matchalatte95
Straight outta Narita
Aspiring CIR
Posts: 4
Gender (Pronouns): she/her/hers
|
Post by matchalatte95 on Sept 15, 2023 2:50:49 GMT 9
I created this thread since the applications for the 2024 JET Programme are now open! I had never taken JLPT when I applied to JET as a CIR in 2022 so I'm thinking this was one of the reasons why I didn't hear back from our embassy. (The application method was via email and when I sent mine, I got an auto-reply that said For CIR applicants, please be reminded that the position calls for an applicant with JLPT N1 or N2 certification (very fluent in the Japanese language) so I guess they didn't bother to open my application since I neither had N2 nor N1? I dunno  ) But now that I've taken my 1st ever JLPT and passed N3, I'd like to try applying again. I know the minimum requirement for this role is JLPT N2 or N1, but I found out that there are CIRs who didn't have these certifications yet when they applied so I just thought I'd give it a shot. I'd really appreciate it if you could give me and the other 2024 CIR applicants some tips or any stories about the following: APPLICATION STAGEHow we should improve our application/what do you recommend adding and/or removing from our SOPs and interview answers? What the Japanese speaking and reading portion of the interview was like What was your Japanese level before & after applying? (Were you waiting for your N2/N1 results before you applied then by the time you got in, you passed N2 or something like that) Do you recommend ticking the ALT box even if you have no experience in classroom teaching? Do you have tattoos? WORKING AS A CIRYour tasks as the CIR in your placement Pros & Cons Dos & Don'ts How you killed your boredom Did you interact with many people? Did you gain BFFs? What was the best and the most disappointing thing you experienced during your stay in Japan? Have you seen other CIRs with tattoos? POST CIRWhat do you do now? Did your CIR experience help you in your current role? What were the things that you should have or shouldn't have done as a CIR? Do you have any advice for future CIRs? You don't have to answer everything here but I'd be very grateful if you did. Thank you so much! UPDATE: I’m from the Philippines and our embassy is already calling for applications |
|
|
|
Post by Springjay on Sept 15, 2023 8:33:47 GMT 9
Hi. I did JET as an ALT and now work as a direct hire CIR, so I will skip the first part of your post since I didn't actually go through the same application process. Working as a CIRI'm in charge (either as tanto or fuku-tanto) of the following kinds of work for my office: - running events Some are for foriegn residents to learn about Japanese culture, some are to introduce Japanese locals to foreign run businesses/cultures in the city, and some are exchange events between foreign and Japanese residents - running the city's multilingual information page & my office's Facebook page I find information from the Koho magazine or prefectural news, get it approved, and then get it translated from our 3 other part timers for non-EN languages. Then upload the pages onto the city website - doing translation and interpretation work for the city - running the consultation window for foreign residents to come in and get help with daily life issues |
|
|
|
Post by manjuっすけ on Sept 15, 2023 9:43:59 GMT 9
Matchalatte, I think including the country you're applying through can also help, since the process can be a bit different from place to place.
APPLICATION STAGE
- For the SOP, not just talking about what you hope to gain from the program/position, but also how you plan to contribute (e.g. talking about things you would like to do for the community you're placed in, etc.). I remember also talking about how I felt the JET experience would fit into my future plans (at that time, being a study abroad counselor).
- I did have a tattoo already at the time of application, but depending on how small/large (i.e. how easily it can be covered up), it might not be necessary to include
- I applied twice and both times I already had JLPT N2.
- Doing practice interviews with different people really helped in preparing for the real thing
- Most ALTs would not have had previous teaching experience. Whether or not you check the box should be based on whether you can see yourself being ok with doing ALT work (keep in mind that depending on your placement, you may have to do ALT roles even as a CIR)
WORKING AS A CIR
- Was a CIR in a small town at the Board of Education inside town hall (about 8000 in population). In a regular year, things would be slow most of the time, with it picking up for the sister city exchange trip. Because I was a Covid CIR, there was no exchange trip, so I mainly only had the English teaching duties (adult eikaiwa, Saturday class for kids) to do. The other official task was writing a brief article each month for the town koho. I did make various proposals during my time to have more work to do, but only one ever ended up being approved (writing a newsletter for town hall employees summarizing american news, followed by an explanation of an English phrase).
- For egghunting, I started a blog where I'd write about my experiences and such to kill time. Other than that, reading news/ebooks, using Anki web to study.
- I had two coworkers that I got along really well with, but they were kind of unique as far as people in that area go (esp. one of them being fluent in English). Because all the JETs were hired by the BOE, we lived in BOE housing, so I had two American neighbors and got really close with my next door neighbor (even went to her wedding last year).
POST CIR
-I work at a university with a lot of international students as 専門職員. Because I'm in the Career Office, a lot of my work is acting as a counselor to students, but I also help with things like the internship program, collaboration with companies, etc.
- I had a pretty brief stint as a CIR, so I wouldn't say it was the CIR experience that helped me so much as having some work experience in Japan to add on to my exp from my home country. I'm still learning a lot about working in Japan through my current role, which probably has more flexibility since it's a private organization and not a town hall
|
|
matchalatte95
Straight outta Narita
Aspiring CIR
Posts: 4
Gender (Pronouns): she/her/hers
|
Post by matchalatte95 on Sept 15, 2023 15:47:12 GMT 9
I see, thanks for answering! In your case, did you have to go back to your home country first or did they prepare a different contract for you and then let you continue your stay in your placement? And as someone who was an ALT first, did you like your work as a CIR? |
|
|
|
Post by Dee on Sept 15, 2023 15:49:11 GMT 9
Hi Matchalatte, love the name btw. Here are some of my answers to your questions.
APPLICATION STAGE
How we should improve our application/what do you recommend adding and/or removing from our SOPs and interview answers?
- Korokke answered this very well.
What the Japanese speaking and reading portion of the interview was like?
- As an American applicant, half the interview was in Japanese. It began with self-intro, reading a news article out loud, answering 2-3 questions on the reading, and answering a few interview questions.
What was your Japanese level before & after applying?
- I had passed N2 several years prior.
Do you recommend ticking the ALT box even if you have no experience in classroom teaching?
- Only if you honestly don’t mind being an ALT.
Do you have tattoos?
- Yes, but they are easily covered.
WORKING AS A CIR
Your tasks as the CIR in your placement
- I was hired through the BOE of a very small town, only 4000 ppl, and I spent my days split between two workplaces. In the mornings I work as an assistant teacher and English teacher at the local kindergarten/preschool. In the afternoons I work for a UNESCO Global Geopark doing translation/interpretation, international networking, and working on promoting the area through social media. I also assist the ALTs with everything, including the town eikaiwa and cultural events.
How you killed your boredom.
- Studying, reading online books, and writing a blog.
Did you interact with many people? Did you gain BFFs?
- I interact with a lot of ppl (in Japan and abroad) but only behulemdoed a few.
What was the best and the most disappointing thing you experienced during your stay in Japan?
- COVID
Have you seen other CIRs with tattoos?
- Yes.
POST CIR
What do you do now? Did your CIR experience help you in your current role?
- I was kept on by my CO after my JET contract ended.
Do you have any advice for future CIRs?
- Be open-minded. Most ppl have this image of CIRs as doing nothing but translation or sister-city-type work, but it’s so much more open-ended than that.
|
|
matchalatte95
Straight outta Narita
Aspiring CIR
Posts: 4
Gender (Pronouns): she/her/hers
|
Post by matchalatte95 on Sept 15, 2023 16:06:05 GMT 9
Matchalatte, I think including the country you're applying through can also help, since the process can be a bit different from place to place. APPLICATION STAGE - For the SOP, not just talking about what you hope to gain from the program/position, but also how you plan to contribute (e.g. talking about things you would like to do for the community you're placed in, etc.). I remember also talking about how I felt the JET experience would fit into my future plans (at that time, being a study abroad counselor). - I did have a tattoo already at the time of application, but depending on how small/large (i.e. how easily it can be covered up), it might not be necessary to include - I applied twice and both times I already had JLPT N2. - Doing practice interviews with different people really helped in preparing for the real thing - Most ALTs would not have had previous teaching experience. Whether or not you check the box should be based on whether you can see yourself being ok with doing ALT work (keep in mind that depending on your placement, you may have to do ALT roles even as a CIR) WORKING AS A CIR - Was a CIR in a small town at the Board of Education inside town hall (about 8000 in population). In a regular year, things would be slow most of the time, with it picking up for the sister city exchange trip. Because I was a Covid CIR, there was no exchange trip, so I mainly only had the English teaching duties (adult eikaiwa, Saturday class for kids) to do. The other official task was writing a brief article each month for the town koho. I did make various proposals during my time to have more work to do, but only one ever ended up being approved (writing a newsletter for town hall employees summarizing american news, followed by an explanation of an English phrase). - For egghunting, I started a blog where I'd write about my experiences and such to kill time. Other than that, reading news/ebooks, using Anki web to study. - I had two coworkers that I got along really well with, but they were kind of unique as far as people in that area go (esp. one of them being fluent in English). Because all the JETs were hired by the BOE, we lived in BOE housing, so I had two American neighbors and got really close with my next door neighbor (even went to her wedding last year). POST CIR -I work at a university with a lot of international students as 専門職員. Because I'm in the Career Office, a lot of my work is acting as a counselor to students, but I also help with things like the internship program, collaboration with companies, etc. - I had a pretty brief stint as a CIR, so I wouldn't say it was the CIR experience that helped me so much as having some work experience in Japan to add on to my exp from my home country. I'm still learning a lot about working in Japan through my current role, which probably has more flexibility since it's a private organization and not a town hall Thank you so much for your answers, they're very helpful! I have one 2x2-sized tattoo on my shoulder and one minimalist tattoo on my wrist... When you said "It might not be necessary to include" did you mean on the application form? TBH if I was accepted into the programme, I'd like to inform them about my tattoos beforehand (maybe in the application form?) so they wouldn't be surprised when they see them later on... I'm pretty sure mine are easy to cover so I hope they wouldn't mind me having them... But if you have other tips/advice regarding this aspect, please let me know. Regarding your tasks as a CIR, I'd like to know if you're allowed to use a dictionary or online translators to help you with your work. (But of course not totally relying on them, just a guide I guess?) I'm very confident with my listening skills so I have no problem understanding Japanese and even though not perfect, I can pretty much express myself in Japanese. But the problem is I find reading kanji difficult. Would it be a problem if I used a dictionary or online translator (to read the passage aloud for me) whenever I encountered a kanji that I couldn't read? Would my life as a CIR, if ever accepted, be extremely difficult? Or do you think I could still get by while learning in the process? I'm sorry I know I shouldn't be asking you this but I just would like to know your opinion. I also updated my post and included where I am from as per your suggestion. Again, thank you so much for taking the time to answer my questions, I really appreciate it! |
|
|
|
Post by Springjay on Sept 15, 2023 16:30:24 GMT 9
I see, thanks for answering! In your case, did you have to go back to your home country first or did they prepare a different contract for you and then let you continue your stay in your placement? And as someone who was an ALT first, did you like your work as a CIR? No; the CIR position was for the same city I was already employed by on JET, so I actually technically broke the JET contract 4 months early and on paper switched from the BOE to the International Relations Division. I didn't have to go back home, and since I broke contract I was disqualified from receiving the free flight back. My actual contract is pretty similar to the one I had as an ALT, in terms of working hours/what kind of leave I get. I get paid more money though I liked my time on JET for what it was, and for all the opportunities it gave me (doing internships, taking Japanese classes locally, finding my forever home in the placement I was randomly put in, etc.), and I also like working with kids, but I didn't love English teaching all that much. I love what I do as a CIR a thousand times more. Even the occasional 英会話講座 I run for my office are much more bearable and interesting than what I was doing as an ALT Since my CIR position is a direct hire one, there is no term limit on me staying here. So barring my bosses randomly deciding not to rehire me, I can stay working here for as long as I like. My pred worked here for about 15 years before me |
|
matchalatte95
Straight outta Narita
Aspiring CIR
Posts: 4
Gender (Pronouns): she/her/hers
|
Post by matchalatte95 on Sept 15, 2023 17:18:27 GMT 9
Hi Matchalatte, love the name btw. Here are some of my answers to your questions. APPLICATION STAGE How we should improve our application/what do you recommend adding and/or removing from our SOPs and interview answers? - Korokke answered this very well. What the Japanese speaking and reading portion of the interview was like? - As an American applicant, half the interview was in Japanese. It began with self-intro, reading a news article out loud, answering 2-3 questions on the reading, and answering a few interview questions. What was your Japanese level before & after applying? - I had passed N2 several years prior. Do you recommend ticking the ALT box even if you have no experience in classroom teaching? - Only if you honestly don’t mind being an ALT. Do you have tattoos? - Yes, but they are easily covered. WORKING AS A CIR Your tasks as the CIR in your placement - I was hired through the BOE of a very small town, only 4000 ppl, and I spent my days split between two workplaces. In the mornings I work as an assistant teacher and English teacher at the local kindergarten/preschool. In the afternoons I work for a UNESCO Global Geopark doing translation/interpretation, international networking, and working on promoting the area through social media. I also assist the ALTs with everything, including the town eikaiwa and cultural events. How you killed your boredom. - Studying, reading online books, and writing a blog. Did you interact with many people? Did you gain BFFs? - I interact with a lot of ppl (in Japan and abroad) but only behulemdoed a few. What was the best and the most disappointing thing you experienced during your stay in Japan? - COVID Have you seen other CIRs with tattoos? - Yes. POST CIR What do you do now? Did your CIR experience help you in your current role? - I was kept on by my CO after my JET contract ended. Do you have any advice for future CIRs? - Be open-minded. Most ppl have this image of CIRs as doing nothing but translation or sister-city-type work, but it’s so much more open-ended than that. Wow, thank you very much for taking the time to answer my questions! And thanks for giving me some advice. It seems that your tasks were very diverse... May I ask which of these tasks did you find the most dreading or difficult? Were your tasks extremely stressful for you? Or did you love every aspect of being a CIR? Sorry if my questions sound weird but I'm just really curious  |
|
|
|
Post by manjuっすけ on Sept 19, 2023 10:24:57 GMT 9
Matchalatte, I think including the country you're applying through can also help, since the process can be a bit different from place to place. APPLICATION STAGE - For the SOP, not just talking about what you hope to gain from the program/position, but also how you plan to contribute (e.g. talking about things you would like to do for the community you're placed in, etc.). I remember also talking about how I felt the JET experience would fit into my future plans (at that time, being a study abroad counselor). - I did have a tattoo already at the time of application, but depending on how small/large (i.e. how easily it can be covered up), it might not be necessary to include - I applied twice and both times I already had JLPT N2. - Doing practice interviews with different people really helped in preparing for the real thing - Most ALTs would not have had previous teaching experience. Whether or not you check the box should be based on whether you can see yourself being ok with doing ALT work (keep in mind that depending on your placement, you may have to do ALT roles even as a CIR) WORKING AS A CIR - Was a CIR in a small town at the Board of Education inside town hall (about 8000 in population). In a regular year, things would be slow most of the time, with it picking up for the sister city exchange trip. Because I was a Covid CIR, there was no exchange trip, so I mainly only had the English teaching duties (adult eikaiwa, Saturday class for kids) to do. The other official task was writing a brief article each month for the town koho. I did make various proposals during my time to have more work to do, but only one ever ended up being approved (writing a newsletter for town hall employees summarizing american news, followed by an explanation of an English phrase). - For egghunting, I started a blog where I'd write about my experiences and such to kill time. Other than that, reading news/ebooks, using Anki web to study. - I had two coworkers that I got along really well with, but they were kind of unique as far as people in that area go (esp. one of them being fluent in English). Because all the JETs were hired by the BOE, we lived in BOE housing, so I had two American neighbors and got really close with my next door neighbor (even went to her wedding last year). POST CIR -I work at a university with a lot of international students as 専門職員. Because I'm in the Career Office, a lot of my work is acting as a counselor to students, but I also help with things like the internship program, collaboration with companies, etc. - I had a pretty brief stint as a CIR, so I wouldn't say it was the CIR experience that helped me so much as having some work experience in Japan to add on to my exp from my home country. I'm still learning a lot about working in Japan through my current role, which probably has more flexibility since it's a private organization and not a town hall Thank you so much for your answers, they're very helpful! I have one 2x2-sized tattoo on my shoulder and one minimalist tattoo on my wrist... When you said "It might not be necessary to include" did you mean on the application form? TBH if I was accepted into the programme, I'd like to inform them about my tattoos beforehand (maybe in the application form?) so they wouldn't be surprised when they see them later on... I'm pretty sure mine are easy to cover so I hope they wouldn't mind me having them... But if you have other tips/advice regarding this aspect, please let me know. Regarding your tasks as a CIR, I'd like to know if you're allowed to use a dictionary or online translators to help you with your work. (But of course not totally relying on them, just a guide I guess?) I'm very confident with my listening skills so I have no problem understanding Japanese and even though not perfect, I can pretty much express myself in Japanese. But the problem is I find reading kanji difficult. Would it be a problem if I used a dictionary or online translator (to read the passage aloud for me) whenever I encountered a kanji that I couldn't read? Would my life as a CIR, if ever accepted, be extremely difficult? Or do you think I could still get by while learning in the process? I'm sorry I know I shouldn't be asking you this but I just would like to know your opinion. I also updated my post and included where I am from as per your suggestion. Again, thank you so much for taking the time to answer my questions, I really appreciate it! For my application (US), I can't remember if there was a specific section asking about tattoos/piercings, or if it was a blank section where you could input other things you would like to mention. For reference, I did include the tattoo that I have on my leg (6x3, I think), even though it wouldn't show at work because I always wore longer skirts or pants. Also not saying it as a hard and fast rule, but rather what you're comfortable with. For example, take the tattoo on your shoulder. It depends on where you are, but in my experience on JET, no one in the office ever wore anything sleeveless, even during the summer (in southern Japan). If you were to go along with this "dress code" then I'm assuming your coworkers wouldn't see it during work? So if it's something they wouldn't see during work, then some might say you woudln't need to include it. It's similar to indicating whether you have health/mental health conditions on the application. I definitely saw commentors on reddit and such suggesting not to mention anything about mental health/medication, but I went ahead with it and it didn't seem to have an effect on my application since I was accepted outright For translation, it's definitely not going to be an issue if you use dictionaries or other resources. The main challenge might be whether the work computer can access the websites (sometimes due to security, even innocuous websites get blocked on government computers). Edit: Sorry, now that I typed it all out, it sounds kind of confusing. Basically, CIR can be pretty competitive because there are fewer spots, definitely even more so in the Phillippines compared to say, the US. So kind of just weighing your values/how comfortable you are with disclosing (or not disclosing certain things) against your desire to get into the program |
|
|
|
Post by manjuっすけ on Sept 19, 2023 10:57:26 GMT 9
There's also more people active on the discord (https://discord.gg/XeWAS86C), in case you wanted to get more perspectives
|
|
|
|
Post by Dee on Sept 19, 2023 14:19:55 GMT 9
Hi Matchalatte, love the name btw. Here are some of my answers to your questions. APPLICATION STAGE How we should improve our application/what do you recommend adding and/or removing from our SOPs and interview answers? - Korokke answered this very well. What the Japanese speaking and reading portion of the interview was like? - As an American applicant, half the interview was in Japanese. It began with self-intro, reading a news article out loud, answering 2-3 questions on the reading, and answering a few interview questions. What was your Japanese level before & after applying? - I had passed N2 several years prior. Do you recommend ticking the ALT box even if you have no experience in classroom teaching? - Only if you honestly don’t mind being an ALT. Do you have tattoos? - Yes, but they are easily covered. WORKING AS A CIR Your tasks as the CIR in your placement - I was hired through the BOE of a very small town, only 4000 ppl, and I spent my days split between two workplaces. In the mornings I work as an assistant teacher and English teacher at the local kindergarten/preschool. In the afternoons I work for a UNESCO Global Geopark doing translation/interpretation, international networking, and working on promoting the area through social media. I also assist the ALTs with everything, including the town eikaiwa and cultural events. How you killed your boredom. - Studying, reading online books, and writing a blog. Did you interact with many people? Did you gain BFFs? - I interact with a lot of ppl (in Japan and abroad) but only behulemdoed a few. What was the best and the most disappointing thing you experienced during your stay in Japan? - COVID Have you seen other CIRs with tattoos? - Yes. POST CIR What do you do now? Did your CIR experience help you in your current role? - I was kept on by my CO after my JET contract ended. Do you have any advice for future CIRs? - Be open-minded. Most ppl have this image of CIRs as doing nothing but translation or sister-city-type work, but it’s so much more open-ended than that. Wow, thank you very much for taking the time to answer my questions! And thanks for giving me some advice. It seems that your tasks were very diverse... May I ask which of these tasks did you find the most dreading or difficult? Were your tasks extremely stressful for you? Or did you love every aspect of being a CIR? Sorry if my questions sound weird but I'm just really curious I really love that my work is so diverse. When I first arrived I wasn't sure how I would feel about being a preschool teacher, but it's really grown on me. I do wish I could focus on more of the geopark work, but the BOE is keen to keep me at the kindergarten, plus the kindergarten teachers are all amazing people and I would be lonely if I started working at townhall all day, haha. I'm not super fond of helping out with eikaiwa, but the ALTs do most of the work so I just assist and sub when needed. I enjoyed it so much that I was hoping they would offer me a job after my JET contract ended. As an older adult who had many years of work experience in the US, this is the best job I've had so far. |
|
superalicat
CIRHP admin 
CIRHP's Silver Swiftie
i cry a lot but i am so productive, it's an art
Posts: 7,850
CIR Experience: 3rd year
Location: Toyama
Gender (Pronouns): she/her/hers
CHaos??: CHAOS
|
Post by superalicat on Sept 20, 2023 10:21:19 GMT 9
I created this thread since the applications for the 2024 JET Programme are now open! I had never taken JLPT when I applied to JET as a CIR in 2022 so I'm thinking this was one of the reasons why I didn't hear back from our embassy. (The application method was via email and when I sent mine, I got an auto-reply that said For CIR applicants, please be reminded that the position calls for an applicant with JLPT N1 or N2 certification (very fluent in the Japanese language) so I guess they didn't bother to open my application since I neither had N2 nor N1? I dunno ) But now that I've taken my 1st ever JLPT and passed N3, I'd like to try applying again. I know the minimum requirement for this role is JLPT N2 or N1, but I found out that there are CIRs who didn't have these certifications yet when they applied so I just thought I'd give it a shot. I'd really appreciate it if you could give me and the other 2024 CIR applicants some tips or any stories about the following: APPLICATION STAGEHow we should improve our application/what do you recommend adding and/or removing from our SOPs and interview answers? What the Japanese speaking and reading portion of the interview was like What was your Japanese level before & after applying? (Were you waiting for your N2/N1 results before you applied then by the time you got in, you passed N2 or something like that) Do you recommend ticking the ALT box even if you have no experience in classroom teaching? Do you have tattoos? WORKING AS A CIRYour tasks as the CIR in your placement Pros & Cons Dos & Don'ts How you killed your boredom Did you interact with many people? Did you gain BFFs? What was the best and the most disappointing thing you experienced during your stay in Japan? Have you seen other CIRs with tattoos? POST CIRWhat do you do now? Did your CIR experience help you in your current role? What were the things that you should have or shouldn't have done as a CIR? Do you have any advice for future CIRs? You don't have to answer everything here but I'd be very grateful if you did. Thank you so much! UPDATE: I’m from the Philippines and our embassy is already calling for applicationshello im a bit late but i have some answers as well! i'm a current CIR working at a prefectural office (kencho), and what i have to say got really long sorry ;;
-i had no JLPT at the time of my interview but the speaking and reading portion of the interview was pretty easy, closer to N3 level than N2! i made a point during the spoken introduction i did to say that i was aiming for N2 in the near future and talk about my goals. i made sure to try and answer every single question, even if i could answer some (about myself) more easily than others (opinions about the article they made me read for the reading section)
-if you have the energy and commitment to being an ALT and aren't opposed to teaching as your entire job, then you can tick the ALT box, but if you don't see yourself as an ALT, don't do it. i didn't. i still have to teach adult english classes 1-2 times a week and that's plenty for me. however, most JETs, even ALTs, don't have classroom experience at all and that's not a requirement so i would worry more about motivation to be an ALT as opposed to experience
-no tattoos myself, but my russian co-CIR does! they keep most of them covered but there's one that sticks out at the nape of their neck and everyone's very polite about it and doesn't comment
-i do all of the "typical" CIR tasks since i'm in the kencho: translating (japanese to english) and checking japanese-speaker-written english (these two together are 80% of the job), teaching english to adults, doing school visits in both english and japanese to adults, hs kids, elementary schoolers presenting my country, sometimes interpreting for the governor, sometimes working at international events, writing columns or essays in japanese on my country. im also a prefectural advisor (PA) but don't have much regular work to do as one
-pros: many co-CIRs and a tight-knit community, very internationally-minded coworkers, don't need to drive, live in a decently-sized city, usually have at least one thing to work on most days (except right now, i'm in a dry spell), lots of opportunities for tourism and learning about my placement
-cons: the JETs can be cliquey, the non-CIR workers are constantly doing overtime, weekend work pops up quite frequently, there are huge waves of work all coming on at once (true of any CIR ngl), not allowed to drive myself to school visits so they eat up a lot of time, getting very used to です・ます and over-relying on it when i need to be more formal, not having any english to japanese translating or interpreting experience because they make other people do it
-do: immediately set boundaries when it comes to work and communicate if you're swamped with work or if you need something to do. ask other CIRs for advice, even if they might not be in your exact placement, or research CIRs in other placements to see what they do. SET STRICT DEADLINES FOR TRANSLATION WORK (ie, they should be sent to you a minimum of two weeks before the deadline). research things about your placement and become an expert in them. be on time or early. work smarter not harder, use resources from others for english teaching and make a template/default things to introduce about your country and have photos of your home you've taken yourself/got copyright-free. ask for scripts/outlines/materials before an interpretation job and research the people involved and what their backgrounds are in
-don't: take on too much work!!! or do unnecessary overtime!! even if other coworkers stay late you do not get paid overtime and shouldn't be at work outside your working hours unless you have too much work/after hours work that you'll get compensated time off for. avoid speaking to your supervisor if there's anything bothering you--they're your primary source of support and information
-combating boredom: honestly, through this forum and reddit l.ol. i also read a lot
-i interact with a LOT of people and one of my best places to hang out in my city is this college student-run guesthouse where young people and guests from all over get together and chat. i also have to be talkative and approachable at every event i work, since im representing my country, and lots of people may be there to talk to me. however, it's so hard to make close hulemdos close by :// most of my hulemdos are online or my boyfri.end, haha
-best part of being a CIR: having big responsibilities and getting to work in international events like a G7 dinner or an overseas trip to our sister state. also i love introducing my country and hometown to people here and having foreigners learn about my placement, tourism work is really the best. also i passed N1 during my second year here!
-worst (like worse than disappointing) part: overdoing it during the aforementioned sister state trip, getting covid, being stranded over there for a week because of the gdamn testing requirement. in general, being expected to be at work and be present (especially for events) even when you feel like shit or have been working nonstop because you're the only native english speaker and it's all riding on you is a lot. also interpretation in general is insanely stressful, especially if you don't have any materials to work off of or have to do both english and japanese interpreting...i've also had to emergency interpret for an ALT as a part of my PA duties and it was really emotionally taxing and unlike any interpretation i've ever done in my life. also very petty but if you have a long name or middle name, doing paperwork and online applications will become infinitely more complicated and annoying, including applying for a credit card. also kinda annoying thing: if you look "foreign" you're often met with the assumption that you can't speak japanese and everyone will try to go out of their way to speak english to you, even if their accents are less than perfect
-advice for future CIRs: being a CIR is a spectrum when it comes to work duties, there are CIRs who are basically ALTs with nursery schools, and there are CIRs who only do translating and interpreting, and even CIRs who oversee and assist ALTs as PAs, so there is no all-encompassing "CIR experience". try to adjust your expectations and be open and communicative! and some positions may not be as fulfilling as others, but which ones you get are a matter of chance. don't feel like you have to stick around for long if yours isn't satisfactory, but don't expect your time as a CIR to match others' 100%
best of luck with the application! |
|
|
|
Post by Spring-Flowersboy on Sept 21, 2023 15:14:06 GMT 9
So this is late and I skimmed, but I want to say that JET has to follow hiring laws (specifically anti-discrimination) for the country you're applying from so tattoos are not anything that needs to come up at all. you can tell your placement if you want, but it's not necessary. they may ask you to cover them for some things, tho. I knew a male ALT with full body, including face, tattoos who did concealing makeup and wore long sleeves and stuff all the time since he was an elementary school ALT and his contracting organization was pretty conservative (and terrible), but it really depends on where you are and what you're doing, so deal with it later, imo. also I feel like mooooost people don't give a しt about tattoos on foreigners and are more likely to be curious than mean. also since your tattoos seem pretty unobtrusive people probably won't notice since sleeveless stuff isn't really worn for work, like korokke said! the wrist on people might notice, but I think it's unlikely people would comment on it
Just wanted to get my two cents in as a one(1) tattoo haver hue
|
|
keikoutou
Straight outta Narita
Posts: 7
Gender (Pronouns): he/him/his
|
Post by keikoutou on Sept 23, 2023 14:07:15 GMT 9
またこの時期がやってきたね。
Time to put everything together once again! (And, hopefully, fare better.)
A question I wanted to ask here regarding my SOP: I'm not expected to change it up completely just for the sake of changing it up, am I? I put a lot of thought into the one I wrote for my previous application -- which did get me through to the interview stage -- and I really do think it covered my best points effectively. There might be a few things I'll tweak, but the overall content of it is about as polished as I could make it.
|
|
|
|
Post by manjuっすけ on Sept 25, 2023 11:23:40 GMT 9
またこの時期がやってきたね。 Time to put everything together once again! (And, hopefully, fare better.) A question I wanted to ask here regarding my SOP: I'm not expected to change it up completely just for the sake of changing it up, am I? I put a lot of thought into the one I wrote for my previous application -- which did get me through to the interview stage -- and I really do think it covered my best points effectively. There might be a few things I'll tweak, but the overall content of it is about as polished as I could make it. I wouldn't say that you need to change it completely, but maybe making some mention of how you've grown over the past year/what makes you a better candidate now compared to before |
|
keikoutou
Straight outta Narita
Posts: 7
Gender (Pronouns): he/him/his
|
Post by keikoutou on Sept 27, 2023 12:01:07 GMT 9
Hmm, with my references, one of them is different from last year, and they've said that they're happy to write me a reference; "can you draft a letter and I'll edit and sign it". A little unsure of how to respond, as I recall that I'm not supposed to know what's in the letters...? Let alone write one myself; that just feels really off.
EDIT: For context, last year my references were my former Honours supervisor and the professor I've been doing research assistant/teaching work with for the past three years; I'm thinking of switching for former for another prof I've been doing tutorial work under (for two years). It's a weird dilemma, because the former knows me better but there's a longer gap since I've been working under him compared to the latter. Besides which, I know that the former would be writing it himself...
|
|
)
