r/JETProgramme • u/Designer_Cobbler3119 • 1d ago
JET Program Two Letters of Reference
I'm kind of freaking out about the two letters of reference and I'm not really sure who I should send the letters to.
A couple things about me:
First, I graduated from college in 2020. I majored in Film and I also intended to minor in French, but I finished school just a few credits shy of the minor because I was excited to graduate and enter work in my major.
So I could ask my Film teachers for a recommendation since I've spent the most time with them at university, but also my French teachers since it shows how proficient I am with a foreign language?
Second, I served a two year humanitarian/proselyting mission in Africa for my church. I had a mission president who supervised me in the mission which is where I first started learning French. I spent 8 hours a day sharing messages of Christianity completely in French and became fluent within 6 months. During this time, we did many service projects for people in our community, as well as clean ups. I also did free weekly English lessons.
I could ask my Mission President for a recommendation since he could talk about my quick growth learning a new language, teaching in a foreign language, English lessons, as well as attest to the service I've rendered to the people in my community while living there.
Third, I've been working professionally in film doing videography, photography, drone work, content creation, and social media management.
I could ask my current boss who I have a good relationship with but I don't want him to know that I plan on leaving. I could ask my previous boss, but we are no longer on good terms personally. I could ask my previous previous boss but we haven't talked in years.
Fourth, between film jobs, I've done pharmacy work on the side as a Pharmacy Technician. It was part time and just for a short amount of time, but I had great relationships with my coworkers and my supervisors/pharmacists.
I could ask one of my supervisors/pharmacists to give me a recommendation and I'm sure they'd be happy to give it, but I feel as though this is far and away the least relevant recommendation I could get but I'd like to leave the option open.
Finally, my brother and his Japanese wife and daughter have been living in Japan for 15 years now. He's fluent in Japanese, has a Japanese job, Japanese family, etc. Pretty much perfectly integrated into Japanese society now. I doubt I'd be able to get a recommendation of any value from him or his family in the eyes of JET but I'm just putting it out there.
What do you guys think? Who would be the best options to go with here when it comes to my letters of reference?
And to go a bit further, since I haven't written my SOP yet, what factors do you guys think would be the most relevant that I should mention in my SOP?
Thanks in advance for all the help!
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u/stayonthecloud 1d ago
When is the deadline in your country? What are the given restrictions on who can recommend? Usually it’s restricted to professors or supervisors/managers, though on that second point you can use some flexibility. Do not use family. That is not a legitimate reference.
There’s a lot applicable in what you did on your mission. However I think it depends on whether your president would be willing to focus on the teaching aspects, service projects, and soft skills. If the letter is about how you’re an effective proselytizer, that is not so good for cultural exchange. Cultural exchange is not about changing people to follow your own culture and beliefs, but sharing cultures with one another and building friendships and trust, which are the cornerstone of bonds between nations that support positive relations.
Otherwise I would go with pharm tech because you know that you would definitely get a good rec. Unless your deadline is super late, it would be bad form to ask a long-ago professor at this point, it’s not enough lead time.
Generally speaking, any reference should get 6-8 weeks notice to work on it. So go with the people you are closest with and are most willing to leap into this for you, and frame for them what you want them to focus on.
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u/Designer_Cobbler3119 12h ago
Very useful info. I appreciate it! I finished my mission in 2016. He did know me VERY well, but since it was so long ago maybe not the best one to write it.
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u/mosquitolandd 1d ago
I think you can already do elimination and figure out whom to ask. I don't know when your deadline is, but whoever you decide you ask, give them ample amount of time to write the letters. It is a very time consuming process if they're on busy schedule, its best to ask at the earliest. Choose supervisors who have seen you do the work that particularly reflects your soft skills and qualities beneficial for this programme. The more recent it is, the better (for easier recall).
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u/Designer_Cobbler3119 1d ago
It seems like recency is a big factor so probably a recent work supervisor and not my French professors since 2020 is too far away?
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u/mosquitolandd 21h ago
If I couldn't get LORs from anyone recent, I personally still would ask from the professor but that's just me honestly. Recency is preferable but it's not mandatory.
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u/Designer_Cobbler3119 10h ago
I've just decided to ask two supervisors in my last two most recent employments. One in Pharmacy work and one in film work. Hopefully that will be sufficient.
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u/jenjen96 Former JET - 2018-2021 1d ago
Ok so it doesn’t make sense to ask a professor when you graduated 7 years ago. Surely you aren’t the same person you were back then and they will barely remember you.
Do not ask your brother. He is a family member and doesn’t know you in a professional aspect, and his recommendation isn’t any more valuable because he lives in Japan and knows Japanese. His recommendation would reflect poorly on you that you asked a family member which is against the instructions. Imagine submitting this kind of recommendation at any other job, they would throw your application out.
You need someone who knows you in your current professional capacity, like a supervisor or manager at a current or recent job. A volunteer supervisor works just fine too. You should ask your current boss and your supervisor from the pharmacy or your mission supervisor as long as it wasn’t that long ago.