6 Months (December/January)

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1 So you are ready to leave the Jet Programme (or they won t let you stay any longer). You are mostly likely going to leave Japan next summer. Here are some tips and advice from your JET senpais about what to expect, what to prepare for and what to think about over the next few months before you say バイバイ!to Okinawa and Japan. Before You Leave: 6 Months (December/January) Start organizing your apartment and things Start saving money Ø Your last paycheck may or may not be the full amount, cannot get paid earlier (if you are a Group B JET) Ø Costs of moving/leaving the country it is more than you think Ø There will be lots of people wanting to see you can add up Make a Things to Do in Okinawa/Japan Before I Leave List Ø Budget, make plans especially if you want to travel during your couple of months (nenkyu, last day of work, flights, apartment, car, etc.) Make a People I want to see/spend time with/say thank You List Start getting into contact with people back in your home country (or your intended destination after JET) Ø Look at the job market, grad school applications, apartments, etc. Ø Get back into touch with friends, family and professional contacts Start making a list of people to give thank you to 3 Months (March/April) Start parting with things in your apartment (Selling/recycling/Manga-Sokoing) Ø Start sending stuff home winter stuff, books (Japan Post has a special deal on printed materials), non-essentials, gifts for people back at home ² If you send it via surface mail supposedly takes 1-2 months, so it should be at your destination when you arrive in the summer Start saying goodbyes (*sniff*)

2 Ø Start to meet up with people that you may not get the opportunity to see in the summer but you definitely want to spend time with before you leave (former colleagues, etc.) Start seriously job-hunting Ø Networking Facebook, LinkedIn, GaijinPot, websites, etc. Ø Connections in home country AND in Japan/Okinawa Ø Start spreading the news that you are looking/will be available 1-2 Months (June/July) Make sure that you will have at least 30,000 to 40,000 yen left in your bank account after you leave for bills (SERIOUSLY!) Start to prepare for the paperwork that you need to do when you leave Ø Pension Refund Print/Download necessary forms Guarantor must go to the tax office with the person you designate to get your 20% tax refund Ø Criminal Background Check takes roughly 10 days and you must pick it up in person (in Naha) but you can apply for one through a Consulate or Embassy Call the housing agency to let them know your move-out date (most leases require at least one month) Ø Ask about your security deposit/shikikin (what will be taken out and WHY, what needs to be clean, how you should return your apartment) Ø Ask about water/electricity and the billing for it (you might be billed AFTER you have moved out or left Japan) Find out about how to send money and close your bank account Ø You may have to designate someone through Power of Attorney so that they can close your account on your behalf after you leave Japan (go with the person to the bank) Call about Internet cancellation, car insurance cancellation Ø Ask about return modems and when last billing will be Last Few Weeks (July/August) Get your apartment in order clean, predecessor/successor coordination (if necessary), getting rid of garbage, etc Things you will need to cancel:

3 Ø Utilities Gas, Water, Electricity (for your gas, you need to be at your apartment when they turn it off and you can pay your last bill with the 10,00 yen deposit that you will get back) Ø Keitai//Internet Remember that it usually costs from 9000 yen to break your contract with your providers With Internet they may get you to drop off the modem or get you to send it in the mail Most of the bills for the last months are billed for the NEXT month and they usually won t let you pay for it) Ø Car Insurance Ø Credit cards, point cards, etc (pay off balance and use up points first!) Mailing address forwarding Japanese address at the post office (will only last about 6 months) Notes: Your return flight if you cancel your flight, you are liable for paying the cancellation fee (it has happened before!) Be aware of your passport and visa expiration dates AFTER YOU LEAVE: First couple of weeks back will be like a mini-vacation but it wears off The second month back is usually the hardest because it sinks in that you are no longer on JET or living in Okinawa/Japan ² Physical health be careful of weight gain from eating, drinking and being merry with non-japanese food ² Mental health hobbies and staying active REVERSE CULTURE SHOCK ² Customer service sucks ² No more Gaijin-smashing because you are no longer a Gaijin ² LITERACY RULES! ² 日本に クセ bowing, murmurs, Janglish, JET-isms, Job-hunting sucks JET Alumni Association

4 WORK/SCHOOL AFTER JET Selling the JET Experience JET is not as well known as you think, especially outside the education world it may help just to put teaching English in Japan for some situations Don t downplay your JET experience just adjust to make it work for the job that you want Use JET experience in interview when talking about difficult situations, working with difficult people, working under stressful environments, etc. Use JET to show your creativity, flexibility and adaptability Going Back to School Start applying (especially if you haven t done so already) Start getting into contact with old professors and professional contacts Exams LSAT, GRE, etc. Ø Sometimes you can take on-base, most you can take on the mainland/tokyo Start applying for scholarships and figuring out costs References ² The best people are Principal, Vice-Principal, coordinator, PA (sorry Grant!), BOE people ² When asking for references, write up a list of accomplishments/activities, a sample reference letter (in English) ² If you are planning on staying/working in Japan, ask for letters in BOTH English and Japanese ² Ask for it to be on letterheads (if your school doesn t have one, make one!) ² Ask for multiple copies ² Ask for one or two copies that are sealed in an envelope with a signature on the seal

5 Notes on Working in Japan ² If you are going to continue teaching English, be ready to take a pay-cut (think half) and less perks /benefits (pension, health insurance, nenkyu, support system) ² Be very honest about your Japanese ability ² Some places will interview you on your Japanese ability and ask for a copy of your JLPT results ² If you are looking for work outside of teaching English, be aware that being a JET might not work in your favor ² May have to work your magical Japanese work connections ² Best times to apply for jobs in Japan end of December/January is when they start applications ² Working on Base Find someone who is already doing so, ask about openings and who/where to apply to ² Be careful about the limitations of your visa (especially if you are close to your expiration date)