for a maximum of 6 months, minimum of 4- that's when we get recontracting papers- before saying they've had enough and will leave at the end of their contract. It's often just not really what people seem to think it is before they get here. JETs with careers back home often miss them and may feel they are wasting their time in Japan. JETS who are k-12 teachers back home (and so the JET ALT job is more closely tied to their careers) might be very angry at what they see in the education system here and how they are treated. There are also more than a few people on JET who have just finished their initial undergrad and this is their first job. They've never really looked for a job post-university before, because they had JET the year they finished and so actually believe that they can get another similarly paying job with slightly more responsibility when they go home. The reality is that they may end up in retail for a while, or living with their parents, or back in Japan working for one of the eikaiwas and kicking themselves (or not, depending on their feelings about rural Japan, if that's where they were in Japan, or their feelings for working evenings intead of mornings, and weekends instead of Monday and Thursday or whenever the eikaiwa gives them their day off) for having given up JET so early. |
|
| Back to top |
|
|
goman72
Joined: 11 Aug 2004
Posts: 61
Location: Gosford, NSW, Australia.
|
| Posted: Wed May 25, 2005 2:14 pm Post subject: |
|
|
| Quote: |
| Why is being 34 a limit? People can get hired up to 40 according the strict letter of JET's law, but they often hire people older than that. |
Glenski, if I withdraw without a reasonable excuse, according to JET rules I cannot apply for another 10 years. That's why I'm wondering whetehr to make up an excuse instead... (as this way I could have the option to reapply in 2 years) but as "guest of Japan" says:
| Quote: |
| what on earth makes you think that two years from now will be a better time? |
... True, I'd probably be enjoying my job even more so further down the track.
What the heck, I'll stick with this new job (only 3 weeks old!) and then spend the money on a good holiday in Japan instead (and maybe do some skiing in Sapporo!!!).
Thanks for your input guys and gals, I do assume that some of you have actually done JET and were thus qualified to actually give me advice on the subject??? - just checking, that's all !!!
CG |
|
| Back to top |
|
|
GambateBingBangBOOM
Joined: 04 Nov 2003
Posts: 2021
Location: Japan
|
| Posted: Thu May 26, 2005 4:41 am Post subject: |
|
|
I'm a second year JET who has recontracted for a third.
I used to teach ESL in Canada (I did a year-long university TESL Certificate Programme as preperation for this). Before that I worked at various jobs including full-time retail, retail store level supervision, advertising copywriter at a radio station and at a full-service ad/PR agency and as an opera company's marketing communications guy. |
|
| Back to top |
|
|
|
|
You cannot post new topics in this forum
You cannot reply to topics in this forum
You cannot edit your posts in this forum
You cannot delete your posts in this forum
You cannot vote in polls in this forum
|
This page is maintained by the one and only Dave Sperling.
Contact Dave's ESL Cafe
Copyright © 2018 Dave Sperling. All Rights Reserved.
Powered by phpBB © 2001, 2002 phpBB Group
|
FAQ
Search
Memberlist
Usergroups
Register
Profile
Log in to check your private messages
Log in
