“I learned a great deal about Washington, DC’s landscape, met many professionals and got a much better idea on where I might fit in the U.S.-Japan sphere.”

-Mentee, 2021

“I really enjoyed being a part of the program. I liked the fact that the process was driven by the mentee. It was great that we were able to set the goals for our pair ourselves. That worked well. I think it was also helpful that there wasn’t a lot of requirements or hoops to jump through. It made it feel a lot more natural and organic.”

-Mentor, 2020

JETAADC is pleased to announce its 2023-2024 Mentorship Program. This 4-month mentorship program serves to bring the JET alumni community together by creating meaningful professional development relationships between recent returnees and mid-to-senior career professionals. This program is designed to provide mentees with the tools, resources, and networks that they can use to advance their careers in U.S.-Japan relations and to assist them during an uncertain job market. JETAADC hopes to support recent returnees and strengthen the U.S.-Japan pipeline by building upon a previous grant project that JETAADC held through a USJETAA and Sasakawa Peace Foundation USA mini-grant program on “Maintaining the JET Momentum: The Post-Exchange Pipeline to Successful U.S.-Japan Leadership”.

Goals of the Program

  1. To maintain a mentorship program for JETAADC recent returnees and early career professionals by providing them with professional development opportunities and personal development strategies to support their career goals related to U.S.-Japan relations.
  2. To provide an opportunity for mid-to-senior career professional JET alumni who are interested in giving back to the JETAADC community by sharing advice, experiences, and expertise through mentoring partnerships. 

Application Guidelines

The application period for the 2023-2024 period is now closed.

The 2024-2025 Mentorship Program application will be released next year.

Eligibility

Those eligible to apply to the program as mentees must be:

  • JET alumni. Preference will be given to alumni who have returned from the program in the last 2 years (since 2021). Special consideration will be given to 2023 JET returnees.
  • Alumni who currently reside in the DMV metropolitan area (D.C., Maryland, Virginia) or have concrete plans to relocate to this area by mid-October).

Structure of the Program

Mentee Expectations

This program is mentee-driven, and mentees are expected to take initiative to drive the relationship and be responsible for their own career development and planning. The program aims to provide resources and support for mentees, but it is up to the mentees to set their own goals for the program. 

Mentees must stay accessible, committed and engaged during the length of the program. Program Coordinator(s) will provide support by checking in with each mentor/mentee pair throughout the program.

Mentees are required to participate in the program’s Opening Ceremony in September 2023 and Closing Ceremony in January 2024.

Opening Ceremony

The program will officially begin with an Opening Ceremony in September 2023. 

Closing Ceremony

At the conclusion of the program, JETAADC will hold a Closing Ceremony in January 2024, where each mentoring pair will be asked to share their takeaways and experiences on the program. 

Monthly Check-ins

Mentees and their mentors will independently schedule and hold monthly check-ins with each other based around professional development modules. It will be the mentees’ responsibility to reach out to mentors to schedule these meetings. 

Professional Development Talks

The mentorship program will include a virtual speaker series focused on career development and will be open to all JETAADC members. This series will be held via Zoom and feature mid-to-senior career professionals in U.S.-Japan relations. JETAADC members will have the option to ask questions following the panel discussion, or submit questions by email. Mentees are strongly encouraged to attend these talks.

Program Timeline

The program runs from September 2023-January 2024, and mentees and mentors are required to independently schedule and hold monthly meetings with each other. Mentoring pairs are also required/encouraged to attend events, webinars, and activities created for the program. The amount of program events, webinars, and activities for each program cycle will be determined based on available budget and resources.

Mentee Application Deadline: Friday, August 25, 2023, 11:59PM EDT
Mentee Selection Notification Deadline: Approximately 2 weeks after the application deadline

Late-September:

  • JETAADC Mentorship Program Opening Ceremony (virtual) and Networking Event (virtual or in-person).
  • Mentees will be asked to take a pre-program survey. 

October to December: 

  • Professional Development Modules: Mentors and Mentees meet independently and hold monthly check-ins focused on Professional and Personal Development.
  • JETAADC “Professional Development Talks” series will be held and open to all JETAADC members.
  • Program Coordinator(s) provide support and check in with mentor/mentee pairs throughout the program.

January:

  • Conclusion of Program and JETAADC Mentorship Program Closing Ceremony.
  • Mentees will be asked to complete a post-program evaluation survey. 

Contact

If you have any questions, please contact professionaldevelopment@jetaadc.org.