JET to HR: Turning Global Experience into People-Focused Careers
Interested in working in human resources but not sure where to start? Or maybe you’ve heard of HR, but don’t really know what it entails?
You’re not alone. Unsurprisingly many JET alumni find themselves in HR-related roles, even if they didn’t set out to pursue that path. JETs often have skills that naturally lend themselves to this sector. This session is designed to introduce the field of HR, break down the different areas within it, and highlight why it can be such a good fit for alums .
Join us for a conversation that will help you better understand what a career in HR can look like, how to identify the areas you’re most drawn to, and what steps you can take to move in that direction. Whether you're already working in a people-focused role or just beginning to explore this field, this session will give you tools to move forward with confidence.
Join us on Tuesday, October 21 from 7:30-9:00pm ET.
Topics we’ll cover include:
An introduction to the HR field and its many career paths
How your JET and global experience translates into HR-ready skills
Training, education, and coaching as key components of HR
Compensation and benefits as a specialized career track
Tips for getting started, including entry-level roles, certifications
If you’ve been curious about HR or are looking for a people-centered career that builds on your cross-cultural experience, we encourage you to attend! This is a great chance to learn directly from professionals and fellow alumni who’ve built successful HR careers after JET.
Featured Speakers:
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AJ is currently the Global Head of Total Rewards for Rakuten, a Japanese technology company. He has built large-scale global compensation/benefits programs for large organizations like TikTok, Amazon, Microsoft, and Nordstrom.com. He has a BA in Government from Harvard and an MBA and Masters of Industrial and Labor Relations from Cornell. He started his career as a Cloud/HRIS engineer and lived in Japan for eight years (3 years as an ALT in Niigata, 1998-2001 and 5 in Tokyo with Accenture). He lives with his wife and daughter in the Seattle area. Outside of work, he enjoys skiing, watching sports (Boston Red Sox and Celtics) and attending jazz and rock concerts.
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Angie's time as a CIR in Kawasaki sparked her passion for leadership and cross-cultural collaboration. After two years on the JET Programme, she joined COACH A, a global coaching firm headquartered in Tokyo, and became an Executive Coach working in English, Japanese, and Chinese. Over the past decade, Angie has supported leaders worldwide in transforming their leadership and organizational culture. Her cultural fluency and professional discipline shaped by being a CIR and deepened through experiences in project design, business development, and people management inform her systemic approach to coaching and leadership development. When COACH A acquired Coach U, Angie played a key role in the post-merger integration, bridging Japanese and U.S. teams. Now at Coach U, she leads a global team and partners with clients to create coaching and leadership initiatives that drive lasting change. Angie never imagined this career path, but she is deeply grateful for JET being the launching point of a meaningful and rewarding journey. She believes the most impactful leaders are those who develop new leaders, and that real transformation starts from the leader themselves. There’s a leader in every seat, and JET Alumni are leaders in their own lives and their communities. Angie is excited to connect and exchange stories with you.
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Rob Uy is a global human resources professional, career transition coach, trainer and facilitator. Drawing on 30+ years human resources experience in global high tech products and services, Rob works with individuals, teams and organizations to help them ‘find their voice’ and realize career and organizational goals.
Rob followed his experience on JET (Fukuoka, 1989 - 1991) with an additional three and half years as business operations manager at a growing conversation school in Fukuoka. Those experiences helped open the doors to global recruiting and HR management roles in technology in Silicon Valley and the Pacific Northwest, continuing to present day.
As a human resources professional, coach and trainer, Rob's experience has included HR leadership roles at Amazon, T-Mobile, Intellectual Ventures, and Microsoft.
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Takeshi Yamagishi is a Manager at Quick USA and a dedicated career consultant whose life took a significant turn during his middle school days in Ishikawa-ken after a transformative encounter with a JET Program ALT at his school. Takeshi went onto become a JTE and worked with JET ALTs in the Japanese public school system. His career eventually changed course and he now works with Quick USA and lives in Dallas, TX with his family.
Inspired and impacted by his interactions with JET Program participants, Takeshi is on a mission to give back to the JET community. Takeshi has successfully supported many JET alumni to help them understand the various Japan-related job markets and industry landscapes, guiding them towards career opportunities that fit their interests.
