New LinkedIn Group: Monbusho English Fellows (MEFs)
Career, Networking 
Comments Off on New LinkedIn Group: Monbusho English Fellows (MEFs)
Thomas Schalow has set up a LinkedIn group for Monbusho English Fellows (MEFs). MEFs were the forerunners to JETs, and from JetWit’s perspective, are part of the JET alumni community.
Here’s the link: http://www.linkedin.com/groups?mostPopular=&gid=3757582
A little MEF background from Thomas: “The number of MEFs was small. In my year, 1980, for example, there were only 12 MEFs for all of Japan. The program did not run that many years before it morphed into the JET program, so there may be only 100 or so of these MEFs out there.”
National AJET’s “Life After JET”: Andrew Sowter
Advice, Career, Interview/Profile, Uncategorized Comments Off on National AJET’s “Life After JET”: Andrew Sowter
National AJET shares former JET participants’ experiences – and a little advice – with current JETs in their new monthly interview, Life After JET. Contact lifeafterjet [at] ajet.net to be featured in future posts.
*************
This month, we further explore ways to build a teaching career in Japan from the JET experience. We interviewed Andy Sowter, a former-Prefectural ALT who taught at high schools and elementary schools for four years in Nara. After completing a Masters Degree in Applied Linguistics / Teachers of English to Speakers of Other Languages (TESOL), he is now a lecturer at Kwansei Gakuin University in their Intensive English Program.
Andy recommends that JET participants looking to use JET as a springboard to teach at a Japanese university need to start preparing early. Many universities look for experience presenting and publishing and “the Mid-Year Training Seminars are a good place to start.” In addition, he recommends that university job-seekers “join JALT and attend a few meetings to get a feel for the people you will be competing with for jobs.” For more advice from Andy, see the full interview or check out AJET’s Life After JET links page to find more information about the qualifications, resources, etc mentioned in this article.
National AJET: I know that you started working on your Masters while on JET. Since you didn’t have a background in linguistics before that, did you need to do any extra preparation?
Andy Sowter: I started doing my Masters during my 3rd year of JET, I finished JET after my 4th year to complete my Masters full time in Australia. Working and studying with a young family was difficult [so take] advantage of the extra free time that JET often gives you to study (either Japanese or a qualification).
To apply, I had to write a letter to the program chair stating the reasons why I thought I would be able to complete a degree in Applied Linguistics coming from a science-based background. Before applying I corresponded with the program chair to make that personal connection, I think this helped. However, I did also have a CELTA degree and three years of teaching experience to back up my application.
I was very happy with my results as I think they reflected the amount of effort I put into my studies. Seriously, anyone who decides they want to do further study has to commit, it takes a huge amount of time and effort.
NAJET: Can you tell me a little bit about your Masters programme?
Andy Sowter: My program was done through an Australian-based university called Griffith University. They had a distance education masters program [that was recommended by other JETs]. The program was designed to be completed part time over two years. It was completely course based (i.e. no thesis, just huge assignments). Two of the courses required evaluation of classroom teaching and lesson planning. I chose to go back to Australia to complete these but I could have done it externally if I could have found someone here in Japan willing and qualified to do so. By going back to Australia and completing my courses internally I managed to complete my degree in 18 months.
NAJET: What kind of requirements are there for teaching in Japanese universities?
Andy Sowter: It is getting harder and harder to get jobs as student numbers decline. To succeed in the Japanese university system you need a Masters Degree. In addition, you [must have] teaching experience in a university, [be published], [have Japanese language proficiency], and contacts [to] acquire better teaching positions.
When I started out, I took part time jobs. I managed to get some publications and made good contacts. After a year teaching part time, I [got] a full-time contract position and then relatively quickly a second better full-time (contract) position (my current job).
Click here for the rest of the interview.
.
Via Shinpai Deshou, an online resource to help Japanese Studies majors figure out how to make a living doing what they love:
Lots of great academic posts have been popping up lately on Shinpai Deshou, including:
- Lecturer in Japanese at University of Michigan
Deadline: Jan 30th - Associate Professor in International Exchange at Tokyo Gakugei University
Deadline: Feb 10 - The Takahashi Fellowship in Japanese Studies at the Walter H. Shorenstein
Asia-Pacific Research Center
Deadline: Position open until filled - Instructor for Manga and Animation at the IES Abroad Tokyo Center
Deadline: Position open until filled
Global MBA at Doshisha University (Kyoto)
Academic, Career, Graduate School Comments Off on Global MBA at Doshisha University (Kyoto)
via Jet alum Dr. Andrew Staples (Fukuoka, 1996-99), Associate Professor at Doshisha Business School. Posted by Dipika Soni (Ishikawa-ken, 2003-06). Dipika currently works as an in-house translator for PFU (a Fujitsu company) in Kahoku-shi, Ishikawa-ken. She is also the vocalist for the Japanese hardcore punk band DEGRADE.
—————————————————————————————————————–
The following information was submitted by Dr. Andy Staples, a visiting professor at Doshisha Business School, Kyoto, Japan. He would like to pass on details of significant funding opportunities that may be of interest to people considering enrolling on an MBA program in Japan. Please feel free to contact him directly if you have any questions astaples@mail.doshisha.ac.jp
The University and MBA
Based in the heart of Kyoto, Doshisha University is Japan’s second oldest private university with a long tradition of international exchange reinforced by institutional agreements with top-ranked institutions around the world including the University of Cambridge in the UK, Stanford in the USA and Peking University in China.
The university was designated as a ‘Global 30’ institution by the Japanese Ministry of Education in 2009 in recognition of its proactive internationalization strategy which includes the launch of a number of new undergraduate and postgraduate program delivered in English.
As part of this process the Graduate School of Business (Doshisha Business School, established 2004) launched the Global MBA in 2009. This is a two-year, full-time program delivered entirely in English by an international and research active faculty. 40 students representing 20 different nationalities are currently enrolled on the program reflecting the international, diverse and cosmopolitan nature of the degree.
The average Global MBA candidate is around 27 and has approximately 3 years of work experience. Many of our students have had previous experience of studying or working in Japan and some are seeking to develop a Japan based degree although all have joined the program for its content, structure and global outlook. Our mission is to educate young managers/executives willing to take the initiative in business and society as proactive leaders capable of seeking out business opportunities while at the same time making a contribution to the well-being of our society.
Applications
We currently have one former JET enrolled, (Shiga, 2006-2009) and believe that the program offers an excellent next step for JETs interested in developing an internationally focused career while remaining based in (or returning to) Japan. Significant funding opportunities exist for 2011 entry including scholarships, monthly stipends and fee waivers for outstanding international students and full details can be found on our webpage (http://gmba.doshisha.ac.jp/).
Applications are open now and early submissions are advised, particularly for those seeking funding. Potential applicants are encouraged to submit a CV/resume and personal statement outlining interest in the Global MBA and career ambition on a no-fee/consultative basis. Please also feel free to get in touch if you would like to informally correspond with a former JET enrolled on the program.
I often encourage JET alums to learn to use a blog, and I’ve even done some “Learn to Blog” workshops for JET alums (and lawyers too) where I walk people through the set-up, the basics and some of the quirks.
Now there’s apparently a WordPress site that offers a tutorial for setting up a blog and using it. Just go to http://learn.wordpress.com/
Knowing how to use a blog is a great job/communication skill to have in this era. It’s also a great platform for promoting yourself and your skills serving as a portfolio for your abilities and accomplishments if you’re trying to make your way in the freelance world, or trying to bootstrap yourself into a full-time job.
And of course, if you ever want to write for JetWit, it’s extremely helpful on my end if there’s less explaining for me to do in order to enable you to get started contributing to the site.
So take a look if interested and let me know whether it’s helpful. (I haven’t actually reviewed any of the tutorials. But WordPress generally has good quality stuff.) Also note the somewhat JET-relevant title on the main page. :-)
–Steven Horowitz (Aichi-ken, 1992-94)
Founder & Publisher, JetWit.com
Brooklyn, NY
via Jet alum Naomi Basik (Shiga-ken, 2007-08). Posted by Dipika Soni (Ishikawa-ken, 2003-06). Dipika currently works as an in-house translator for PFU (a Fujitsu company) in Kahoku-shi, Ishikawa-ken. She is also the vocalist for the Japanese hardcore punk band DEGRADE.
—————————————————————————————————————–
The Global MBA program at Doshisha University will be hosting an information session on their Kyoto (Imadegawa) campus on Saturday, February 12th.
This event is designed for JETs who would like to learn more about the Global MBA program or who are considering submitting an application for 2011 entry.
The Global MBA, launched in September 2009, is taught entirely in English (although those with the requisite language skills may take a limited number of classes in Japanese) on a full-time basis over two years. This program offers an excellent opportunity to gain a high-quality MBA in English, while studying in Japan and is aimed at those interested in pursuing an internationally focused career.
A New Year’s Resolution for Law Students: Organize.
Academic, Advice, Blogs, Career, Graduate School Comments Off on A New Year’s Resolution for Law Students: Organize.
**********
Matt Leichter (matt [dot] leichter [at] gmail [dot] com) (Saitama-ken 2003-05) is a renegade attorney who plays by his own rules. He operates a think tank of one, The Law School Tuition Bubble, where he archives, chronicles, and analyzes the rising cost and declining value of legal education in the United States. He also maintains the “Bankruptcy Legal Topics,” and, “Bankruptcy Billables,” sections for Steven Horowitz’s Bankruptcy Bill. For further reading regarding JETs and the law, he recommends JETs with J.D.s.
If you don’t know already, the New York Times ran a seven-page article in its business section detailing the crisis America’s legal education system faces. It even generously linked to The Law School Tuition Bubble. Yay! The whole article is worth the read, but towards the end it erred:
Today, American law schools are like factories that no force has the power to slow down — not even the timeless dictates of supply and demand.
There is one force that can stop these factories: law students. Find out why I think they should organize.
Dialogue with an Affable Law School Dean, Part 1
Academic, Advice, Blogs, Career, Graduate School Comments Off on Dialogue with an Affable Law School Dean, Part 1
**********
Matt Leichter (matt [dot] leichter [at] gmail [dot] com) (Saitama-ken 2003-05) is a renegade attorney who plays by his own rules. He operates a think tank of one, The Law School Tuition Bubble, where he archives, chronicles, and analyzes the rising cost and declining value of legal education in the United States. He also maintains the “Bankruptcy Legal Topics,” and, “Bankruptcy Billables,” sections for Steven Horowitz’s Bankruptcy Bill. For further reading regarding JETs and the law, he recommends JETs with J.D.s.
When you were on JET, did you ever have a refreshingly honest discussion about education with your kocho-sensei? I just had something similar. I received the distinct pleasure of discussing the state of legal education with the Devil’s advocate law school dean inhabiting my mind. A shrewd sparring partner, he’s surprisingly honest and appears to enjoy mandarin oranges. Find out why he doesn’t care that his law school isn’t transparent about its employment figures.
National AJET’s “Life After JET”: Teaching English in Japan – Lucas Clarkson
Advice, Career, Interview/Profile, Uncategorized Comments Off on National AJET’s “Life After JET”: Teaching English in Japan – Lucas Clarkson
Lucas poses as Honest Abe.
National AJET shares former JET participants’ experiences – and a little advice – with current JETs in their new monthly interview, Life After JET. Contact lifeafterjet [at] ajet.net to be featured in future posts.
*************
Lucas Clarkson spent five years on JET as an ALT at high schools and elementary schools and now teaches at a private school in Yokohama. He is currently a social studies instructor at the International Baccalaureate (IB) Middle Years Programme (MYP) at Chuo University Yokohama Yamate Girl’s School. Lucas told us a little more about his transition from JET to another teaching position in Japan for this month’s “Life After JET.”
National AJET: Why did you decide to continue teaching in Japan after JET? Was that always your plan?
Lucas Clarkson: I figured that I had so much invested in this country in terms of time spent, friendships made, and language (presumably) acquired, that to leave after JET would be a mistake. I always knew that I wanted to teach in some capacity, and I was lucky enough to find the position I did, when I did.
National AJET: Are there any resources you could recommend to someone looking for a teaching job in Japan?
Lucas: As far as resources go, there are the usual suspects: GaijinPot, Ohayo Sensei and Jobs in Japan. These are all helpful if you know exactly what you’re looking for. If you’re looking for International School positions there are a number of online headhunter-type sites where you pay a nominal fee to post your resume and other information online for prospective schools to see.
National AJET: Can you tell me a little bit about the logistics of staying on after JET – moving, getting a new visa, etc? Where there any difficulties that you didn’t expect?
Lucas: No major difficulties at all really, as long as you have a legitimate employer willing to sponsor you. If you decide to take the independent route however, you’re going to run into a host of difficulties. Just be sure to have (a) Japanese friend(s) on hand to help you with visa paperwork and the like.
Click here for the rest of the interview.
Boren Awards for International Language Study
Academic, Career, Language Study Comments Off on Boren Awards for International Language Study
Stephanie Boegeman (ALT, Akita-ken, 2006-09) gets her kicks from finding fun crazy ways to see the world and getting paid to do it. She is constantly in search of job, internship, and travel ideas to add to her site Playing With Hire, in the hopes that more JET alumni and like-minded souls join her in her quest to find creative, inspiring, and unique ways to make ends meet.
Still honing your Japanese skills and looking for someone to subsidize your studies? American students who fit this description may want to look into the Boren award. There’s even a guaranteed government job waiting for you when you graduate. *Deadlines are in February*. More information on applicant criteria and other applicable languages is here.
Inequality: Why the Tuition Bubble and Student Debt Matter
Academic, Advice, Blogs, Career, Graduate School Comments Off on Inequality: Why the Tuition Bubble and Student Debt Matter
**********
Matt Leichter (matt [dot] leichter [at] gmail [dot] com) (Saitama-ken 2003-05) is a renegade attorney who plays by his own rules. He operates a think tank of one, The Law School Tuition Bubble, where he archives, chronicles, and analyzes the rising cost and declining value of legal education in the United States. He also maintains the “Bankruptcy Legal Topics,” and, “Bankruptcy Billables,” sections for Steven Horowitz’s Bankruptcy Bill. For further reading regarding JETs and the law, he recommends JETs with J.D.s.
In Japan, young people who’ve been having a tough time finding work are criticized as “parasite singles” or “herbivores,” regardless of whether there actually are living wage jobs for them. The same thing is happening in the U.S., but to make things worse, $850 billion dollars in student debt is hidden from calculations of income inequality, meaning young people are unemployed and not making families, AND America is also less egalitarian a society than people might think.
New LinkedIn group for JET Alum HR Professionals (and those interested)
Career, Networking Comments Off on New LinkedIn group for JET Alum HR Professionals (and those interested)
I’ve set up a new LinkedIn group for JET Alum HR Professionals:
http://www.linkedin.com/groups?mostPopular=&gid=3709611
The purpose is to enable those JET alums and Friends of JET in the field to connect. And also to provide a resource for JETs and JET alums interested in the field.
Paul Benson (Fukui-ken, 2006-08) is a New York-based freelance translator who has handled assignments ranging from securities laws to cook books. A Translator’s Life follows some of Paul’s experiences as he makes his way in the J->E translation world.
On Monday afternoon I had the pleasure of attending a small informal interview–all in Japanese–hosted by Shūkan NY Seikatsu (週刊ＮＹ生活), a free, weekly Japanese newspaper available in New York. They wanted to get a few JETs together to talk about our experiences for a special New Year’s issue to be published in a few weeks.
A little background: I was in Japan (Fukui-ken) for two years and returned in 2008 to immediately enter graduate school for Japanese at the University of Massachusetts Amherst. While many returnees feel the need to constantly talk about their incredible experiences, I could not have felt more differently. In my first year I was surrounded by students interested in applying for JET (they didn’t want to talk about anything else) and in my second year I was so busy researching and writing I didn’t really think about my time on JET. In some ways this had the disservice of leading me to devalue my time in Japan, to shelve it and move on.
There were six JET alums in total at the interview: Steven Horowitz, Kia Cheleen, Jon Hills (who provided the venue at his company, Hills Learning), Tamar Entis, Stacy Smith and myself. Shūkan NY Seikatsu‘s Publisher & CEO Ryoichi Miura and and reporter Kaoru Komi asked us what we learned from Japan, what we loved about our areas, what we thought was cool about Japan, and what are reactions were to some of the criticisms Japanese teachers have of JETs (all of which you can read about in their upcoming free publication).
I found myself pleasantly surprised at how unique and special each JET’s experience was. I also recalled what I was told countless times before I went: “ESID” (Every Situation Is Different), and it’s still true. Time passing hasn’t made my JET experience any less unique. The only difference is that now I like it that way.
I hope many of you get the chance to check out the article in Shūkan NY Seikatsu when it comes out December 28. (I’ll be sure to post a summary translation of it on the JetWit site for those who need it.)
Thoughts on Human Capital Contracts
Academic, Advice, Blogs, Career, Graduate School Comments Off on Thoughts on Human Capital Contracts
**********
Matt Leichter (matt [dot] leichter [at] gmail [dot] com) (Saitama-ken 2003-05) is a renegade attorney who plays by his own rules. He operates a think tank of one, The Law School Tuition Bubble, where he archives, chronicles, and analyzes the rising cost and declining value of legal education in the United States. He also maintains the “Bankruptcy Legal Topics,” and, “Bankruptcy Billables,” sections for Steven Horowitz’s Bankruptcy Bill. For further reading regarding JETs and the law, he recommends JETs with J.D.s.
So you’re tired of hearing about student debt. Well, so am I. You may’ve heard of investing in student equity. Wait, you haven’t? They’re called “Human Capital Contracts”—an investor (or the government) pays for your education in exchange for 10% of your income for ten years. No one else has ever tried something like this. I sat down and thought out what I think of them.
Stephanie Boegeman (ALT, Akita-ken, 2006-09) gets her kicks from finding fun crazy ways to see the world and getting paid to do it. She is constantly in search of job, internship, and travel ideas to add to her site Playing With Hire, in the hopes that more JET alumni and like-minded souls join her in her quest to find creative, inspiring, and unique ways to make ends meet.
Calling all teachers at the elementary through high school level: Here is a great opportunity to travel abroad in the name of professional development. The Distinguished Fulbright Awards in Teaching program is accepting applications through *Dec. 15th*. More details on the program can be found here.
