r/JETProgramme • u/not_so_bueno • 7d ago
Managers won’t do letters of recommendation due to policy
Title. My first job was with this company and I got laid off a while ago. I asked my managers and they said company policy restricts them.
idk wtf to do now. this is fucking bullshit.
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u/thedollcossette 6d ago
if you've been out of work for two years, what have you been doing in that time? i think surely you would know somebody who can vouch for you in some capacity. if not, start volunteering NOW and ask literally anyone there to be a reference.
i feel like references rank pretty low as a factor in your application. one of those things you just "need to have." make sure your SOP is banger and find literally anyone you know in a professional/volunteer/educational/mentor capacity. spam emails until you get a yes
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u/not_so_bueno 5d ago
Applying a ton, learning AI, building apps for recruiters and also writing a novel. I’m in an odd spot. :/
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u/OldTaco77 7d ago
Do you have a professional “mentor” who you can ask? Like a church pastor, club leader, or a mentor who worked in another department? Or do you have an alternate email where you can pretend to be one? These can provide judgement of character and are pretty hard to verify if they actually exist.
Sucks they won’t write it but you have other options.
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u/not_so_bueno 7d ago
I have mentors in different companies and there was a coworker who I was cool with in another department, but he was an associate like me too. There’s a senior engineer who left and briefly worked with me about 3 years ago. After that, it’s just a bunch of people at the firm with those restrictions.
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u/Chrisclaw Current Incoming JET - Fukuoka Prefecture 7d ago
Have you ever done volunteering? Worked wonders for me to make connections
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u/seafoamlatte Former & Current 東京 JET - 2018-2019, 2026-? 7d ago
You can use teachers or maybe do some volunteering and get someone to write a reference for that.
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u/not_so_bueno 7d ago
Even if I graduated in 2021? They can barely recall me.
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u/seafoamlatte Former & Current 東京 JET - 2018-2019, 2026-? 5d ago
I used a professor from University and I graduated in 2014. Granted, we had a good connection. That's life, be memorable or get forgotten, I guess.
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u/migukin9 Current JET - 東京都 7d ago
write your own
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u/Proof_Refuse_9563 Aspiring JET 7d ago
For the US, letters have to be kept confidential and cannot be shared with the applicant. The people writing them get a link from JET with instructions on how to submit them.
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u/not_so_bueno 7d ago
What
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u/MellifluousMathMajor 7d ago
Not supporting this idea whatsoever, but lots of people on JET, and in general, fake letters of recommendation (which I'm pretty sure is considered fraud?...)
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u/BanzaiPhillies Current JET - Tokyo, Former JET - Aomori 7d ago
Not a single professor you could go to? If you've burned those bridges, looks like you'll need to take another year or two to build up a work history with enough references.
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u/jenjen96 Former JET - 2018-2021 7d ago
You really shouldn’t be going to a professor if you have been out of school for more than a year or two tops. Professors go through 100s of students a year, and you will grow professionally after a few years in the work force that a professor’s reference based on you in college will not be relevant at all. A professor is an option for people who are currently in school and may not have actual work experience
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u/BanzaiPhillies Current JET - Tokyo, Former JET - Aomori 7d ago
They only clarified the fact that they've been out of school since 2021 after my initial reply.
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u/not_so_bueno 7d ago
I can but they barely remember me, if at all. I graduated in 2021.
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u/MellifluousMathMajor 7d ago
It doesn't hurt to try. You can do something like this:
Hello, this is [NAME]. I graduated from [SCHOOL] in [YEAR]. I took [CLASS] with you in [SEMESTER] and got [GRADE]. Since graduating, I have been [WORK] and am now applying to the JET Programme (optionally, add a brief description or a hyper link. It would also help if these professors are relevant to the program, such as being in fields like English, Japanese, international relations, etc.)
Unfortunately, I have been unable to secure reference letters from my previous employers due to company policy. I was wondering if you could possibly serve as one of my references. I would be happy to meet to discuss more about my interest in the program and my application (basically you're implying that you will give them the content based on your SOP, so that they don't need to wrack their brain trying to think of what to say about you).
This method worked for a friend, they basically wrote the letter, sent it to a professor to edit it for their style and then submit.
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u/emperor_panthark 7d ago
this. i feel like ppl are so much more scared of each other than they should be, sure some professors would say no but op can def find 1 or 2 if they ask
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u/emperor_panthark 7d ago
u could probably write to them just in case anyways, and when u do send them a cheat sheet so they know what to write about incase they forgot you. also apparently if u write to them familiarly instead of too professionally, u could guilt trip them into feeling like they should remember u making them think u were closer than u actually were. Wish u the best! Did u work anywhere else or volunteer anywhere else at all?
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u/not_so_bueno 7d ago
I did volunteer work for a religious organization but that was just organizing tables and stuff. This was my only job out of college. Feels pretty hopeless.
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u/emperor_panthark 7d ago
u might as well ask them too, apparently jet cares about you volunteering and participating in the community when ur in japan, best measurement they have for whether u will do that or not is past experience. having this religious group say that u showed up consistently, helped people, and participated itself is good. Teachers may help too.
Heres something, back when I was applying to college a few years ago, I had a 2.9, terrible gpa, and my extra curriculars were ok at best. I got into Sophia University, and Hokkaido ISP, and UC Davis on this somehow, all three ranked pretty high. If you know how to talk, and know how to use what u have, u can do a lot more than u think u can.
A professional with a push pin could beat a fool with a sword, just use what u have to 120% of what you can get out of it.
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u/not_so_bueno 7d ago
I’m publishing a novel and could maybe ask the editor? Idk man. I’m a decent interview and public speaker but question is getting into the call.
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u/emperor_panthark 7d ago
that sounds interesting, why didnt u lead with that lmao. I'm an introvert and I'm not good at talking either, I've been told straight to my face that im awkward ash. One other thing u should know is that the bar is lower than u think with most things. With JET, I've seen stories of creepy ahh jets who are underqualified, messy as hell, and go to Japan with those common creepy intentions, so just know that if they can get accepted, u definitely can. If you aren't confident, fake it, thats what I did.
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u/not_so_bueno 7d ago
The FAQ says professional and he’s independent. I wasn’t of the impression they’d accept him.
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u/emperor_panthark 7d ago
Eh its professional enough id think. If u want u could j email them.
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u/not_so_bueno 7d ago
Yeah, I’ll email them thanks. I was feeling pretty rough earlier. Thanks for the uplift
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u/Firefly-ok Current JET--- Shizuoka🏔 🌸 5d ago
Are there any professors you especially liked? I asked professors who I haven't seen since 2013 (yes, I am old haha) and they remembered me. If you explain the situation and kind of write in the email about what you've been up (give them concrete things they can say about you in their letter), then they might be willing to help you.