Taking the next step in your career can feel intimidating, whether you’ve just returned from JET or are mid-career and pivoting to a new sector or switching employers within your field. All JET alumni have navigated career transitions and understand that challenge. USJETAA has curated a network of professionals interested in supporting you in your next steps. This program is free for USJETAA members. (Explore USJETAA’s free & supporting membership levels here.)

Each of these seasoned professionals has volunteered to share their experience, guidance and time with fellow JETs. JET2JET Career Chats are 30 minutes and done virtually unless otherwise agreed on. Reach out to someone in the field you’d like to explore and connect with a JET alum who has made the journey from JET to where they are now. This is a chance to learn more and build your network.

Have at least 10 years of experience in your career field and interested in mentoring? Please reach out via email: contact@usjetaa.org

DO’S & DONT’S:

  1. DO share who you are and your related goals with your mentor.

  2. DO prepare questions for your mentor.

  3. DO respect your mentor’s time: be on time and keep the chat to 30 minutes.

  4. DO thank your mentor for sharing their time and guidance with you.

  5. DON’T ask for a job, instead ask for advice!

  6. DON’T cancel at the last minute. If you need to cancel, do so as early as possible and apologize for the inconvenience. They are setting aside time out of their day for YOU.

Saskia Rock
(Ishikawa, 1997-1998)

Human Resources

  • Saskia Rock, a proud JET alum (Ishikawa, 1997-1998), brings her HR expertise, love of Japan, and experience in cross-cultural leadership to support individuals and organizations navigating Japan-related work and culture.

    The JET Program was a pivotal experience early in her career, and living and working in the U.S. has allowed her to apply what she learned in Japan in meaningful, professional ways.

  • Through her work at Saskia Rock Consulting and as Managing Director at Japan Consulting Office, she helps people bridge cultures, build inclusive workplaces, and grow their skills in global environments.

  • "Had a really insightful conversation with Saskia that helped me see the deeper picture of HR—especially the differences between working on a small team vs. a larger org, and pinpoint the direction of HR that is of interest at the moment. In a short time, she offered thoughtful, reflective questions tailored to my interests while also reassuring me that things can change."

John Hayato Branderhorst
(Okinawa, 2001-2006)

Entrepreneurship

  • I’m a cross-cultural strategist and consultant specializing in Japan–U.S. communication, market entry, and global business development. I love supporting JET alumni as they navigate early-career decisions, international paths, or transitions into Japan-related work.

    I served as an ALT on the JET Program in Okinawa from 2001–2006, which shaped my entire career trajectory and deepened my passion for bridging cultures, building community, and helping people working on global initiatives. Outside of work, I’m into a variety of fitness activities including running & triathlons, am a nonprofit volunteer and board member, and someone who genuinely enjoys helping others chart their next steps.

    • Cross-cultural communication (Japan ↔ U.S.)

    • Japan/U.S. market-entry strategy

    • Early-career navigation + international career coaching

    • Global business development & partnerships

    • Marketing strategy, campaigns, and brand building

    • Team alignment, stakeholder communication, and leadership development

    • Market research (B2B and B2C)

Doug Chinery
(Gifu, 2005-2008)

Multinational Banking

  • Having extensive experience living and traveling in Japan has made it easier to build connections with Japanese expats in the US and provided more job opportunities throughout my career. (And full language fluency isn’t always needed to take advantage of these connections.) Outside of banking, I design clothes, play mahjong, and snowboard. Somehow, Japanese has been helpful with all of those hobbies.

  • After JET, I used my accounting major to move into banking and have worked for a Japanese, Canadian, and American banks. I now work provide banking services to foreign subsidiaries in the US, focusing on Japanese subsidiaries.

Brenda McKinney
(Hyogo, 2006-2009)

Political Law

  • Brenda is an attorney and advisor, currently working in government in Washington, DC. In addition to JET, is a proud alumna of the Fulbright program, AmeriCorps, and the Truman National Security Project. Brenda holds a Master of Education from Boston College, a Master of Laws from the University of Otago (New Zealand), and a Juris Doctor from Loyola University Chicago, where she was a Civitas ChildLaw Fellow.

    Brenda served on the National AJET Board (2008-2009) in Japan and as a JET interviewer for over a decade. She has also served on JETAA boards in New Zealand, DC, and the JETAANY chapter, where she served as President. She currently sits on JETAANY's board. She is married to another Hyogo JET alumnus from New Zealand and they reside in D.C. with their three children.

  • Prior to her current role, Brenda served as Counsel to Senator Amy Klobuchar (D-MN), where she was the policy lead on a broad range of issues including immigration, civil rights, reproductive justice, and child protection; as well as a Counsel to the U.S. Senate Judiciary Committee.

    Brenda previously spent over six years at the NYC City Council, as a Committee Counsel and Senior Legislative Counsel to three Speakers. Passionate about public service and empowering communities, Brenda has served in the White House Counsel’s Office, United Nations, U.S. Department of State, and USAID; has worked as a course designer and adjunct professor at Vermont Law / The National Center for Restorative Justice and, in addition to JET, is a proud alumna of the Fulbright program, AmeriCorps, and the Truman National Security Project.

Laurel Lukaszewski
(Kagoshima, 1990-1992)

Visual Art

  • Laurel, an award-winning ceramic artist, has exhibited across the U.S. and abroad. She’s served as a curator, juror, and mentor, and has worked with arts and US-Japan nonprofits for over three decades, including contributing to founding USJETAA and serving on its board. She’s also an Emeritus Director for the National Cherry Blossom Festival in Washington, DC.

    From 1990-1992, she was an ALT on Tanegashima in Kagoshima Prefecture and has been involved with the JET Program reviewing applications and interviewing prospective JETs for over 25 years. 

  • After JET, I earned a Master’s in Asian Studies with a focus on Japan, leading to a nine-year career with Japan-America Societies in Seattle and DC. Though I left the nonprofit world to pursue art, I remain connected to JET and NCBF. Most of my Japan-related jobs were thanks to JETs, and my passion for the network led me to help create USJETAA and become its founding Executive Director. I’m happy to chat about art (especially ceramics), the U.S.-Japan network, or pursuing your passion. 

    To see more of my work, visit www.laurellukaszewski.com or check out my Instagram @laurellukaszewski. 

Bahia Simons-Lane
(Gunma, 2005-2007)

Non-Profit

  • Bahia Simons-Lane brings more than a decade of experience in international education, nonprofit leadership, and alumni engagement to her role as Executive Director of International Student Conferences (ISC). A lifelong believer in the power of people-to-people diplomacy, Bahia leads ISC’s mission to empower students from the U.S., Japan, Korea, and China to build lasting ties through student-led exchange.

    She serves on the boards of USJETAA and the National Association of Japan-America Societies (NAJAS), and she continues to champion young leaders through mentorship, community organizing, and career development programs.

    • Cross-cultural communication

    • US-Asia non-profit industry

    • Fundraising, program management, leadership

    • International education, student exchange

    • Board volunteering

    • Building networks

Daniel Lowe
(Chiba, 2011–2013)

Strategy & Experience

  • I came back from JET with decent Japanese, a network, and zero idea how to turn that into a career. I tried a few paths: an MBA at Babson while working full-time in International higher ed at Showa Boston Institute, corporate strategy and consulting at Optum, and eventually starting my own Japan-focused business.

    JET shaped how I think about cross-cultural work, and staying involved in the alumni community (as New England JETAA president and JETAA USA Country Rep) has been one of the best career decisions I've made. Outside of work, I'm building JapaneseCircle.com, an accountability community for Japanese learners, and slowly working through my list of Japan's 47 prefectures (40 down, 7 to go).

    • Corporate strategy & internal consulting

    • Product strategy and experience design

    • Desigh thinking

    • Entrepreneurship & starting a Japan-focused business

    • Consulting & client-facing work

    • Grad school while working full-time

    • Making your JET experience "count" professionally

    • Staying involved in the JET community post-return

Brian Hirai (Aomori, 2008-2012)

Tech Sales

  • Brian was a JET in Shichinohe, Aomori from 2008 to 2012. Since returning, he has built a career in tech sales helping businesses show up in AI powered search tools like ChatGPT and Claude. He also co-runs a mentorship and placement program for people breaking into SDR and BDR roles. He is happy to talk with anyone curious about tech sales, career pivots after JET, or how to tell your JET story for tech roles.

    • Sales Development (SDR) and Business Development (BDR)

    • Cold calling and outbound prospecting

    • B2B revenue generation

    • Generative Engine Optimization and AI search visibility

    • Industrial real estate

    • Career pivots and job search strategy for early career professionals

    • Conversational Japanese (chotto)

Ari Wyckoff
(Iwate, 2002-2003)

Government

  • Ari Wyckoff is a federal civil servant at the U.S. Department of State, currently serving in the Bureau of the Comptroller and Global Financial Services. Over the course of his career, he has worked in the Bureau of East Asian and Pacific Affairs, the Bureau of African Affairs, the Bureau of International Narcotics and Law Enforcement Affairs, and the Bureau of Oceans, Environment and Science.

    Most of his work has focused on the planning and management of federal assistance, with additional experience in policy development and implementation.

    • Federal assistance planning, management, and oversight

    • Policy development and implementation

    • Public diplomacy and international cooperation

    • U.S.-Japan relations and Asia Pacific regional coordination

    • Interagency and cross cultural collaboration

    • Fellowship experience with the Mansfield Foundation in Japan

    • Leadership and coordination of employee and alumni organizations

    • Nonprofit volunteer work supporting education and community development

Aaron Woolfolk
(Kochi, 1992-1993)

Film-Making

  • Aaron Woolfolk is an award-winning writer, director, and producer. He filled all three roles on his film, The Harimaya Bridge, which was the first feature film made in Japan by a Black director and included Danny Glover in the cast. He also co-wrote the Ovation Award-nominated play Bronzeville. Most recently, he wrote and directed the science fiction stories Family Line and Renaissance Man and the ghost story There’s Something Going On With Sam for the podcast anthology series Earbud Theater.

    Aaron’s first film Rage! won a Directors Guild of America award, and his subsequent shorts Eki (The Station), Kuroi Hitsuji (Black Sheep), and Nico’s Sampaguita won several awards and screened internationally. Aaron was a Walt Disney Studios/ABC Entertainment Writing Fellow. His work has been invited to screen at The Smithsonian Institution, the Toronto International Film Festival, Pan African Film Festival, Japan Society, and other prestigious showcases. He is currently developing film projects in the United States and Japan. He is also writing his first novel and a book of short stories.

    Aaron was born and raised in Oakland, California. He graduated with degrees in both Ethnic Studies and Rhetoric from the University of California at Berkeley, and with an MFA in Film from Columbia University.

    • Writing for film, theater, podcasts dramas

    • Directing and writing feature films and short films

    • Cross cultural storytelling and working in the Japanese and American film industries

Tuan Do
(Ibaraki, 1991–1993)

HR / Int’l Development

  • Tuan is a Strategic HR Professional with over 25 years of experience within the United Nations. Currently an HR Business Partner and undergoing certification as a leadership coach, Tuan specializes in workforce planning, global outreach, and the full recruitment lifecycle. Having navigated a diverse career path from JET to senior leadership roles in the US, Vietnam and Switzerland, he is passionate about helping others navigate international career transitions, ethics in the workplace, and strategic professional development.

    • International Careers: Navigating the UN Common System and International Organizations.

    • Recruitment Mastery: Resume strategies, interview preparation (including competency-based interviews), and talent acquisition.

    • Global Mobility: Navigating the logistics and mindset of living and working across different cultures.

    • Leadership & Ethics: Strategic management, workplace integrity, and leadership coaching.

Eirene Tran Donohue
(Nagasaki, 2002–2004)

Screenwriting

  • Eirene Tran Donohue is a Vietnamese/Irish writer, originally from RI. A graduate of Brown University, she spent years working and traveling in Asia, Africa and New York before pursuing a career in screenwriting. Her first script was a semi-finalist in the Nicholl Fellowship, run by the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences to identify emerging screenwriters. Since then she has sold TV and feature projects to multiple outlets including Lionsgate, ABC Studios, Freeform, Disney, Netflix, Lifetime and Hallmark. Her most recently produced projects include 12 DAYS OF CHRISTMAS EVE, starring Kelsey Grammar, A CHRISTMAS SPARK, starring Jane Seymour, CHRISTMAS IN THE SPOTLIGHT, a Taylor-Swift inspired rom com, and  A TOURIST'S GUIDE TO LOVE, starring Rachael Leigh Cook, which was the number one movie on Netflix in the world when it was released. Her film, A SUGAR AND SPICE HOLIDAY, for Lifetime, was one of the first holiday-themed cable movies to feature a predominantly Asian cast. 

  • Eirene has been a working WGA (WRITER'S GUILD OF AMERICA) screenwriter for 15 years. She has a wealth of experience navigating the film and tv industry, having sold both TV pilots and feature films. She can offer feedback on the craft of writing and also the emotional/personal skills needed to thrive as a professional writer. 

Jessica Cork (Hiroshima, 1997-2000)

Public Relations

  • Jessica Cork is the Vice President of Global Engagement at YKK Corporation. She leads global PR and engagement across 70 countries, strengthening organizational culture through trust based communication and leadership development grounded in the company’s Cycle of Goodness philosophy.

    Fluent in Japanese, she holds degrees from the University of Massachusetts Amherst and the University of Sheffield and brings over three decades of experience across public service, international relations, and corporate leadership, including work with the JET Program.

    She is active in U.S.–Japan relations, serving with the U.S.-Japan Council and previously leading the Japan-America Society of Georgia. She received the Governor George Busbee Award in 2023 and is a mother of four, an experience that shapes her empathetic and resilient leadership style.

    • Employee Engagement

    • Interpreting

    • Global organizational culture strategy

    • Public relations and engagement leadership

    • Cross cultural communication

    • Leadership development

    • U.S.–Japan relations

    • International education and diplomacy

Van Milton (Okayama, 2008-2013)

Tourism (Japan Inbound)

  • Van Milton is originally from Denver, Colorado and is now based in Kyoto, Japan. He first became interested in Japan after taking Japanese in university and learning about the JET Program. Encouragement from former JET participants led him to apply, and what was initially planned as a shorter experience turned into five years in Japan.

    Even early on, networking and community organization became a major theme throughout his career. During his time on JET in Okayama, he became involved with AJET, first serving as the “Minister of Bike Rides” before later becoming Vice President and eventually President of Okayama AJET from 2009 to 2013.

    After returning to the United States, Van continued his involvement in the JET alumni community through JETAA Rocky Mountain, where he served as President and later Vice President from 2014 to 2017. During this time, he also worked in retail at REI from 2015 to 2018.

    Van later joined InsideJapan Tours in Boulder, Colorado from 2016 to 2018, where he built custom travel itineraries, organized group tour participation, and specialized in outdoor and adventure-focused travel experiences with hiking, cycling, and skiing components.

    In 2019, he moved back to Japan to work as a guide for InsideJapan Tours, based out of Kyoto. From 2019 to 2024, he led multi-city group tours across Japan as a “through guide” for trips lasting up to three weeks, while also providing one-day guiding experiences around Kyoto and other destinations.

    Currently, Van serves as the Lead Guide & Adventure Product Manager at KODO Travel. In this role, he designs outdoor and adventure group tours for B2B sales while continuing to guide primarily in the Kansai region, with a focus on hiking, cycling, gardens, ceramics and art, sake, and other outdoor adventure experiences.

    • Group tour design and promotion

    • Individual and group itinerary planning

    • Regional promotion - consultation and evaluation for inbound travelers

    • Local area promotion (to reduce overtourism in hot spots while promoting lesser-known destinations)

    • One day guiding and through guiding (multi-day, multi-destination tours)

    • Outdoor/adventure tour leading

    • Garden expert

    • Craft artisan interpretation (ceramics especially)

    • Sake tasting and brewery tours (certified sake sommelier)

Vincent Garcia (Fukui, 2013-2015)

AI & Tech

  • Vincent Garcia (Fukui, 2013–2015) is an NJ-native who served as an Assistant Language Teacher (ALT) in Obama City, teaching at elementary and junior high schools. During his time on JET, he also served as the Fukui Southern Representative and Block 4 (Reinan) Representative.

    After JET, Vincent earned his MBA from Doshisha University in Kyoto and built an English–Japanese bilingual career in Product Marketing, Product Management, and Global Go-to-Market Strategy across Japan, Europe, APAC, North America, and Latin America. He has worked with organizations ranging from Japanese startups to global companies including Daimler, Mitsubishi, Experian, Cybozu, and Berlitz.

    Vincent lived a total of 10 years in Japan living in various locations such as Fukui, Kyoto, Yokohama, and Kanazawa. 

    Now based in Austin, Texas, Vincent is a fractional Product Marketing consultant and co-founder of Prodelia, Japan’s first Product Marketing consulting firm and community. During his free time he can be found building AI tools to support autism caregivers, volunteering at a nonprofit for special needs children, or hanging out at local Japan-related events.

    • Transitioning from JET to corporate careers

    • Leveraging Japan experience after repatriation

    • Maintaining a career connected to Japan while living abroad

    • Working at international companies based in Japan

    • Working at Japanese technology startups

    • Working for Japanese companies abroad

    • Entrepreneurship in Japan

    • Product Marketing & Go-to-Market Strategy

    • Product Management

    • Global technology, SaaS, AI careers

    • Cross-cultural leadership across Japan, Europe, APAC, North America, and Latin America

    • English–Japanese bilingual business communication

    • Graduate school in Japan (MBA at Doshisha University)

    • Consulting, entrepreneurship, networking, and startup growth

    • Resume, LinkedIn, and interview coaching

    • Navigating the workplace as an Asian-American minority

    • Hacking neurodivergence to thrive at work