In today's fast-paced world, it is important to be always mindful of what's important for you, what you want to do in the future, and what you can do now to progress toward that future.
Below are some suggestions for what you can do to build your careers throughout your college years, but each student has their own unique circumstances. We encourage you to talk to Professor Reiko Sono (@email) early to start making your plans.
First Year, Fall Semester (when you are taking Japanese 126)
- Work hard to get good grades in Japanese courses. Your Japanese skills and knowledge will be the core of your marketability. Make sure your understanding of the course content is solid.
- Try to attend many different events, make new friends, and enjoy your college life. College is not just for getting a job. You can make life-long friends here. Have fun while you have more time.
- Familiarize yourself with the guidance that UMass offers. Attend career-related information sessions and workshops offered by the Japanese program and CHFA Career Services.
- Register for Handshake, the job-searching platform that UMass uses. You might also want to make a LinkedIn account and start building your profile.
- In October, do a serious soul-searching, discern what kind of work would make you happy in future, and determine a supplemental area of studies that will help you move in that direction. Consider making this a second major, a minor, a certificate, or at least taking a significant number of classes in this area. You can search for certificate programs the same way you search for majors and minors on the Explore Our Programs page. You should also check the Five College Academic Programs.
First Year, Spring Semester (when you are taking Japanese 246)
- Keep doing the first three points mentioned above.
- Apply for summer internships. Below are some good places to find internships.
- If not internships, spending time abroad in exchange for some work will also be good both for your mental growth and on your resume, even if the country is not Japan or the work is not what you want to do ultimately. You can find opportunities here. Just be careful and read through the reviews when you pick a host.
- If you have done well academically during the first year, consider applying for the Commonwealth Honors College. Application is open from mid April to early June.
Summer before the Second Year
- At the beginning of the summer, visit the East Asian Reference Room on the 22nd floor of W. E. B. Du Bois Library and check out a Japanese novel or two to read over the summer.
- Do an internship domestically or abroad, or work exchange abroad.
- Look for internships during the academic year that seem manageable and useful. Apply if you find any. Be careful not to be too ambitious, though. Once again, here are the pages you can visit to find internships.
- Review Genki from time to time, watch Japanese dramas, anime, and movies, read the novels you have checked out, and brush up on your Japanese.
Second Year, Fall Semester (when you are taking Japanese 326)
- Keep doing the first three points listed under the First Year, Fall Semester.
- Make an account at Handshake and LinkedIn if you haven't done that already.
- If you are female and interested in public leadership, apply for UMass Women into Leadership.
- Do an internship.
- If you are thinking about studying abroad in your third year, take Japanese 291S "Preparing for Study Abroad" and/or read through the International Programs Office's Steps to Study Abroad and go to their information sessions.
- If you are interested in politics or diplomacy as your future career, consider applying for the Critical Language Scholarship Program, an 8-week-long summer language program in Japan sponsored by the US government.
Second Year, Spring Semester (when you are taking Japanese 327)
- Do the same with the spring semester of the first year.
- Apply to study abroad if that's what you want to do.
Summer before the Third Year
- Do the same with the summer before the second year.
- Register for the Japanese Language Proficiency Test (N3) when the registration opens in August.
- Make an account for Career Forum and look for internships.
- Update your profile in Handshake and LinkedIn.
Third Year, Fall Semester (when you are taking Japanese 436)
- Work harder to get good grades in Japanese courses.
- Try to attend career-related workshops hosted by the Japanese program or CHFA as much as possible.
- Do an internship.
- Apply for the Japanese Program's Internship Support Grant.
- Start looking and applying for summer internships in Japan or at Japan-related companies in the US. The following job boards will help.
- If you are interested in politics or diplomacy as your future career, consider applying for the Critical Language Scholarship Program, an 8-week-long summer language program in Japan sponsored by the US government.
- Take the JLPT in December.
Third Year, Spring Semester (when you are taking Japanese 437)
- Work harder to get good grades in Japanese courses.
- Try to attend career-related workshops hosted by the Japanese program or CHFA as much as possible.
- Do an internship.
- Continue looking and applying for summer internships.
- If you are a CHC student and would like to do research in Japan for your Honors Thesis or Project, contact Professor Reiko Sono (@email), the Honors Program Director for Japanese, by the end of March to discuss applying for the CHC's Research Grants.
Summer before the Fourth Year
- Do an internship in Japan or at Japan-related companies in the U.S.
- Register for the Japanese Language Proficiency Test (N2 or N1) when the registration opens in August.
- Register for the Boston Career Forum at CFN and start attending their webinars.
- If you are a CHC student, submit the 499Y proposal.
- Do something just for fun before going back to your last year at college.
Fourth Year, Fall Semester
- Work really, really hard to get good grades in Japanese courses.
- Attend practical workshops and career fairs hosted by the Japanese Program, CHFA, or UMass.
- Polish your resume and update your Handshake and LinkedIn profile.
- Apply for the Japan Exchange and Teaching Program if that's what you want to do. Registration opens in November. Contact your potential recommenders in October.
- Attend the Boston Career Forum in November.
- If you want to go to a graduate school, talk to your advisor and potential recommenders in October and November. Some graduate schools have the application deadline in December.
- Look and apply for positions.
Fourth Year, Spring Semester
- Work hard to wrap up your study at UMass.
- Keep looking and applying for positions.
- Remain calm and maintain sanity.
After Graduation
- Have a good life and reminisce about UMass from time to time.
- When you have enough income, make a donation to the Japanese Program's Internship Support Grant.