JETAA Chicago Job and Networking Fair – Saturday Nov 5
Career, Events, JETAA Chapters, Jobs, Networking 
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Thanks to JETAA Chicago’s Elizabeth Gordon (Iwate-ken 2003-05) for sharing this info:
JETAA Chicago will host its annual Job and Networking Fair on Saturday, November 5th from 1pm to 5pm at the Japan Information Center in downtown Chicago.
This is a great opportunity for JETs that have recently returned from Japan, current JET Alumni, friends of JETs as well as professionals looking for new networking and career opportunities.
A lot of JETs return from Japan looking for ways to maintain and even build upon the experiences they made while living abroad and we hope to provide support in helping you reach those goals. This is also a wonderful opportunity for individuals that are interested in pursuing a new career and would like some guidance from current Alumni or other established professionals.
There will be an open table top session with booths from various Chicagoland companies and organizations as well as a wine and cheese reception. We are also planning on having a speaker to kick off the event so please stay tuned as there will be more specific information to follow!
If you have any questions, please feel free to email our Social Activities Officer, Daniel Martin: social@jetaachicago.com
Location: Consulate General of Japan at Chicago (JIC – Japan Information Center), 737. North Michigan Ave., Chicago, IL (map it)
New LinkedIn group for JET Alum International Education and Exchange Careers
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JET alum Carolyn Brooks has set up a new Linkedin group for JETs, alums and Friends of JET working in or interested in the field of international education and exchange (a popular career path for many JET alumni).
Here’s the link to join: http://www.linkedin.com/groups?homeNewMember=&gid=4145299&trk=&ut=1tt3q-WQ4vCkY1
Also here’s a link to the full list of JET Alum professional and prefecture LinkedIn groups out there. And a reminder that if you don’t see one that fits, start your own and we’ll post it here on JETwit.
Important: The official need for JET alum groups by prefecture
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It’s official. Soumusho (Ministry of Internal Affairs) sees great value in the JET alumni community being organized and identifiable by prefecture and would like to see such groups formed and put to better use. This according to an announcement that came through the official bureaucratic news source (iJAMP). (See very unofficial translation summary below.)
Why do they care so much about this idea? Because the local governments (i.e., the prefectures) need to see the long term benefits of JET to really make it worth it for them to continue to hire JETs and to contribute funding and resources to the program. They need to see that JET alumni are supporting and contributing to longer term economic benefits in various ways. This is the concept of Local Return on JET-vestment.
Fortunately, JET alum groups by prefecture have existed for the past year thanks to LinkedIn. And many have already joined. If you have not joined one yet, I strongly encourage you to do so now. (It also couldn’t hurt to join any of the various professional JET alum LinkedIn groups as well. Or start a new one yourself if you see a field not covered.)
Here’s the unofficial translation summaries of the official communication:
Soumusho has called on the prefectures to promote the creation of JET OB networks as a resource in their internationalization and overseas business initiatives.
To encourage this, Soumusho is allowing prefectures from this year to fund travel and other expenses for alumni out of their local allocation tax revenues, and is asking prefectures to work with municipal governments.
It is further hoped that these alumni will be a source of accurate information on Japan. And there have been many instances where alumni have gotten involved in fundraising and other support for the affected areas through their deep connections to their communities in Japan.
While there have been many groups formed by alumni according to their countries of origin, schools they taught at or years on the Program, there are few instances of groups formed by prefecture and it is difficult to really say that alumni are a resource to these areas. The importance of prefecture alumni groups was pointed out at the 25th anniversary symposium, leading to the call to form prefecture-level networks.
The notice mentioned Tottori as a good example of a prefecture making the best use of its JETs, having its CIRs act as “Tottori Hometown Ambassadors”, submitting policy proposals and contributing articles to its informational magazine. It also uses its “World Tottori Fan Club” to send out information to its ALT alumni.
JETAA Music City to host it’s first Nihongo Dake Dinner!
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Thanks to JETAA Music City President (and Arkansas Cherry Blossom Princess) Terry Vo (Kumamoto-ken, 2007-09) for the heads up:
Join us for a Japanese-Style Potluck on October 4, 2011. Come mingle, eat, drink, and be merry! This event is open to our Friends of JET Alum as well so please feel free to invite your family and friends! Please bring either your favorite Dish, Dessert or Beverage!
RSVP DEADLINE: September 30 to Leah atvp@jetaamc.org
Location: 1812 Cahal Avenue, Nashville TN 37206″
New version of LinkedIn group for Monbusho English Fellows (MEFs) and other pre-JETs
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A few months ago I set up a LinkedIn group for Monbusho English Fellows (MEFs) and other pre-JETs such as British English Teachers (BETs). However, it turns out that an MEF named Thomas Schalow, now a professor living in Kobe, had already set up an MEF group on Linkedin.
Here’s the link for anyone who would like to join: http://www.linkedin.com/groups?about=&gid=3757582
I believe there are a few hundred or so MEFs in existence and would love to track you guys down and bring you into the JET alum orbit to the extent possible. So if you are an MEF or BET or other pre-JET, please identify yourself by joining the group.
FYI, two prominent MEFs I’m aware of are Michael Green, former top Japan guy at the State Department during the Bush administration and Bruce Rutledge, founder of Seattle-based Chin Music Press.
Happy time in a happi coat. (Rashaad Jorden)
By Rashaad Jorden (Yamagata-ken, 2008-2010) for JQ magazine. Rashaad worked at four elementary schools and three junior high schools on JET, and taught a weekly conversion class in Haguro (his village) to adults. He completed the Tokyo Marathon in 2010, and was also a member of a taiko group in Haguro.
It was the best of times. It was the worst of times.
Those two sentences are a lot more than the beginning of A Tale of Two Cities. The former could best describe my time in the JET Program (with a couple of exceptions), while the latter is an accurate description of my post-JET time.
I was disappointed and sad to leave Yamagata Prefecture last year, but the old saying “when one door closes, another one opens” came to my mind. As much as I enjoyed Japan, I was eager to launch my new life in the U.S.
Since I had talked myself out of grad school for the time being, I figured I ought to put something worthwhile on my resume before commencing the serious job hunt. As my resume included mostly teaching English abroad (France and Japan), I figured I might as well do something related to what I eventually want to do: something editorial related.
Currently, I am seeking an editorial assistant/copy editor/proofreading position. But I would also open to working for cultural exchange programs and in positions that utilize French ability (I am fluent in the language due to having and worked in France).
New LinkedIn group: JET Alum Okane
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All JET alumni and Friends of JET are welcome and encouraged to join a new LinkedIn group:
JET Alum Okane
http://www.linkedin.com/groups?home=&gid=4045224&trk=anet_ug_hm
For JET alumni who have an interest in, work in or aspire to work in fields related to money – i.e., finance, fundraising, investment, accounting, tax, economics, insurance, etc.
Click here for a list of all of the other JET Alum LinkedIn groups you can join.
New group: JET Alum Health Professionals
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After meeting Portland-based mental health counselor and JETAA Portland officer Roy Huggins (Hokkaido, Sapporo-shi) at the JETAA USA Conference in D.C. this past weekend and realizing there were two other attendees who are also health professionals (JETAA Texoma’s Chieko Rothengass and Dennis Li are both researchers), we thought it might make sense to create a …..
JET Alum Health Professionals Group on LinkedIn
http://www.linkedin.com/e/ai06o5-gqax67os-a/vgh/4008893/
So if you’re a therapist, a doctor, a nurse, a researcher, a nutritionist or in any other line of work (or aspire to be) that has some connection to health, please join!
Also a reminder that there are a whole host of other JET Alum LinkedIn groups to join (e.g., law, policy & government, MEFs, media professionals, etc.) as well as the JET alum LinkedIn groups by prefecture.
Volunteer to become a Host Family for Exchange Students from China, Korea or Japan
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via Carleen Ben (Oita-ken 2006-2008) Carleen currently works as a Program Associate at The Laurasian Institution, a non-profit organization promoting international exchange programs between US – China, Japan, and Korea.
Volunteer Host Family:
Remember your time in Japan or as a study abroad student where you were welcomed by super amazing host families? Do you miss sharing your culture and learning about new ones??
Single parents, retirees, “empty nesters,” young couples with small children, as well as more traditional two parent families with teenagers/pets, all are currently sharing and enjoying the exchange experience!
If you are interested in hosting a student or know of someone who is interested, please email us at ayp@laurasian.org
We are looking for host families in all states throughout the US!
Students’ arrival date: August 13th 2011
End of the program: June 2012 (when host school’s term is over)
Host Families are important members of the U.S. Department of State’s citizen diplomats. If you are interested in being part of this program and the larger picture of supporting public diplomacy, please contact us! Feel free to ask us any questions. We are looking forward to hearing from you soon!
Yoroshiku oneigaishimasu!
Memo to JET alums: Please mention JET in your bios and profiles!
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I’ve come across a number of bios and profiles of established JET alums in recent months, usually on their company or organization’s website or on LinkedIn. And I’ve noticed many do not specifically mention JET.
They might say they worked or taught English in Aichi Prefecture or were an ALT in Osaka, but no mention of JET. I realize that specifically mentioning JET is not appropriate in every bio and profile. But if your work relates to Japan or to education (and in many cases even if it doesn’t), I want to suggest that it would be a beneficial to us as a community and to the JET Program as well to make a point of mentioning JET.
In addition to the fact that the JET Program enjoys an excellent reputation, it’s also important to let the world know that we’re out there. It’s kind of like that “Canadians: They walk among us” bit from the movie Canadian Bacon. There are JETs everywhere, but you may not always be aware of it.
The more we’re aware of how many of us are out there and where we are, the stronger the community and the network becomes, the greater the positive visibility for JET and the more likelihood that the JET Program and JET alumni community continue to play a unique and positive role for Japan in the future.
Just one more small thing you can do to help improve Return On JET-vestment (aka JET ROI).
Update 6/16/11: Jennifer Jakubowski of cross-cultural consulting firm Bridges To Japan got in touch to say that after seeing this post she updated her profile to mention the JET Program.
Update 6/15/11: Good example – JETwit and JETAANY Webmaster Lee-Sean Huang (Oita-ken, 2003-06) makes a point of mentioning the JET Program in his bio for Purpose.com.
JETAA NY joint event with Kyushu association
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Last night JETAA New York joined with New York Battenkai, a New York-based association for Japanese ex-pats from Kyushu, for a unique happy hour at Nightengales (2nd Ave & 13th St) and another example of JETAA chapters supporting prefecture and local government efforts. (Translation Note: “Batten,” it was explained, is connecting phrase unique to Kyushu dialect.)
As New York is home to many other similar prefecture associations, perhaps this could end up serving as a model for future JETAA Chapter-Prefectural Association events.
New LinkedIn group: JET Alum IT/Tech/Science
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There’s now a new LinkedIn group called JET Alum IT/Tech/Science for JET alums, current JETs and Friends of JET who are working in, interested in or have some sort of connection to IT, tech, science, engineering, medical fields, etc.
Here’s the link: http://www.linkedin.com/groups?mostPopular=&gid=3949084&trk=myg_ugrp_ovr
And a reminder to go to JET Alum Groups on the JETwit site for a list of all professional/career oriented LinkedIn and other groups for JETs.
UPDATE 9/27/11: It turns out an MEF Group on LinkedIn was previously created by Thomas Schalow. To join, go to this link: http://www.linkedin.com/groups?about=&gid=3757582
I’m going to delete the group that I created and would like to encourage MEFs, BETs and other pre-JETs to join the version of the group set up by Thomas.
Yoroshiku!
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Every now and then I hear from a Monbusho English Fellow (MEF) or other person who was part of a pre-JET program in Japan. I know there are plenty more MEFs out there, and you are very much JET alums from the perspective of the JET alumni community. So I thought it would make sense to create a LinkedIn group for MEFs and others who participated in programs. (I think there was also a British English Teachers program?)
Monbusho English Fellows (MEFs) LinkedIn Group
Career/Networking reminder: JET Alum LinkedIn groups
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Just a reminder that there are a number of LinkedIn groups set up for JETs and JET alumni geared towards professional connecting and career development:
*Don’t see what you’re looking for? Start your own JET alum LinkedIn group and e-mail jetwit [at] jetwit.com. We’ll post it on JETwit.
**Also, don’t forget about the JETwit Jobs Google Group as well as the JET Alum LinkedIn groups by prefecture.
I just set up a new LinkedIn group for JETs, JET alums and Friends of JET who work in academia or are interested in working in academia. This includes any professors, PhD candidates, masters degree students or anyone related in any way to research and academia.
