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Welcome back!
No matter how long you have been gone, things have most certainly changed! JETAA NY is hoping to help make your transition a smooth and comfortable one.
Whether you are excited to be back in a familiar culture or already miss some of the wonderful things about your Japanese life, we are looking forward to contributing to your support network by providing events and resources that will be helpful in the coming years.
We have drawn on a variety of experiences and most importantly, on other members’ advice, and worked hard to compile the information on this site. We hope that it adds to your enjoyment of returning home.
Sincere thanks to all who have contributed.
All the Best,
Shannan Spisak
Former President JETAANY
Join JETAA NY
Join JETAANY with this form here or send an e-mail to membership@jetaany.org with the following info:
- Name
- Address
- Phone number
- Prefecture
- Years on JET (e.g. 1999~2002)
- JET Position (ALT, CIR, SEA…)
- How you want to receive the Newsletter (by e-mail, regular mail, or both)
Tax Refund and Pension Refund Info
Former JETs who need information regarding the Pension Payments need to contact their Host Institution or Social Insurance Agency in Japan. CLAIR, the Japanese Consulates and Embassies do not oversee pension refunds – including those for former JET participants. CLAIR, the Japanese Consulates or Embassies are not responsible for the decisions made by the Social Insurance Agency, which administers the partial refund.Ê CLAIR cannot check on individual claims. Be aware that this partial refund is not connected to the JET Program. Rather, it is applicable to any non-Japanese citizen who has paid into the pension for six months or more. Inquiries may be made in writing (in English or Japanese) to the following address:
Social Insurance Agency
3-5-24 Takaido-nishi
Suginami-ku, Tokyo 168-8505 JAPAN
Following is information that has been provided by CLAIR:
- Before leaving Japan, you should have gotten a 納税管理人の届出書（外国人用）Nozeikanrinin no todokedesho (gaikokujin-yo) [Declaration Naming a Person to Administer the Taxpayer's Tax Affairs (For use by aliens)] form, appoint a tax representative and submit the form to your local tax office (in the jurisdiction where your residence is located). The Tax Representative must be a resident of Japan.
- After leaving Japan, file for the Lump-Sum Withdrawal Payment. You were probably given these forms before you left. You will need to submit this form along with your pension book a copy of your passport, and your bank information.
- Once you have received your Lump-Sum Withdrawal Payment, send an original (no copy) of the 支給決定通知書 Shikyu Kettei Tsuuchisho [Notice of the Lump-sum Withdrawal Payment] to your tax representative in Japan.
- Designate a Bank Account for Tax Refund & file for the Tax Refund. Have your tax representative go to the same tax office as before and file the Kakutei Shinkokusho on your behalf. The refund will be deposited into your tax representative’s bank account that he/she will designate at the time of filing. He/she will then transfer the money to you.
- The application must be made within 5 years after leaving Japan. You may file for the pension tax refund as soon as you receive your Lump-sum Withdrawal Payment receipt. You do not need to wait until January 1st of the following year in order to file as with other tax refunds.
A JET participant receiving an average monthly remuneration of 300,000 Yen should receive a full refund of the 20% tax on the Lump-sum Withdrawal Payment.Ê Any further inquiry should be directed to the designated tax office where you were a resident in Japan.Ê CLAIR, the Embassies or the Japanese Consulates do not handle the paperwork for this tax refund. CLAIR will answer questions about the refund in general, but you must pursue your specific case with your host institution and the local tax authorities.
What? Get a Job!!
Well, back from Japan now are we! Well, welcome home.
How’s everything going? Been back long? Still recovering from jetlag? Gosh, must have been a rough flight?
So, now that you’re back, what are your plans? Oh, you don’t know, you say. Still, trying to figure things out, are we? Well, you know the economy isn’t so good, right? Gosh, what are you going to do? It’s gonna be a little rough.
So, do you have a resume done? Gosh, you are going to need one of those. And a good one, too. Those college resumes aren’t going to cut it anymore. Also, do you know where to start looking? Hmm… I hear good things about those websites like Hotjobs, Monster, Flipdog, and a bunch whose names I can’t seem to remember. Oh, and don’t forget about the help wanted ads. Everyone swears by the New York Times, and the Wall Street Journal, heck even try the Voice. Oh, I almost forgot about the agencies. They have ones for languages, temp work, musicians, teachers, lawyers, gardeners, blah, blah, blah. Golly gee, sounds like a lot of stuff to think about. I don’t envy you. Don’t you just wished that there were something that put all this stuff together into one little neat package to make things easier? Hmmm.
–Ryan Chan
Tips for Successful Job Hunting
Talk to people- network- tell everyone you know (and those you don’t know) that you are looking for a job. Make sure they know how to get in touch with you J Many Jets have gotten jobs through people they met in bars, on busses, at parties…
Figure out your priorities. Don’t just say “I want a ‘Japan-related’ job” or “I want nothing to do with Japan.” Know what your strengths and weaknesses are before you interview. Have a goal in mind. Even if you don’t get your dream job in the first try, it helps to have a focus to your search.
At the same time, remain open-minded, don’t shut out entry level jobs in interesting fields. They could be a step into a really great opportunity.
Having a direction in mind can also help you decide if Grad School is the right choice. If you are thinking about grad school, try to find some people who are pursuing degrees or have gotten degrees in your chosen field. Find out what their experience was. See if it fits with your goals.
Interview, interview, interview. The more the merrier. Even if you don’t take the job, the interview is good practice. They will help you prepare for any question that the interviewer at your “ideal job” might ask.
Informational interviews also help. If you make a good impression during an informational interview, the person you met with might keep you in mind to recommend to colleagues for other job openings.
Always know about the company or organization where you are interviewing, be prepared to ask questions about the position you are interviewing for. Also, keep up with current events in your chosen field, interviewers often like to hear your opinions about news and other related topics.
Use the resources listed here as a jumping off point in your search. Come to JETAA NY Job Skills workshops to get more tips and information.
Don’t give up. The job market may be tight right now, but there are jobs out there, with a little perseverance, a few good connections, and a lot of JET Alumni talent, you will find something great.
Job Hunting Resources
Job Placement Agencies
- Bremar Associates
www.bremar.com
Tel: (212) 661-0909
Fax: (212) 856-0989
email: staff@bremar.com
420 Lexington Avenue, Suite 660 New York, NY 10170 - Interesse International Inc
www.iiicareer.com
Tel: (212) 391-9111
Fax: (212) 391-7760
email: interesse@iiicareer.com
501 Fifth Avenue, Suite 1404 New York NY 10017 - Max Consulting Group, Inc
www.maxjob.com
Tel: (212) 949-6660
Fax: (212) 949-6882
317 Madison Avenue, Suite 1418 New York, NY 10017 - Lloyd Staffing
www.lloydstaffing.com
Tel: 212-354-8787
Fax: 212-354-8920
Japan Contact: Elisha Hashimoto
58 West 40th Street New York, NY 10018 - APA International
www.apaintl.com
Tel: (212) 490-3798
Fax: (212) 687-8384
551 Fifth Ave New York, NY 10176 - Metropolitan Staffing
www.metstaff.com
Tel: (212) 983-6060
110 East 42nd Street, Suite 802 New York, NY 10017 - QUICK USA
www.919usa.com
Tel: (212) 692-0850
Fax: (212)692-0853
email: quick@919usa.com
60 East 42nd Street, # 2319, New York, NY 10165
Websites
- www.cheno.com/job The JET job bank. Companies post jobs that would be of specific interest to JETs. Updated frequently, covers all of the US as well as some jobs in the UK.
- http://www.us-japan.org/resources/jobbank.html A job bank sponsored by the National Association of Japan America Societies (NAJAS). Lists Japanese corporations in the US. Mostly manufacturing or research organizations, not necessarily NY based. You can post resumes for free.
- www.careerforum.net This is DISCO, a Japanese-related professionals job searching company. This company sponsors a number of job fairs in the US. A high level of Japanese is usually expected for these jobs.
- www.japanesejobs.com Another Japanese related website. You can get placed on a job search mailing list. You can also submit resumes for free
- http://jobmarket.nytimes.com/pages/jobs/ Searchable database of all of the jobs listed in the New York Times. Good education and non-profit jobs.
- www.careerjournal.com Advice and resume archives from the Wall Street Journal.
- www.hotjobs.com One of the biggest and most well know internet job banks. You’ll have a lof of competition, but it has millions of jobs.
- www.monster.com Similar to hotjobs.
- www.flipdog.com Same as previous two. Sometimes better for entertainment or non-profit listings.
- careers.yahoo.com Affiliated with hotjobs. You can post resumes for free.
- CareerJet.com Job seach engine
JETAANY Seminars
JET AA NY will host a series of three job-skills seminars. The seminars will focus on experiences of other JET Alumni who are now established in their field. We’ll also have sessions on interview skills and resume writing. These seminars go in conjunction with the fall issue of our quarterly Newsletter. Get on our email list to get more information about dates and location of these seminars. Contact the secretary at secretary@jetaany.org to sign up.
Resume Writing Workshop
For copies of the handouts in MS Word, check our documents page.
Or, check out this compilation of resume writing techniques, in MS Word format: Click Here
JETAANY Job Forum
We post new job listings weekly in our announcements email and on our JETAANY Forum.
Welcome to the Wacky World of Big Apple Housing
As you are probably aware, there are few things easier in the world than finding your dream apartment in New York. This is a city where real estate flows like the Hudson River and tastes just as sweet as honey. This is a city where landlords and coop boards are practically handing out free caviar and escargot to potential renters like you just so you will drop in and have a look around.
Just the other day, I was walking along Central Park West when four separate people called out to me from their balconies as to whether or not I would be interested in moving into their four bedroom/three bath, three bedroom/one-and-a-half bath, junior four/two bath, and six bedroom/four bath apartments, respectively, as they were about to vacate them. They each also offered me a cash incentive ranging from $450 to $1500, as well as a lobster dinner. My answer? Well, I thanked them for their considerate offers, but graciously declined. I told them, “While I appreciate the thought, there are a number of JET Program participants returning from Japan shortly. I think it would be most kind of you if you could wait and offer this apartment to one of them.” I did however accept the cash and the lobster dinner.
The lesson here is that in New York, you don’t so much find an apartment as the apartment finds you. You can just sit back and relax and drink your pousse-cafe while the apartment does all the work.
Or, then again, you could use the handy Apartment-Finding Guide that follows should you run into any unforeseen complications.
– Peter Schulman
Tips to Keep in Mind for Your Search:
- Networking is key- people often have apartments fall into their laps through friends or friends of friends. Let everyone you talk to know that you are searching.
- Apartments in NYC go quickly, if you find one you like, you should be prepared to sign up that day. Also, if you are going through a no-fee option (direct through the landlord or sublet) money talks, often the first person to offer a down payment is the one to get the place.
- Down payments are usually 1-2 months rent. Be prepared to undergo a credit check too. (It might be a good idea to get your credit checked yourself first to make sure you won’t be surprised by what the landlord finds).
- Apartment hunting takes patience. If you don’t find anything in a week or two weeks, don’t stress, it happens to everyone. Something will come up- just keep looking- Gambatte! On the other hand, don’t give yourself too much time. Turn-around time is usually about one month. If you are looking for an apartment with a January 1st move in date, you probably won’t find anything before December 1st.
- If you are thinking of moving to an area that you are unsure of (Harlem, Washington Heights, the Bronx, etc) go up to the neighborhood and walk around for a few hours both during the daytime and at night. If you are comfortable walking there, you can probably live there. There are many gems (and Jets) in these “bad neighborhoods.”
- If you know where you want to live, you can sometimes go into a specific building and talk to the manager directly about renting an apartment. This saves fees and broker hassle.
Apartment Finding Resources
Websites
- www.newyork.craigslist.org – Craigslist is an online community that lists fee and no fee apartments. Often they are directly listed by the renter or seller. It takes some work to sift through it all, but there are some great finds there. Roommates and share situations are also listed.
- www.aprilslist.com – Good listing of short term, sublet and roommate openings.
- www.villagevoice.com – Lists fee and no fee apartments plus links to agencies and realtors. The online version is updated more often than the paper edition. Can be a good starting point for a search.
- www.realestate.nytimes.com – A searchable database provided by the New York Times. This offers apartments from local realtors as well as owners and landlords who directly list them. Pictures and floor plans sometimes available.
- www.lootusa.com – List of no-fee apartments by neighborhood in NYC. Also lists shares and sublets.
- www.nydailynews.com – Has a more comprehensive list of outer borough listings. Searchable database.
- www.hobokeni.com – If you want to live in Hoboken, this is a good online community with roommate searches as well as apartment searches.
- Free Manhattan rental market price guide (HTML and PDF format)
Realtors
- www.ardorny.com- Lists reasonably priced Manhattan and outer borough apartments. They offer a searchable online database, often with pictures and comments.
- www.manhattanapartments.com Searchable online database. They have a pretty good selection of apartments around Manhattan, including low-rent areas like Harlem, Hamilton Heights and Inwood.
- www.citihabitats.com They have a reputation for being expensive, but some Jets have found happiness there. They have an online searchable database, pictures and virtual tours are sometimes included.
- www.corcoran.com- A higher-end realtor with searchable database. Mostly Manhattan and Brooklyn
- www.featherednest.com – Online, searchable database.
- www.anshell.com – Specializes in Inwood and the Bronx/Riverdale. Many low price listings.
- www.hechtgroup.com- Focus on reasonably prices apartments in Manhattan. Roommate lists also available
- www.globalcity.com – Specializing in Astoria Queens.
- www.tregny.com – One of the largest searchable databases in Manhattan
Management Companies
- www.gonofee.com – This management company has a few no fee middle-income beautifully renovated apartments in Harlem, Washington Heights and Alphabet City.
- www.nofeerentals.com- A downtown management company with hundreds of no fee apartments. Sublets and short-term leases also available.
- idealpropertiesgroup.com – rents out apartments in various areas of Brooklyn (Brooklyn Heights, Boerum Hill, Cobble Hill, Carroll Gardens, Fort Greene, Clinton Hill, etc.)
Japanese-American Realtors:
- www.furumoto.com- This Japanese-American Realtor caters to Japanese people living in the NY area. The listings are online in both English and Japanese. You might get better deals if you speak Japanese.
- www.taichirealty.com – You must be able to read Japanese (at least katakana) for this website, but they have a good searchable database and some affordable apartments.
* There are a lot more Japanese Realtors listed (with just a phone and address) on www.nycjapan.com. The most recent edition of OCS News (Japanese-language newsletter available at Japanese bookstores and grocery stores) usually has listings in the classified section too.
Paid Referral Services
Paid services (such as www.nycapartmentrentals.com, www.easyrent.com, www.mlx.com, www.rent-direct.com, www.apartmentsource.com, www.nofeelandlords.com, etc) are services that offer you a listing of available apartments for a one time flat fee. Usually this fee is between $75 and $300. They can be a great deal because they save you from paying a real estate broker’s fee (which can run from 10-20% of one year’s rent!). However, they are a lot of work. You’ll be given a list and told to make the arrangements to see it on your own. If you use one of these, be sure to have at least one free weekend and a few weekdays to look at. Before paying one of these agencies, check out how thorough their listings are, if they have references, and how long the service lasts for after one payment.
Volunteer Opportunities
New York International Center
A lot of us took advantage of language classes and other services at the International Centers in our towns and cities when we were JETs. Here is our chance to give back to the international community in New York. They especially need people who can teach English on a regular basis:
If you enjoy one to one conversational English teaching, if you miss the international folks you’ve met while traveling and/or living abroad, or if you just want to return the favors done for you when you struggled through a visit or life in another country, the International Center is a great place to volunteer. The Center provides on and off site language assistance, information, social activities, an informal gathering place and various other kinds of resources for people new to the United States. A six month commitment including an interview/orientation session and three training sessions are required to become a conversation, pronunciation, writing or advanced English partner. After the training, you will meet your partner at the always lively International Center once each week (or more if you like.) Join us today! Please complete a volunteer application and sign up for an interview/orientation online at www.intlcenter.org. We look forward to hearing from you.
The International Center in New York
50 West 23rd St, 7th Floor
New York, NY 10010
212-255-9555 X216
Email: volunteer@ntlcenter.org
Website: www.intlcenter.org
NY de Volunteer
NY de Volunteer co-founder Kazumi writes:
Noriko Hino and I started NY de Volunteer (nyu-yo-ku de borantia) as a community of Japanese (and Japanese-speaking or Japanese-understanding) people who can volunteer together at various events and share volunteering information in NY. We currently have 800+ members in our Yahoo Japan Egroups mailing list.
Since May, we’ve participated in some volunteer events, including Spring Clean Up Day organized by New York Cares. We sent out ads in the Japanese community, and about 100 people responded, 40 of which participated as the Japan Team for the SCUD. In June, we had a volunteer orientation workshop, with about 40 participants. In July, 60+ volunteers participated in the first ever Toro-Nagashi (floating lantern ceremony) in NY on the Hudson River as a part of the Obon ceremony for 9/11.
For more info, please visit: www.nydevolunteer.org
or email: kamitera@earthlink.net
Japan Society Lecture Series Volunteers
The Japan Society regularly needs volunteers to help take tickets and pass out programs at their lecture series and some of their performance programs. You have to be able to get to the Japan Society (on 47th St and 1st Ave) by 6 pm in order to volunteer. Most of the programs are on weekdays. For more info on how to volunteer and the program schedule, contact lectures@japansociety.org
