Jobs in Japan after JET?

[jim]

I'm currently on JET and while I'm enjoying the experience, I plan to move on after this year as I'm in a nice but fairly dull prefecture and with my 20s ticking down rapidly, would like to go someplace more interesting.

I'd like to stay in Japan and get another job in one of the bigger cities, but it seems like a minefield. Are there any companies / programmes I can trust and are there any that won't require me to take a massive drop in living standards? After all my outgoings and travel costs I'm left with about 19 man per month at the moment (much of which admittedly goes on hotels and train fares to get away from my town at weekends).My girlfriend will be with me so we can share the cost of rent and bills.

Also, I take it if I were to stay in Japan doing something else would I lose the tax refund at the end of JET? I'm also a bit worried that finding a job to start in August will be very difficult and the prospect of going home till April 2013 is more or less a non-starter considering my age and the grim employment prospects back home. Is this likely to be the case?

I heard of a programme called ECC which seems a lot less shifty than Interac and is based in the cities, so if anyone has any further info on it please let me know.

[Tim_GifuPA]

Hi Jim

What type of work is it you are looking for? Are you keen to continue in education, or do you specialize in another field and want to explore options there? I am a CIR so I don't know much about teaching jobs, but I know a few 'avenues' for searching for other work.

Regarding tax refund, you won't lose it. However, you won't be able to claim it until you get home (have to be non-resident of Japan). Just do it within 2 years of returning, and provided you have been paying into it for at least 6 months, you will get some back (check the JET Programme General Info Handbook for a guide).

The other option would be to live in Japan forever and get it all when you reach retirement age!

[king]

I was thinking of making my own similar thread but I notice this one at the top of the page, so...hope nobody minds me butting in!

So...I'm a first year and am 75% sure I will stay on for a second year. Beyond that though...well I really don't want to get stuck as a permanent ALT. Its a nice enough job but its not a career. So I will have to look at moving into the real world of work. My degree is in IT but like 90% of graduates I'd probally just be aiming for some officey corporatey generally jobby wobby thingy majiggy.
Whether this is Japan or not is not something I'm not commited to one way or the other, nonetheless I am curious about the prospects for remaining in Japan.
Do many people manage it?
Are there any jobs at all available for inexperienced foreigners?
What about the hiring season?- I've heard the big problem is Jet goes September-September whilst Japanese companies tend to follow the school March-March system (why oh why couldn't I have started in March ), is this so and the only way is to waste half a year post-jet not doing much in the hope you'll get a job come March? (or of course quitting early which is....not something I want to do, a bit dishonorable and nasty and against the rules)

[misterjohn]

Hi,

I finished JET this year. Actually the program was cancelled in my city so I finished unexpectedly after my fourth year. I decided to stay in Japan and continue working in education. I know other people in similar circumstances including those who wanted to go into another field. You seem to be starting from a position that many people start from; not being sure of what you want to do or where.

There are lots of jobs out there. Quality varies as do conditions. The starting point is to decide exactly what kind of job you want and where. This is often not easy. It can help to think about the kind of job you don't want and work from there.

The best advice I can give is this: think about being an employer. If I am hiring for a company and I am interviewing a JET I know that I am dealing with someone who was well-paid and had very good working conditions. If they just want some kind of job somewhere more interesting than where they currently live, i'm not going to hire them. This is not meant to be rude or condescending, text is not very subtle.

On the other hand if they are definite about their goals and have a CV that shows they are self motivated and have done stuff out side of their 16 hours of classes a week my attitude would be different. I would remember that the hiring procedure for JET is pretty tough and in recent years, and with the economic situation very competitive. I would probably seriously consider hiring them.

On the subject of the hiring period, you can be lucky. Jobs do come up outside of the traditional hiring period of November to December for an April start the following year. Even if this did not happen you could certainly find something to tide you over. Many part-timers in the education sector go home in August and don't return to complete their contracts. You would simply use August to September, in a McJob, to get ready for a concerted job hunt during the hiring period.

The thing to do is give serious thought to what comes after JET. It's going to be tough to get a good job doing work you enjoy. Work out which job you want to do, research what will be required to do it and start working towards it. JLPT is a good place to start as are organisations like AJET, JALT and ETJ; especially if you want to continue in education. If you want to work in an office consider changing role to CIR or volunteering to be a PA or Block Representative. If you are an IT graduate you need to think about how you can demonstrate to a prospective employer that you have kept up to date with your field. In education you can look into CALL initiatives.

First step, get your CV up to date. Best of luck!

cheers, John

[jim]

Hi all

Cheers for the replies!

Due to minimal Japanese, I think it will need to be a teaching job first and foremost. I've learned some very basic lingo in my 4 months here but as I've heard that you need JLPT level 1 or 2 to get most non-teaching jobs, it might take a few years before heading down that avenue.

Tim-do the avenues you talk about all require a decent level of Japanese? Any ideas for non-teaching jobs are well appreciated as while I enjoy it, I don't see it as being a career for me. My previous experience is a couple of years post-graduation working in marketing roles. Just before JET I worked for an electronics company and actually came to Japan to attend a trade show and meet with videogame developers, was thinking this could be a nice little extra for the CV.

I'm doing little bits and bobs in the community, helping out with the soccer team now and then and trying my best to learn Japanese so hopefully that can further bump up the CV to prove I've taken my time here seriously.

[Tim_GifuPA]

Hi Jim,

Decent Japanese definitely an advantage. Industries like HR / recruitment (of english speakers), if of interest, might be a good start? These companies do not always state Japanese as a prerequisite. A lot of this work is commission based and the work cut-throat, so it could turn out to be a good challenge for someone who wants to match candidates with your client's needs. These guys commonly post on english websites in Japan like Japan Times, Careerone, etc.

Tim

[tjacobsson]

American School in Japan Job Vacancy
www.asij.ac.jp

Cheer Coach
We are seeking immediately applications for the position of high school Cheer Coach. This is a paid position and could be long-term (multi year) appointment. Cheer coaching at ASIJ is a rewarding opportunity to work with a talented and highly motivated team of 24-28 members. Communicating in English language is required.

Cheer has two different seasons, Fall (late August-early November) and Winter (late November-end of February). Cheer performs at ASIJ’s football and basketball games, held on weeknights and some Saturdays during either season. The cheer team practices three times a week after school (3:00-5:00). All schedules will be set well in advance.

As coach, once appointed, you will immediately be a member of the Mustangs Coaching Staff and will have the full support of the Activities & Athletics staff. Please know that we look forward to meeting with anyone interested in either of these positions.

Contact:
Brian Kelley
Director of Activities & Athletics
American School in Japan
Email: bkelley@asij.ac.jp
Tel: 0422 34 5300 ext. 271
Cell: 090 2415 5290