職探し (Job Hunting)
I've been back in the US for almost two months now, and it's about damn time I started hardcore looking for a job. All this free time I've had on my hands has been both a gift and a curse. On the plus side, I have the freedom to do whatever I want during the course of a day, whether that be going to lunch with friends, visiting my dad in the hospital, recreational bike rides, or meeting up with my dad's lawyer to discuss a variety of pending court cases. On the minus side one can only watch so many episodes of Maury, The View, and VH1's Behind the Music before getting a strong urge to claw their face off and pour lemon juice in the wound.
Before moving to Japan I worked in public relations. It was an entry level position at a small PR firm downtown. Since then I've taught English (obviously) and worked in IT at a games company...none of which are related to my original field. I'm having trouble figuring out what I want to do with my life, career wise. Had I not gone to Japan this would be a no brainer. I would have continued doing PR, gone up the career ladder, and become middle management somewhere making enough money to support myself. But the detour to Japan has put me in an odd position. My PR experience is limited as I haven't done anything PR related since 2008, and I can't teach in the US without credentials and certificates and whanot. Hmmmmm, maybe this is why so many JETs either stay in Japan, keep teaching English in other countries, or go to grad school.
I don't really want to be 30 making as much dough as a 2013 college graduate, but that may just be my reality. Cup ramen every night could be my future for a while.
If you're someone who just came back from teaching abroad and are looking for work in your home country, please feel free to share your success/horror stories in the comments.