Quitting JET (the horror)

[Jiggit]

If that`s how you feel, why should there even be a way to exit your contract at all?
Shit happens.

Next company wanted me right away. I asked for a later date, and there was none. It`s now or never.

I don't understand how this is at all relevant to what I said.

The people you're screwing over didn't put the system in place and they can't change it. They aren't going to be happy regardless of where the true "fault" theoretically lies.

[hypatia]

This...is incredibly tempting. But based on my BOEs response to me leaving sooner rather than later was even more disastrous...I don`t know. Plus, I am trying to get things done here in the meantime.

Ok, after reading this thread what I'm confused about is why does it matter at all what your BOE thinks? You were already not being recontracted. Now you already have another position lined up, one that wants you to start ASAP. It's not like you have to worry about bad letters of recommendation or anything, as it's unlikely that any future employers (especially those based in the US) are going to call up Japan for references. Several posters have given some good advice, including leaving before the new school year begins, not depending on the BOE and buying your own ticket home, and being extraordinarily apologetic/writing apology letters to your schools.

So far, this is the only reason I've seen you give:

I can`t just leave. They need to fill out paperwork.

Do you need to be there for them to fill out the paperwork? I genuinely don't know the paperwork or the process that a BOE has to go through when an ALT leaves. If you are trying to stay out of courtesy for them, that seems to be hurting your prospects with your next job more than it is salvaging the relationship with your BOE (that you've mentioned was already pretty shitty.....) So, what is stopping you from just up and leaving and moving forward with your life/career?

[interioround]

Do people on JET usually wait until July to look for a job?
The way the job market was when I graduated college just a few years back was awful. I already do feel terrible about leaving. I know I`m leaving them in a bind, but I didn`t know what else to do. My job said we want you now. What will you do?

I made a tough choice and this is where I`m at.

[Ananasboat]

Do people on JET usually wait until July to look for a job?

Or they look for jobs that starts after their contract with the BOE ends. That is exactly what reasonable people do.

[interioround]

Or they look for jobs that starts after their contract with the BOE ends. That is exactly what reasonable people do.

I didn`t know when it started? That`s not usually in the job description. I got a second interview with the company, and after that, that`s when they told me, `hey, come to China in two and a half weeks`. I was pretty surprised, too.

[interioround]

Ok, after reading this thread what I'm confused about is why does it matter at all what your BOE thinks? You were already not being recontracted. Now you already have another position lined up, one that wants you to start ASAP. It's not like you have to worry about bad letters of recommendation or anything, as it's unlikely that any future employers (especially those based in the US) are going to call up Japan for references. Several posters have given some good advice, including leaving before the new school year begins, not depending on the BOE and buying your own ticket home, and being extraordinarily apologetic/writing apology letters to your schools.

So far, this is the only reason I've seen you give:



Do you need to be there for them to fill out the paperwork? I genuinely don't know the paperwork or the process that a BOE has to go through when an ALT leaves. If you are trying to stay out of courtesy for them, that seems to be hurting your prospects with your next job more than it is salvaging the relationship with your BOE (that you've mentioned was already pretty shitty.....) So, what is stopping you from just up and leaving and moving forward with your life/career?

You`re right. This is good advice.

I`m staying out of courtesy to them since they asked me to stay as late as I can.

[Jiggit]

What will you do?

?

I thought the point of this thread was to ask how you can patch up your relationship with your coworkers before you leave, not whether or not you should?

We're just telling you the truth. There's no point trying to justify yourself to random internet people, is there?

[interioround]

?

I thought the point of this thread was to ask how you can patch up your relationship with your coworkers before you leave, not whether or not you should?

We're just telling you the truth. There's no point trying to justify yourself to random internet people, is there?

Yes, that`s what the original point of the topic was.

[patjs]

Yes, that`s what the original point of the topic was.

Then the reply is that you probably are not going to be able to mend the relationships very well with the people you are inconveniencing. Are you friends with any non-English teachers or others at your schools? Chances are if they have half a brain they'll see things from your perspective as well. They get that it's a temporary job.

All in all these relationships are not going to matter much at all in about six months from now. You will have forgotten them and they will certainly have forgotten you.




Beer Baron - Site Discussion

[Sherlock]

the job market here in the US is terrbile. JET is a limited time contracted posistion with mediocre pay and no career future. You got a great job with an oppurtunity for advancement which you seem excited for. Just leave Japan ASAP. You're not going to get on you BOE's good side by sticking around for a few more weeks. Think of it this way. If you had turned down the job offer and finished out your contract in Japan and struggled to find a job back home in the US would the BOE do anything to help you get a career? Don't think so. You made an effort to fufill your obligations but your future career can't wait. You've already burned your bridges and theres no mending them. Move forward and don't beat yourself up over this. You tried and things just didn't work out. Enjoy your new job.

[interioround]

the job market here in the US is terrbile. JET is a limited time contracted posistion with mediocre pay and no career future. You got a great job with an oppurtunity for advancement which you seem excited for. Just leave Japan ASAP. You're not going to get on you BOE's good side by sticking around for a few more weeks. Think of it this way. If you had turned down the job offer and finished out your contract in Japan and struggled to find a job back home in the US would the BOE do anything to help you get a career? Don't think so. You made an effort to fufill your obligations but your future career can't wait. You've already burned your bridges and theres no mending them. Move forward and don't beat yourself up over this. You tried and things just didn't work out. Enjoy your new job.

(T^T)

[starfish]

the job market here in the US is terrbile. JET is a limited time contracted posistion with mediocre pay and no career future. You got a great job with an oppurtunity for advancement which you seem excited for. Just leave Japan ASAP. You're not going to get on you BOE's good side by sticking around for a few more weeks. Think of it this way. If you had turned down the job offer and finished out your contract in Japan and struggled to find a job back home in the US would the BOE do anything to help you get a career? Don't think so. You made an effort to fufill your obligations but your future career can't wait. You've already burned your bridges and theres no mending them. Move forward and don't beat yourself up over this. You tried and things just didn't work out. Enjoy your new job.

I'm voicing my support for Sherlock on this one, except for the whole US job market thing. (It's time to stop saying the economy sucks-- unemployment is less than 6% and I personally have recruiters harassing me 24/7; WTF constitutes a "good" job market to you people?)

My first two contractual jobs, I interpreted to mean "slavery" and despite the jobs being abject failures I stuck around to the point where my continued involvement was more detrimental than anything. I should have cut my losses and saved face.

Shit does happen, but that doesn't mean you should expect the people you shat on to clean it up for you. The proper thing to do at this point would be to just bow out, quietly and without fanfare, as soon as possible instead of bumbling around trying to repair a relationship that you plan to shit on all over again in a few weeks.

[interioround]

I'm voicing my support for Sherlock on this one, except for the whole US job market thing. (It's time to stop saying the economy sucks-- unemployment is less than 6% and I personally have recruiters harassing me 24/7; WTF constitutes a "good" job market to you people?)

My first two contractual jobs, I interpreted to mean "slavery" and despite the jobs being abject failures I stuck around to the point where my continued involvement was more detrimental than anything. I should have cut my losses and saved face.

Shit does happen, but that doesn't mean you should expect the people you shat on to clean it up for you. The proper thing to do at this point would be to just bow out, quietly and without fanfare, as soon as possible instead of bumbling around trying to repair a relationship that you plan to shit on all over again in a few weeks.

I agree that it would be better to leave, but they have asked for my help for setting things up for the future ALTs in the meantime. They really seem like they`d rather have me stay...

[Ananasboat]

Of course they'd rather you stay. They'd be really happy to have all the help they can get and not have to deal with doing the parts of your job you leave behind on top of theirs. You seem surprised.

[MikeCarter]

I'm voicing my support for Sherlock on this one, except for the whole US job market thing. (It's time to stop saying the economy sucks-- unemployment is less than 6% and I personally have recruiters harassing me 24/7; WTF constitutes a "good" job market to you people?)

My first two contractual jobs, I interpreted to mean "slavery" and despite the jobs being abject failures I stuck around to the point where my continued involvement was more detrimental than anything. I should have cut my losses and saved face.

Shit does happen, but that doesn't mean you should expect the people you shat on to clean it up for you. The proper thing to do at this point would be to just bow out, quietly and without fanfare, as soon as possible instead of bumbling around trying to repair a relationship that you plan to shit on all over again in a few weeks.

Please don't tell my you believe the unemployment rate is actually a useful statistic. Your personal experiences don't represent everyone's either. What do you do for a living and how much experience do you have doing it?

[interioround]

Of course they'd rather you stay. They'd be really happy to have all the help they can get and not have to deal with doing the parts of your job you leave behind on top of theirs. You seem surprised.

No, I`m not. I`m happy to stay as long as I can. I know I did them wrong. I`m well aware. If there`s anything I can salvage here I will do my best to.

[starfish]

I agree that it would be better to leave, but they have asked for my help for setting things up for the future ALTs in the meantime. They really seem like they`d rather have me stay...

It's a bit late in the game to think about what's best for the BoE, don't you think?

It's not your problem.

[interioround]

It's a bit late in the game to think about what's best for the BoE, don't you think?

It's not your problem.

Hmm, that may be, but I still have paperwork and they still have paperwork to do. I also have volunteer activities to close up. So, there`s a few other reasons to stay.

[Gizmotech]

What paperwork are you talking about?

[starfish]

Please don't tell my you believe the unemployment rate is actually a useful statistic. Your personal experiences don't represent everyone's either. What do you do for a living and how much experience do you have doing it?

Discounting everything to do with my personal experience:

• unemployment is down,
• stocks are up for five years running,
• federal interest rates are still stupid low,
• consumer spending has increased,
• government spending is down,
• home ownership is up,
• oil is plentiful,
• health insurance is affordable,
• property values are rising.

I don't see how you can dismiss UR as being useless. Even if it were, Americans clearly have the jobs and the money to pay for their new mortgages.

So I'm failing to see what metric or combination thereof supports a conclusion that the economy is "bad." Recent college graduates have high unemployment, but this has always been the case. There are always going to be a lot of people out there with useless degrees that the market hasn't sorted out yet-- they aren't "recent college grads" forever and will eventually find work befitting their degree. The rest of the country is doing fine.

Hmm, that may be, but I still have paperwork and they still have paperwork to do. I also have volunteer activities to close up. So, there`s a few other reasons to stay.

Best of luck to you.