What kind of jobs did people have prior to JET? Or is mostly everyone an unemployed new college grad? Or just unemployed? (Just curious, I’m not trying to rip on the participants!)
worked at red robin as a server and bartender through high school and college, just graduated, now i’m looking into substitute teaching until I can hopefully leave for JET next year!
In high school i worked as an office assistant at a local business (mostly filing paperwork, making spreadsheets, printing stuff etc). I was an RA for a year in college, did tutoring on the side for college and high school students, and worked at my universitys post office junior year. I just graduated so JET is gonna be my first full time job !
I work in a hospital, scheduling heart surgery. Before this I worked as a personal assistant and a bunch of shitty retail jobs.
I worked as a hotel maid for about 5 months in uni, but it was awful, so now I work in a thrift store.
Needless to say, I’m very excited to have gotten this job with JET
I worked a corp job (boring office stuff), actually taking a big paycut to do JET, and there’s quite a few people I’ve spoken to doing the same. Once in a lifetime experience so I don’t care about anything else, I can always get a job in my home country.
im a recent undergrad graduate and jet will be my first full time job, but i had a part time job in college related to technology, and experience volunteering with preschoolers in high school
Just recently graduated but I’ve worked a bunch of part-time jobs since high school. My most current position is working for the city in recreation.
I’m currently a support worker.
I worked as a deputy and then worked 911 communications
Currently working as a high school English teacher. Before that, I did ALT work for a dispatch company straight out of uni.
Various jobs in animal care (boarding kennels/daycare) retail (pet stores) now just been working in the supermarket waiting for JET lol did work experience at various aquaculture facilities for my degree but I don’t count that as they were short term and unpaid lol
I was a full time substitute teacher until last week. Before that, mostly retail and foodservice.
A tour guide, a cashier and a factory worker.
I took a gap year (…or two…) before I went on JET because of covid. I worked in retail after graduating because job-hunting was challenging (fortunately enough, there were a lot of retail jobs that were hiring throughout the pandemic, so I was able to earn and save money during this time). It’s true that a lot of JETs are recent graduates, but there’s also a large number of us who aren’t.
I worked side hustles until covid hit whenever I needed cash, but from March 2020 till now it’s been:
• Pizza delivery (weekends only, 8 months from March-Aug ’20)
• Summer camp counselor (8 weeks annually, except for ’20 (the pando) and ’22 (finishing my degree))
• Hosted outdoor laser tag parties for a US chain called GameTruck that basically hosted birthday parties with videogame console trailers and other things (Aug ’20-Aug ’21)
• Package handling (August ’20 – July ’21, got promoted to material handler/forklift operator and have spent the last two years working there while I finished my degree since they had insurance and tuition reimbursement)
For like a year after my 22nd birthday, I worked 2 jobs and the summer of ’21 I worked three. I’m currently going back to two until about two weeks out from my departure date to see if I can make the money I need to get set up in Japan without having to dig past a certain threshold in my savings.
I worked at Lowe’s haha
Retail at an outdoor goods store (REI), lol.
I worked retail for a year after finishing my degree. COVID really hit the economy where I lived.
Any mid career professionals or changing career professionals, like accountants, IT specialists, managers, marketing, dentists, physicians, police officers, firefighter, business consultants, building contractors, plumbers, store owners, etc.?
Animation supervisor (traditional 2D).
Also was moonlighting teaching and developing the animation curriculum at a local university. I also spent time doing animation consulting in Japan.
I’m one of the old, mid-career people. A decade ago, I ran an online toy store out of my apartment in central Tokyo and turned it into a full time job.
I was a university student when I applied. I worked multiple part-time jobs. 35 hours a week between university tutoring job and public library job. Then after I graduated, I did the library job and an apparel job in a supermarket for a few months until I left.
Instructor/behavior tech at a nonprofit daycare aimed at kids with developmental delays, autism, etc. It was my first job out of college and I signed on to it so I’d have some experience working with kids while I applied for the JET Program
I was a high school teaching assistant for students with special educational needs
I worked at UNICEF, the international school and at a sports for development organisation.
I worked as a Foreign Language teacher in Peru for 4 years and close to 3 as an English/Spanish Language Tutor in a local college in South Florida!
Retired for past ten years, prior to that I was a diplomat for 25 years.
Translator (still doing this on the side), interpreter, construction worker, English teacher, chef, data analyst, media analyst, due diligence checker, author. (If you wanna see a translation project I’m working on now, check my twitter https://twitter.com/Jiraiya_News)
After graduating I worked for the government for about a year (public land use).
I think the diversity in the replies is pretty interesting!
Special education teacher
Classroom Teacher for a few years, then Primary/Elementary School Japanese teacher for the past six years.
I used to be a University housing and program coordinator for international students
I was in the Peace Corps then had a gap year where I was a temp at a bank then a cook at a little Cafe before JET
I used to roast coffee at a small local cafe until recently. Currently per-departure I switched to a data-entry gig that pays a little better to try to save a little. I’m hoping JET can be the beginning of a new career.
Tutored high school math and calculus after school for a while but took a graveyard shift warehouse job after finding out I was short-listed. Need to pay for the Tokyo apartment I’m gonna have to get soon
While of course there is a lot of diversity in program participants, I think a sizeable portion of JETs apply during their final year of college and go into JET straight after graduation. That was the case for me and several of my university classmates. I had worked while in high school and college for several years at Starbucks and Trader Joe’s but started JET a few months after graduation and consider it my first job on my career path.
Used to be a site manager for a small construction company while doing event management on the side among other shenanigans! Was also finishing up undergrad when I applied for JET.
I’m currently a hospital scientist in transfusion medicine. Worked in pathology during and after uni.
Preschool Assistant, home room teacher for middle schoolers in SpEd. “ALT” with EPIK program.
I had a job at a nonprofit after I finished my undergrad working with college students to develop and run political campaigns. Burned out of that real fast.
Worked at the same restaurant I did all throughout college and lived at home (I was a 2020 JET so it was for like, a full year instead of a few months)
I’m a full time camera operator/tech in the tv and film industry. Currently finishing up on a 3-months documentary shoot following Australian paramedics. My contract finishes in a few weeks and then it’ll be time to depart for Japan before I know it!
It was a hard decision to make the move into being an ALT, this industry is something I love and can’t wait to come back to. My hope is I can find a way to work in this field between Australia and Japan post JET, being a documentary cameraman.
I graduated in 2020, was in food service for about 2-3ish years. Managed to land a marketing graphic design internship to enjoy until departing for JET in July 2022!
I worked in a very large mutual funds company in the customer relations department. There were 2 department — phone operators (the larger group) and written correspondence (I was here). This was the job I got just after graduate school in East Asian Studies; obviously my interest were more in Japan than in mutual funds, haha.
I’m entering JET a year out from graduating with an MFA. In the past year I was an adjunct professor (writing classes) at the college I graduated from. During my time in grad school, I was a graduate assistant teaching freshman writing classes and the managing editor for the graduate literary magazine on campus. Before grad school, I was a sound designer and engineer for live theater (for about eight years).
I plan to apply to JET next year, but I have worked two jobs since post grad in 2020. My first job was as a Media Analyst and my current job is Researcher at a research company. Additionally, I studied abroad in Tokyo in 2019 and took a year of Japanese. I plan to get my TEFL as well. From what I gathered in this thread and my research, I wouldn’t stress about your employment history, especially if you’re fresh out of uni.
I worked as a Deputy with a Sheriffs Department and then moved into communications as a Dispatcher for the same department
online tutor (teaching internationally) – mainly for math and english, but sometimes a bit of science or specific exam prep courses.
47 comments
worked at red robin as a server and bartender through high school and college, just graduated, now i’m looking into substitute teaching until I can hopefully leave for JET next year!
In high school i worked as an office assistant at a local business (mostly filing paperwork, making spreadsheets, printing stuff etc). I was an RA for a year in college, did tutoring on the side for college and high school students, and worked at my universitys post office junior year. I just graduated so JET is gonna be my first full time job !
I work in a hospital, scheduling heart surgery. Before this I worked as a personal assistant and a bunch of shitty retail jobs.
I worked as a hotel maid for about 5 months in uni, but it was awful, so now I work in a thrift store.
Needless to say, I’m very excited to have gotten this job with JET
I worked a corp job (boring office stuff), actually taking a big paycut to do JET, and there’s quite a few people I’ve spoken to doing the same. Once in a lifetime experience so I don’t care about anything else, I can always get a job in my home country.
im a recent undergrad graduate and jet will be my first full time job, but i had a part time job in college related to technology, and experience volunteering with preschoolers in high school
Just recently graduated but I’ve worked a bunch of part-time jobs since high school. My most current position is working for the city in recreation.
I’m currently a support worker.
I worked as a deputy and then worked 911 communications
Currently working as a high school English teacher. Before that, I did ALT work for a dispatch company straight out of uni.
Various jobs in animal care (boarding kennels/daycare) retail (pet stores) now just been working in the supermarket waiting for JET lol did work experience at various aquaculture facilities for my degree but I don’t count that as they were short term and unpaid lol
I was a full time substitute teacher until last week. Before that, mostly retail and foodservice.
A tour guide, a cashier and a factory worker.
I took a gap year (…or two…) before I went on JET because of covid. I worked in retail after graduating because job-hunting was challenging (fortunately enough, there were a lot of retail jobs that were hiring throughout the pandemic, so I was able to earn and save money during this time). It’s true that a lot of JETs are recent graduates, but there’s also a large number of us who aren’t.
I worked side hustles until covid hit whenever I needed cash, but from March 2020 till now it’s been:
• Pizza delivery (weekends only, 8 months from March-Aug ’20)
• Summer camp counselor (8 weeks annually, except for ’20 (the pando) and ’22 (finishing my degree))
• Hosted outdoor laser tag parties for a US chain called GameTruck that basically hosted birthday parties with videogame console trailers and other things (Aug ’20-Aug ’21)
• Package handling (August ’20 – July ’21, got promoted to material handler/forklift operator and have spent the last two years working there while I finished my degree since they had insurance and tuition reimbursement)
For like a year after my 22nd birthday, I worked 2 jobs and the summer of ’21 I worked three. I’m currently going back to two until about two weeks out from my departure date to see if I can make the money I need to get set up in Japan without having to dig past a certain threshold in my savings.
I worked at Lowe’s haha
Retail at an outdoor goods store (REI), lol.
I worked retail for a year after finishing my degree. COVID really hit the economy where I lived.
Any mid career professionals or changing career professionals, like accountants, IT specialists, managers, marketing, dentists, physicians, police officers, firefighter, business consultants, building contractors, plumbers, store owners, etc.?
Animation supervisor (traditional 2D).
Also was moonlighting teaching and developing the animation curriculum at a local university. I also spent time doing animation consulting in Japan.
I’m one of the old, mid-career people. A decade ago, I ran an online toy store out of my apartment in central Tokyo and turned it into a full time job.
I was a university student when I applied. I worked multiple part-time jobs. 35 hours a week between university tutoring job and public library job. Then after I graduated, I did the library job and an apparel job in a supermarket for a few months until I left.
Instructor/behavior tech at a nonprofit daycare aimed at kids with developmental delays, autism, etc. It was my first job out of college and I signed on to it so I’d have some experience working with kids while I applied for the JET Program
I was a high school teaching assistant for students with special educational needs
I worked at UNICEF, the international school and at a sports for development organisation.
I worked as a Foreign Language teacher in Peru for 4 years and close to 3 as an English/Spanish Language Tutor in a local college in South Florida!
Retired for past ten years, prior to that I was a diplomat for 25 years.
Translator (still doing this on the side), interpreter, construction worker, English teacher, chef, data analyst, media analyst, due diligence checker, author.
(If you wanna see a translation project I’m working on now, check my twitter https://twitter.com/Jiraiya_News)
After graduating I worked for the government for about a year (public land use).
I think the diversity in the replies is pretty interesting!
Special education teacher
Classroom Teacher for a few years, then Primary/Elementary School Japanese teacher for the past six years.
I used to be a University housing and program coordinator for international students
I was in the Peace Corps then had a gap year where I was a temp at a bank then a cook at a little Cafe before JET
I used to roast coffee at a small local cafe until recently. Currently per-departure I switched to a data-entry gig that pays a little better to try to save a little. I’m hoping JET can be the beginning of a new career.
Tutored high school math and calculus after school for a while but took a graveyard shift warehouse job after finding out I was short-listed. Need to pay for the Tokyo apartment I’m gonna have to get soon
While of course there is a lot of diversity in program participants, I think a sizeable portion of JETs apply during their final year of college and go into JET straight after graduation. That was the case for me and several of my university classmates. I had worked while in high school and college for several years at Starbucks and Trader Joe’s but started JET a few months after graduation and consider it my first job on my career path.
Used to be a site manager for a small construction company while doing event management on the side among other shenanigans! Was also finishing up undergrad when I applied for JET.
I’m currently a hospital scientist in transfusion medicine. Worked in pathology during and after uni.
Preschool Assistant, home room teacher for middle schoolers in SpEd. “ALT” with EPIK program.
I had a job at a nonprofit after I finished my undergrad working with college students to develop and run political campaigns. Burned out of that real fast.
Worked at the same restaurant I did all throughout college and lived at home (I was a 2020 JET so it was for like, a full year instead of a few months)
I’m a full time camera operator/tech in the tv and film industry. Currently finishing up on a 3-months documentary shoot following Australian paramedics. My contract finishes in a few weeks and then it’ll be time to depart for Japan before I know it!
It was a hard decision to make the move into being an ALT, this industry is something I love and can’t wait to come back to.
My hope is I can find a way to work in this field between Australia and Japan post JET, being a documentary cameraman.
I graduated in 2020, was in food service for about 2-3ish years. Managed to land a marketing graphic design internship to enjoy until departing for JET in July 2022!
I worked in a very large mutual funds company in the customer relations department. There were 2 department — phone operators (the larger group) and written correspondence (I was here). This was the job I got just after graduate school in East Asian Studies; obviously my interest were more in Japan than in mutual funds, haha.
I’m entering JET a year out from graduating with an MFA. In the past year I was an adjunct professor (writing classes) at the college I graduated from. During my time in grad school, I was a graduate assistant teaching freshman writing classes and the managing editor for the graduate literary magazine on campus. Before grad school, I was a sound designer and engineer for live theater (for about eight years).
I plan to apply to JET next year, but I have worked two jobs since post grad in 2020. My first job was as a Media Analyst and my current job is Researcher at a research company. Additionally, I studied abroad in Tokyo in 2019 and took a year of Japanese. I plan to get my TEFL as well. From what I gathered in this thread and my research, I wouldn’t stress about your employment history, especially if you’re fresh out of uni.
I worked as a Deputy with a Sheriffs Department and then moved into communications as a Dispatcher for the same department
online tutor (teaching internationally) – mainly for math and english, but sometimes a bit of science or specific exam prep courses.