Opinions from the participants

[8046]

Wanted to also chime in. Looks like my coordinator decided to go crazy and make a private subreddit and FB group. The subreddit is apparently mandatory to join, no clear instructions on usernames but just have to email what your username is then you are added to the subreddit. To be honest not sure how I feel about it as I've lurked reddit for years but have never really felt the need to make an account. Though it does look like there is going to be a lot of information passed along through it so it might be useful.

I have a feeling the FB group is going to be less managed so it might quickly dissolve into pointless banter. But I'm not the most active user of FB so I might not be the best judge of this xD

Miami, I think it really boils down to what is your preference. I think for the most part all applicants are willing to go with whatever you tell them. Sure some are going to be unhappy but that is going to happen no matter what. Use whatever forum you think gives you the most control and ability to do your job best. For the most part we are all just lost little sheep waiting for our shepherd to tell us what to do.

[Jiggit]

How on earth would it be mandatory?

[5100]

How on earth would it be mandatory?

You don't join, you don't get information related to your departure.

My consulate did something along these lines.

[Jiggit]

That's utter bullsh1t. They should send all necessary correspondence by email or post.

[Fruitspunchsamurai]

i was wondering what happened to the official forums, i can't see any options to register and since i don't have an account i can't view those forums at all.

[Nell]

I think Facebook would be a good idea if it focused on arranging meetups and getting to know other people in the area, while forums like ITIL are good for more general discussions/questions that people have about JET.

[miamicoordinator]

That's utter bullsh1t. They should send all necessary correspondence by email or post.

The main issue with email is that it is so unreliable. Our emails get filtered, missed, or ignored by applicants far too much. Then there is the whole "i never got an email!" Excuse. When we are sending important documents and information, we have founx it better to have a place where people can get the information. That way it is their responsibilty to keep themselves informed by checking the site frequently. We used to use yahoo and google groups, but those sited have since been blocked at the consulates. Thus, we try to find ways to get information to applicants with the least amount of error margin possible. Relying solely on email has proven undependable in the past.

[Wasabi]

We used to use yahoo and google groups, but those sited have since been blocked at the consulates.

Odd choice for the consulates to block yahoo & google groups, but allow facebook & reddit. I feel your pain, though. We're blocked from all of that where I work, plus any streaming media, shopping, auction, and alcohol related sites.

[Zolrak 22]

Facebook has the benefit of notifying you of events, posts and anything related to a group. The privacy settings can always be altered to suit anyone's needs. It's what I used to unite teams and groups in college /workplace .

Plus the fact that you get to see a real person behind the information establishes a more personal connection. (Just like others said, you get to form friendships and so on.)

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[eminate]

Hey MC, I've got a quick question: is this concept of giving short-listers a forum/group pretty universal? I ask because I haven't heard any mention of this yet from my consulate; should I call my them to find out if they have something similar, or do you think they would email me with the info if it exists?

[miamicoordinator]

Hey MC, I've got a quick question: is this concept of giving short-listers a forum/group pretty universal? I ask because I haven't heard any mention of this yet from my consulate; should I call my them to find out if they have something similar, or do you think they would email me with the info if it exists?

Its not universal unfortunately. I know some of the coordinators just e-mail documents to short-listers. Some have webpages, like facebook and now sub-reddit. They would definitely e-mail you if something exists. Earlier in this thread though I did mention the one big snag with e-mail is sometimes it gets sent to spam folders because we send out group messages, so it is always good to always check your spam/jumk folders to see if anything arrives from us.

Remember that some Consulates have 100+ shirt-listers, so, making a group or forums where you have to keep track of everyone might be a little more difficult. Time for us is quite limited with the other projects we have at work.

Your coordinators responsibility is to get you the necessary paperwork and information required for departure. They will not leave you in the dark intentionally.

[eminate]

Its not universal unfortunately. I know some of the coordinators just e-mail documents to short-listers. Some have webpages, like facebook and now sub-reddit. They would definitely e-mail you if something exists. Earlier in this thread though I did mention the one big snag with e-mail is sometimes it gets sent to spam folders because we send out group messages, so it is always good to always check your spam/jumk folders to see if anything arrives from us.

Remember that some Consulates have 100+ shirt-listers, so, making a group or forums where you have to keep track of everyone might be a little more difficult. Time for us is quite limited with the other projects we have at work.

Your coordinators responsibility is to get you the necessary paperwork and information required for departure. They will not leave you in the dark intentionally.

Thanks so much for the insight! I'm out of one of the biggest consulates, so I'm guessing it's as you say and they don't have one. Just wanted to make sure I didn't miss anything important! (I did check my spam mail anyway, though, just in case :P)