Quote:
Originally Posted by Xlll
Sou desu ne. Well, I'm still in high school and barely becoming a senior this upcoming semester, so I'm not sure where to start. How did you go about studying abroad, and if you don't mind me asking, how old are you by the way? I'm still fixated in attending college so I can get my bachelor's degree in business administration, which hopefully will take three years or less, so I'll be 21 by then. Afterwards, I plan on getting a job in Japan in a business environment, mind me, I say "business environment" since I'm not sure what I'm majoring in yet. Also, what's a CIR, is it better than a ALT (Jason is a ALT I believe) or any advantages over the other? By the way, when you say studying abroad", do you mean taking college courses over there?
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Well, once you graduate and move on to college, you would want to talk to a study abroad adviser at that college. They're the ones who explain the different programs (locations), how much they cost, the length of the stay, etc. That's pretty much how it worked for me. My major (Global Studies - which is a mix between international business and foreign language + cultural classes) basically required me to study abroad in order to earn my degree. I'm 21 years old now, finishing my senior year of college as I apply for the JET Programme.
The CIR is a Coordinator of International Relations. They make up only a small amount of the JET participants. However, the CIR program is sometimes regarded as a bit more prestigious, and the work experience is better. Back in the day, teaching English in Japan was the thing to do. However, it's starting to get a bit stale now. I know a few JET ALTs, and they all say they enjoy their job, but they also say that they barely get to use their Japanese in the workplace, and they also say they don't find the job real challenging. That said, 'Teaching English' doesn't look as good on a resume when applying to a Japanese company as it once used to.
So, I'm trying for the CIR position. It requires a lot higher Japanese skill (in fact, the JET Program advertises that you don't need ANY Japanese skill to be an ALT!). A big chunk of the interview for the CIR position is conducted in Japanese as well, and they test your Japanese right then and there. That said, I've been told a Level 2 JLPT score is recommended, although some have squeaked by with a Level 3 score. The CIR position typically has you working in a much more professional environment (oftentimes a prefectural government office or a town hall).
More on the CIR ->
Coordinator for International Relations - Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
