Quit job for JET?

[springroll]

Hi,
Newbie here, yesterday I got my application ready and was going to mail it out next week, but I paniced all of a sudden last night. I am 26 right now and have an OK job that pays the rent, I don't love my job but I don't hate it either. If I do get accepted and decide to go, that means I'll have to quit my job. Should I do it? I told myself that I'll keep looking for a new job (I've been actively looking for a job since April of this year), and by the time April hit and I still haven't found a job and if it just so happens that JET takes me in, I'll just do this thing.
Is that the right approach or it does not make sense at all, giving up a perfectly fine job at the age of 27 (turning 27 next year)? I have a mental picture of most JET applicants being unemployed recent university graduates who will return to their home countries afterwards and look for another job or continue with their studies.

Would appreciate any feedbacks.

[macondomachi]

I myself am in the process of applying to be an ALT, although not through the JET program. I am... nearing 30, am a full-time high school teacher, would be taking about a 50% pay cut to go live by myself in an expensive foreign country where my language skills are minimal, etc. etc. The same thoughts have also occurred to me, but I see it this way: I did my Masters full-time directly after graduating, took a full-time teaching position immediately after that and have been teaching ever since (this is my 6th year). What I never did, however, is fulfill my dream of living and working in another country (5-month study abroad doesn't count). Yeah, maybe I might be too old to be dropping my career to do something not career oriented, but I would be living my dream, seeing the world, learning a new language, actually expanding my professional horizons, all while staying within the educationa profession, which I love. All my family and friends that I talk to about this are 100% supportive and, knowing me, say that it's a fabulous idea and to go for it.

Just make sure you can afford it! (school loans, credit card bills, etc.) And be prepared to make do for the first little bit before you get your first paycheck.

What I wouldn't do is do the ALT thing if all you really want is a new job. Just think about what your priorities really are and what you want to have done in your life. Sometimes money is just money and it comes and goes.

[springroll]

Thanks for the reply, macondomachi.
Being an ALT through the JET program appealed to me because I would like to learn more Japanese, I've taken Japanese back in high school and had been trying to retain that by listening to book on tapes. I think by actually being in Japan would help tremendously. Being a native-Mandarin speaker myself, the thought occured to me that I might be able to land something else after JET with the combination of my language skills and work experience, either in Japan, China, or Taiwan. The thought of doing ALT as a new job never entered my mind, it's enriching my skills and expanding my networks. However, the thought of giving up a job with a steady income scares the crap outta me.

[macondomachi]

I hear that! Go with your heart girl/boy!

[BigJDiesel20]

Hi,
Newbie here, yesterday I got my application ready and was going to mail it out next week, but I paniced all of a sudden last night. I am 26 right now and have an OK job that pays the rent, I don't love my job but I don't hate it either. If I do get accepted and decide to go, that means I'll have to quit my job. Should I do it? I told myself that I'll keep looking for a new job (I've been actively looking for a job since April of this year), and by the time April hit and I still haven't found a job and if it just so happens that JET takes me in, I'll just do this thing.
Is that the right approach or it does not make sense at all, giving up a perfectly fine job at the age of 27 (turning 27 next year)? I have a mental picture of most JET applicants being unemployed recent university graduates who will return to their home countries afterwards and look for another job or continue with their studies.

Would appreciate any feedbacks.

Wow I see my future in your post. Right now I'm in going to college for an associates degree in Multimedia and a Bachelors degree in digital entertainment and gaming design. I was 21 when I started my first quarter of school and now I'm 22 at the end of my first quarter. There is something that unnerves me. Right now I have a job not a Career job but just a job to pay the bills. But when I get my Associates degree I want to get a job with it. But after I get my bachelors I don't know whether to quite my Multimedia job to use my Bachelors degree or go to jet if I get accepted. See the only thing about my game design degree is that the Game Development field evolves so fast that one year in jet will set me behind. Now let’s compound that fact that by the time I get my Bachelors degree I will be 4 years behind the industry. Damn life is hard. I will be 26 or 27 by the time I’m out of school

[macondomachi]

Any way you can keep up with gaming innovations while JETing? What if you took a year off from studies to JET and came back to school later?

Again, it all comes down to priorities. If you are bound and determined to get on the career track, then maybe JET isn't for you. I can understand your desire to get professional, though. My s/o, who is now empoyed in a great company, got a late start and since has been hell-bent on making up for lost time. He, however, is now in Japan, working for said American company.

You know, some companies in Japan will hire you with limited Japanese skills. I know this is a little late, and maybe not in your field, but you could check out the site anyway... get an idea.

http://www.careerforum.net/bos/enevent.aspx

[springroll]

Well, I just used my lunch break to go to school and submitted in the request for my transcripts, I shall be getting it next week sometimes (this is the last piece of puzzle, I have everything else ready. FYI, I only decided to go for JET this week)
I started working at this company 3 years ago (the first year I was finishing my degree at night and working in the day). At the end of the last year, I had a job offer from Taiwan and I took it, yada yada yada, the company got bought out and I was jobless. Before I started looking for another job in Taiwan, my old boss in Canada informed me that they have another job opened and wanted me to come back (so it was sort of a promotion, and it was as if I never left), so I did. Forward half year later, I am still here doing my 9-5.

To BigDiesel: Good luck on whicheve path you take, it looks like you have a solid plan in mind. Your first real job after school will be an important one, because your other jobs will depend on this one somewhat and your view on the corporate culture will be based on it. Take your time and don't be afraid of being picky, you won't regret it.

[Mushu]

Well I’m not jetting, but going there to study the language and widen my horizon. I feel that the experience will in rich both your life and your qualification, but again I just turn 21 and don't really know what I want to be. Just want to live life for now.

[jindojim]

Well, I'm applying to JET too. And I'm in the category of about to graduate college seniors who are taking the chance between graduation and further education/real career to go out and experience being an ALT in Japan. But I never thought of JET as a real permanent career. It's more of a filler for a transition period, rather than something you would quit a job for. As for learning Japanese, if you don't know any right now or your skills are minimal, my two cents would be to brush up on that before you rush off into Japan. But, since I'm also a JET applicant and not actually employed there yet, take my two cents with a grain of salt :(

[springroll]

It's more of a filler for a transition period

Which is what I'm more concerned about. Transition periods normally are right after school.

[macondomachi]

:p Dude, do your own thing! The norm is not always for everyone.

[JusenkyoGuide]

As for me, I finished up a Masters in Education before heading to JET so I was 25 when I came, you're not going to be alone in your age in other words, though yes, many JETs are just graduating seniors.

If it helps with what you want to do, leads you to a better life, or fullfills a dream, I say go for it. JET is going to lead to my future job, eventually.

[BlackLiger]

Any way you can keep up with gaming innovations while JETing? What if you took a year off from studies to JET and came back to school later?

Again, it all comes down to priorities. If you are bound and determined to get on the career track, then maybe JET isn't for you. I can understand your desire to get professional, though. My s/o, who is now empoyed in a great company, got a late start and since has been hell-bent on making up for lost time. He, however, is now in Japan, working for said American company.

You know, some companies in Japan will hire you with limited Japanese skills. I know this is a little late, and maybe not in your field, but you could check out the site anyway... get an idea.

http://www.careerforum.net/bos/enevent.aspx

Japan = home of Final Fantasy.....

[Rizer]

My friend and I really like the idea. Fly over to Japan, teach some little rugrats, and learn about the culture. Besides, I'm learning Japanese because I plan on going over there. It sounds like a good experience.

[Rogue_7]

heck, I quit a job that I had held for 5 years. Didn't feel like doing it as a career, and besides Japan is more fun than Denver. ;-) And yeah, it will be weird going back homeless and jobless, but I'm not going to worry about that now.

[Fred Watanabe]

I wanted to apply for the jet program a while back but i changed my mind and figured i will go back to college get a degree in engineering then make the move after that. i'm 27 now and in about a year or 2 i apply for jet or try to land me an IT job in Japan.

[springroll]

Just wanna give a quick update on what happened:
I got turned down by JET (received the rejection letter last week).
I did receive a job offer from an ad agency last month and took it, so don't feel too bad for me.

Hope others who applied got through though!

[ZeroKun]

I still haven't told my parents about what I actually want to do(JET) after getting my BA in Internet Information Security(AS=Networking), so that's a bit of a problem. Right now I'm 20 and almost done with my AS and after that I'll get a job, hopefully one that pays for my education. That really is going to be my filler period since I never had one after HS due to illness, though I agree with most of you that it's not really something to do for your whole life. Getting a job after that probably won't be a problem since I'm always keeping up with my field and people like me are always needed, unlike you CS people :P