Keynote Speech 2020

Any more advice on practical steps for making the jump into the environmental sector in Japan from being an ALT? It’s still something I want to come back to eventually. If I could do it in Japan and keep the quality of life I have here I think that is where I’d like to be.

• Hmm, I would in this department make sure your Japanese is pretty good. I can’t imagine there being a lot of environmental organizations doing English work! But I think the sector is doing pretty good so please do some research and find a place you might be interested in working for.

Thank you for your session. I’m proud of all your efforts in Japan, and I hope to have similar success in the future. Are you progressing in your Japanese language studies in your role?

• Not at all, I hardly speak Japanese at work. I am only studying a little on my own and doing so just to make my life a little easier in Japan outside of the workplace.

Sticking to the plan is the best advice. You’re making a difference man. Good Luck!
When you talked to the people who helped you get your job, did you talk to them in Japanese or English?

• Thank you and good luck to you too. The answer here is no. I communicated everything in English.  I work for the English division of NHK so all communication from me is in English.

How has Japanese work culture and customs affected your current job as a meteorologist in Japan?

• To be honest, not that much. Our side of NHK is very “international” so any Japanese culture is purely from Japanese people that want to stick to their cultures. If I have to do overtime I am well-paid for it, so it’s not something that is highly expected from me like what you’ve heard from other Japanese companies. The biggest Japanese thing to deal with here is all the omiyage I find on my desk often.

How did you make the decision about deciding to stay each year? Also how did you know when was the right time to go back to your career before JET? I know you said you always kept it on the back burner and you networked, made the videos etc etc but how did you know that it felt like the right time to move on?

• I think after my first year of JET I already knew that I needed to get back. For me teaching was fun only for the first 10 months. After that I was just dragging my feet.  I remember when I started the second year, I already had doubts of staying a third.  But deciding to stay a third year was purely because I did not want to go back home just yet. And I thought I have a better chance of staying consistent and searching for Jobs while I’m in Japan than if I had gone back home. If I had gone back home (SA) I would have most likely slumped to comfort zone and not worked as hard in terms of job hunting. So I am glad that towards the end of the second year I secured the NHK position.

What advice would you give to an ALT that is soon to finish their time (last year) yet does not have a career-focus goal? (Aka – No career focus goal = they had jobs before JET but it wasn’t exactly the career they were looking to continue and they do not have interest in teaching in the future).

• This is a tough one. It is tough because I think the first step is to decide what it is you want to do. If you don’t have a career-focused goal then I guess you would be up for just about anything? So maybe find something in Japan (or wherever you want to live next) that will give you an income, if you need the income that is. Maybe apply for funding to do a postgrad study and contribute to the academic society.

Are there any significant differences he finds working with the NHK vs when he worked in the South African broadcasting company? Work culture and such?

• The newsroom is pretty much the same everywhere you go. The difference for me is that I now interact with a lot more people than I did in SA. In SA I had my small office with all the resources I need to produce my work and then I met up with more people in the studio. Here at NHK, I sit in the newsroom with my team and other news writers, video editors and even news editors. Oh and I have more responsibilities now in terms of deciding what information I take on air. In SA, I was only allowed to present what was deemed more important by the boss.  It’s like playing open world game vs a non-open world where you have to follow a predestined path.

He talked about getting in touch with Japanese weathermen/women and then securing an interview with NHK. Was this done in English or Japanese? How did the language barrier play a role in making the transition from ALT to working in Japan outside of the program.

• I used English. I use less Japanese here than I did on the JET Program.

I was just wondering what type of websites/applications Tsietsi used to reach out to different people and built his network in Japan?

•  This is a tricky one. Most companies always tell you to apply through their website “vacancies” haha I think this is a scam because I did that for NHK and many other places. But they just never respond there.  Even when there are openings. I think the person in charge of the website is never in touch with HR or the departments that are looking for people in an organization.  I watched NHK World TV and took the names of all the presenters. Then I searched them on the net (Twitter, Facebook, LinkedIn etc). Two that I followed never interacted with me. And trust me I sent them messages or commented on their posts all the time. Until one day I found one of my colleague’s Blog page and that had his email address. So I mailed him directly. Lo and behold he responded.  We spoke a few times and then I sent him my resume and told him my intentions.

Was it a requirement to know Japanese for your current employment? What would you suggest for current Jets who plan to pursue non educations fields in Japan or their home countries?

• Nope, No Japanese for me. I work for the English division. I would suggest you know exactly what you want and start making small plans and steps to achieving it. Most people have not decided what it is they want to do so they hope other people can tell them. Only you can decide your future. Just find what you love and what you are good at and see if you can’t make a living out of it.

Were there any other ways you tracked down opportunities outside of the individual contacts themselves (job search sites, magazines, etc)?

• What helped me is knowing where I wanted to work so I approached (through emails, calls and stalking weather presenters) those TV stations. I did that by watching their news, following their accounts on social media and just being on their website almost every day. They always post about their organizations ofcourse. By following NHK on social media, I saw that they had a farewell for one of their weather presenters who was moving back to the states. So when I saw that I knew they were a (wo)man short so that’s when I went in aggressively.

Are there any resources/practices/websites/online communities you would recommend to ALTs wanting to take a similar path (continuing to enjoy living in Japan, but not as an ALT)?

• Hmm I think the Ajet community can be helpful because they post about available opportunities.  The key here is to do your research within the discipline you want to stay in. And of course, find the people in that respective field. They can help you.

I’d like to hear more about what you did for your resume, but I haven’t seen the Q&A yet.

• It’s important to know that before JET I worked for a tv station for 8 years. So my resume has a lot of experience behind it. That worked to my advantage on top of my qualifications.

What are your plans for the future? Do you think you will be like those other meteorologists and weather reporters that only stay for a few years, or would you like to continue to work with NHK? Do you have any other dreams that you are currently planning for?

• There is still so much that I want to achieve. I want to work for NHK for as long as I can but, I know I won’t be able to settle in Japan no matter what. It’s a difficult country this. I still want to move around some more so, BBC, Aljazeera and CNN are also on my radar in the next 10-15 years. Then eventually move back to SA to take up a position in the Department of Environmental Affair. Probably head their climate change division.

How did you realize your dream was weather forecasting?

• It wasn’t really. My dream has always been to work on TV. I love presenting and I love public speaking. And in Uni when I discovered that I can do Geography (my first love) and be on tv at the same time, then I never looked back. I still want to do more stuff like environmental doccies (Sir D. Attenborough style).

How did you go about building up your network -before- you became a weather reporter in South Africa?

• My big mouth probably. In my early 20s I randomly applied for a radio internship at a very popular youth station called YFM. I got really lucky and got accepted. And emphasis on lucky because they took in 12 candidates and all those people really loved radio and knew a lot about it. But it turns out I got it because I was a good writer and communicator. During that internship we had to attend parties/events and all social stuff that comes with celebrity status. The biggest thing I learned from attending those events was that taking people’s business cards and actually sending them some communication after the event meant that you are foot in whatever door is in front of you. People appreciated the line of communication that I kept, and they remembered me. I had people emailing me for other events and part time jobs. Whenever there was a position open they thought of that person that kept touch with them.