One Door Closes, Another One Opens (My time on the JET Programme is at an end)

Subtitle: How to quit JET and find/start a new job.

I remember when I first came to Japan. Like many, I thought I’d stay two years and then go to grad school. Well, life happens. I fell in love with living here. I wasn’t ready to leave after two years. Also, I unexpectedly fell in love with a Japanese man.  Not the path I had in mind but I’m happy. So you may be wondering, what’s next?

The JET Programme has a maximum of 5 years, and I am at my limit. I had to find a new job. Of course I’d like to move back to America some day, but for now, my option is to continue living here for the foreseeable future, and I am ok with that except for missing my loved ones back home so much.

You are probably wondering what job I will do next. I had to wait to post this until the appropriate time, but I am happy to announce that I have found a new job! Such a huge relief! Finding a new job and moving somewhere with my boyfriend are my two big life steps this year, and one is out of the way. Wish me luck with moving in the summer.

 “So wait, isn’t your JET contract until the summer?” The answer is yes, but I’ve decided to break my JET contract. It’s an unfortunate circumstance, really. I would’ve loved to finish out my contract with JET, but it would’ve been more difficult to find work in the summer since the Japanese school year starts in April, and that’s when the bulk of the hiring is done. If I would’ve waited until summer, my chances of finding work in a school (which is what I want to do…I love teaching) would’ve decreased quite a bit. Better to be safe than sorry right? Honestly, I think JET should really reconsider their contract period because this situation happens quite often.

I’m sure you all want to hear about my new job. I will write a whole separate post about that in due time, but for now, I will tell you that I will be working at an international preschool/kindergarten teaching children from 2-6 years old. It’s pretty far away, so the commute will take some getting used to as well as teaching young children, having more responsibility, etc., but I am very happy and excited for the opportunity to have my own class! Like I said, I will write more about it once I’ve actually started.

What I want to focus on in this post is about how to quit the JET Programme and quitting a job in Japan in general because I find that this it really hard to find any information about this topic online. If this doesn’t apply to you, you should stop reading now because it will be boring, but I hope this proves useful the people out there like me. I just want to say right off the bat, of course quitting is bad, and I advise not doing it if avoidable, but sometimes it can’t be helped, so here we go…

First of all, let’s be clear, this post is more geared towards those taking work in Japan after JET. Some information might be useful for those who want to quit and go home, however. First, know that in most situations, your BOE is the one who made your living contract with your landlord. Quitting JET could mean forfeiting your current living situation. This is why you need to be prepared. You don’t want to be unexpectedly kicked out and homeless. Start arranging a new place to live or talk with your landlord to see if they’d be willing to let you continue living in your home/apartment after JET. In this case, you would have to make a new contract with your landlord. This is what I’m doing. You might need to find a new guarantor. In my case, my landlord trusts me because I’ve been living there almost five years, I’ve never paid late, and I’m only staying for the four months I intended to originally. So I don’t need to find a guarantor. Your rent might potentially change too. Talk this out with your landlord, but be prepared for them to say that they can’t discuss anything until you BOE knows about your plans to quit. Your BOE might have some sort of agreement where the new JET who will come after you gets to live in your apartment or house, so they might need to discuss things with your BOE first.

So once you have some options and ideas for living arrangements, you can start applying for jobs. There are so many ways to search for work; going to networking events and career fairs, following job pages on Facebook and other forums, using job hunting oriented apps like LinkedIn, word of mouth, researching companies on your own, and going to job hunting agencies like Hello Work. Don’t forget that you can directly apply to schools/companies you’re interested in by sending them your résumé. I actually applied for CNET first and got rejected. I have a friend in CNET who let me know when they were hiring. In the end, the way that worked for me was to use the GaijinPot website. (*Note: This is an option for foreigners and you may be limiting yourself if you are also looking for jobs that aren’t specifically geared towards foreigners). Anyway, GaijinPot is a useful website for foreigners looking for work in Japan. You can type in the type of work you are looking for: category, full/part time, and location, and a list will pop up of all the jobs that are hiring. You can see all the info like the salary, the hours, the location, etc. Once you find one (or a few) you like, it’s time to start sending résumés and cover letters which you can do right through the website. GaijinPot is great in that you can just fill out their résumé template online and save multiple copies of it so you can tweak it according to each position. Super convenient! You will get a confirmation email when you apply to a job. It is even kind enough to tell you many people have applied via GaijinPot so far. Don’t get discouraged though. Mine said there were over 200 applicants! Keep in mind that these are people from all over the world, and if you already are in Japan, your chances increase quite a bit. Lucky for me, I sent my résumé and cover letter, and they messaged me back the very next day asking for me to come in for an interview.

So next, about the interview. I’m very lucky that the place I applied for was an international school because this meant I could do my interview in English in western style manner. I am in no way knowledgeable about being interviewed by a Japanese company in Japanese. I imagine that to be a lot scarier and formal. Just a couple useful tips about interviewing, though: 1) Dress to impress, aka wear a suit. 2) Get to the general location well ahead of time and show up a little early, but not too early. 10 minutes seems about right. 3) Bring a copy of your cover letter, résumé, and any other materials that seem necessary like a copy of your diploma, your working visa, your passport, etc. Anything to prove that you are a legit resident. 4) I think this is one of the most important things: BE PREPARED! Research about the job and their goals. Read through their website thoroughly. It WILL come in handy. Think about things you may be asked and think of answers that align with their goals. Type them up and practice out loud. Think about your strengths and weakness, and be prepared to talk about them. “I don’t have any weaknesses” is not an answer. Think of about 2-3 things and offer antidotes to them. In my case, I said that I don’t have much experience teaching young children, but I love children, I’m friendly and likeable to them, and I want to learn how to teach them. Think of some things that make you a better candidate than the other applicants. Lastly, type up a list of questions you have for the interviewer. It makes you seem more prepared. They aren’t only interviewing you. You are also trying to figure out if you want to work for them, so ask the questions that are important to you. If it doesn’t feel right during the interview to ask some of the questions you prepared, then go with your gut. 5) Last advice. Be friendly and personable. Be yourself. You don’t have to be so nervous. Shake their hand, smile, make eye contact. Show them you are someone they’d enjoy working with. Obviously it worked out for me in the end, but one thing I regret about my interview was when they asked me the opened ended question, “Will you please tell us more about yourself?” Instead of my hobbies and interests, I’m pretty sure I was just like, “Ummm…well...I’m from Chicago. I have 3 dogs, 1 cat, parents, and a younger sister there. I moved to Japan when I was 22… I studied Japanese in university because like most, I got into anime when I was younger…” I wish I would’ve told them less facts and history and more about who I am now.

If you are applying for a teaching position, a demonstration lesson may be part of the interview process. It was in my case. I typed up and made copies of my lesson plan ahead of time and gave the interviewers copies which I think they appreciated. Just a few tips about the demonstration lesson, what you actually teach isn’t as important as how you interact with the students. Obviously you aren’t familiar with the students and their academic level, so err on the side of caution and plan something easy. Don’t be afraid to stray from your plan if the situation calls for it. Show yourself as versatile and prepare mentally for any sort of situation or incident. I didn’t end up being necessary, but since I have no experience with teaching classes of young children, I researched a lot about classroom management and dealing with problem children in case there was a bad kid acting up during my lesson. Like I said, that didn’t happen, but during the interview they did ask me about how I deal with discipline. I was happy I thought about it a bit in advance. One last tidbit. Follow up the interview by sending a thank you email later in the day or the following day.

Ok, so you got the job! Congratulations! Now the sh*tstorm begins. The paperwork sh*tstorm. The nitty-gritty formalities and all the stressful stuff that comes with changing jobs. I used to get REALLY stressed out about this stuff, but experience has helped me deal with it better. Take things one thing at a time. Don’t be afraid to ask questions. Remember to turn your brain off at times to keep your sanity intact. For example, I used to worry and think about all the things I had to do before going to bed, but now I tell myself that I will deal with it the next day and worrying about it now isn’t going to change anything. Once I’m in bed for the night, I stop looking at emails and stop thinking about my to-do list and focus on watching YouTube videos and playing my favorite phone game, Cookie Run. Haha! Just remember…one thing at a time.

Here’s a list of things you potentially will have to take care of when you quit and switch jobs. If I described the procedure for each and every thing, I’d basically be writing a full-blown manual, so this is just the bare bones. Feel free to message me if you have any questions about a specific step.

            For the new job:

1.      Opening a new bank account or post office bank account (I already have a bank account, but my new job requires a post office one.)

2.      A health check, out of your own pocket (Luckily I had one recently for my current job and kept the results, so they just let me use that.)

3.      Copies of EVERYTHING: your residence card, your passport, your diploma and/or transcripts, any sort of teaching or language licenses, your pension book, possibly a reference letter, your complete résumé…and just bring your hanko any time you do something work related because you never know when they are going to ask you to stamp something.

4.      Fill out any information forms the school requires.

5.      Getting a commuter pass and copying it

6.      Reviewing and signing your new contract

7.      Visits to your new workplace to take care of forms and to meet staff/have informational sessions

8.      Reviewing all materials the new job sends you

9.      Preparing in any way possible for your new job (this might include things like lesson planning, classroom decorations, or researching teaching methods but obviously it depends on the type of job).

10.  Changing your visa status. (*Note: An “Instructor” visa is good for public schools, but many private schools require a “Specialist in Humanities / International Services” visa. Of course “Permanent Residence” or “Spouse or Child of Japanese National” visas should work if you are eligible.) The list of necessary items for changing your visa status is something in of itself…proof of tax payment forms, your passport, your current residence card, proof of employment forms, diploma copies, application form, ID photo, 4000 yen in revenue stamps to be paid on your second visit to the immigration bureau.

Quitting your old job:

11.  Resignation letters in English and Japanese for your current job

12.  Meetings with your supervisor, your superintendent, and your principal/vice-principal

13.  Speeches in front of the school, the staff, the BOE

14.  Signing this that and the other

15.  Buying parting gifts (a very Japanese thing to do)

16.  Cleaning out your desk and lockers little by little

17.  Giving back your health insurance card

18.  Getting your last payment stub and tax information from the previous year (if you don’t have it) and from the current year

You may be wondering what happens to your health insurance and pension money when you leave JET for a new job. You will be expected to turn in your health insurance card on your last day (which must be a weekday). I tried to make it so I quit on a Sunday, but my BOE said they couldn’t cover me through the weekend and I had to resign on a Friday. Since my new job starts on the following Monday, I will have no health insurance for two days. The insurance company may or may not bill you later for these two days since as a resident of Japan, you are required to be covered by insurance at all times.

This is where it gets a little confusing, but your new job won’t be able to apply for your insurance until the first day of your contract which means you won’t get a card right away. You are still technically covered, but if you go to the doctor’s before you get your card, you supposedly have to pay the whole price and will be reimbursed later. I’ve talked personally with one of my doctors, and he said that you can pay the reduced price as long as you bring your card to the office asap once you get it. This is where the rules seem pretty vague to me. I guess play it safe and expect to pay the full price for a visit if you go before you get your card. I think I’m going to just avoid going if possible until I get mine.

As for your pension, if you plan to continue work in Japan, I don't think you have to collect your pension money as long as you plan to continue paying into it at your next job. I made sure new job has social insurance, so I should be fine there. I know that if you are going to leave Japan, you must collect your pension money, though.

The last thing I want to explain is about the quitting process. In my case, I told my supervisor privately about my plans long before I even applied for my new job (mostly because I needed to figure out my living situation). Once I got a new job, I formally met with her to tell her the news that I’m officially quitting. Thanks to be being open and honest with her about my situation far ahead of time, they were able to prepare in advance so that they won’t be without a native English teacher the semester I’m not there. If you are kind and passionate when you break the news and explain your situation truthfully and express your apologies for quitting, then they should understand. I did this with my supervisor, my superintendent, and my principal individually. They all understood my reasons, and although it was hard to look them in the face and say I’m quitting (I may have shed some very real tears…this has been an important 5 years of my life), the process went more smoothly than I expected. I met no anger.

Just remember that until you formally quit by turning in your resignation papers and speaking with the superintendent, you aren’t technically supposed to tell any of your coworkers about your plans…that goes for your JTEs and fellow ALTs in the same town. I didn’t know that, and was up front about it when my supervisor told me not to tell anyone. She understood that it was natural for me to consult with my fellow ALTs but told me not to tell anyone else.

So ya, about two weeks left until I start a new stage in life (no spring break for me…boohoo). I’m excited, nervous, and am just hoping to do a good job. I think the adjustment will be hard, but I’m sure I’ll get used to it just in time for me to deal with moving haha! Anyway, stay tuned for when I tell you about my new job!