My Resume

Susan Diane Willis

Personal Information:
Current Address: 924 Mining Gap Ln
Young Harris, Ga 30582
Email: sujihime@gmail.com
Citizenship: United States
Native Language: English (American)
Marital Status: Single

TEFL Qualifications:
TEFL Certification. i-to-i Online TEFL Courses. May 2005

Work Experience:

Legal Aid Interviewer. Public Defender's Office. Athens, Ga. 2005

• Interviewed prospective clients
• Trained interns and law students to interview
• Ran errands for the lawyers

Test Rater. University of Georgia Test Scoring and Reporting Services. Athens, Ga. 2005

• Graded 5th and 8th grade essays while using a rubric

Student Librarian. University of Georgia Libraries: Periodicals. Athens, Ga. 2004

• In charge of the newspapers for the university library (kept them current, shelved, sorted, and organized.
• Worked with microforms
• Sorted and shelved magazines
• Worked on special products
• Trained new students to shelve/sort periodicals
  

Store Clerk. Cabin Fever Gifts and Accessories. Hiawassee, Ga. 2002-2004

• Worked with the register
• Kept the store clean and tidy
• Arranged displays
• Worked with customers
• Trained employees
• Opened and closed the shop

Secretary. Fletcher Griffin's Law Office. Hiawssee, Ga. 2000-2001

• Answered phone, made appointments, worked with clients
• Kept office neat and organized
• Typed important documents

Education:
Japanese Language and Literature B.A. University of Georgia. December 2004
English Minor. University of Georgia. December 2004
TEFL Certificate. i-to-t online TEFL courses. May 2005

Skills:

• Skilled typist, over 60 wpm
• Computer skills: MS Word, Powerpoint, excel, access
• Conversational Japanese ability
• Basic Spanish ability
• Good communication skills

Hobbies:

• Studying Japanese language and culture
• Collecting and reading books
• Travelling
• Watching foreign films (especially Korean, Chinese, and Japanese)
• Learning and playing new games (board games, video games, role playing games, etc)

References available on request

Why I Want to Work in Japan

There are many reasons that I want to live and work in Japan. I want to have the opportunity to experience the culture and the language, and to share my own culture and language with the people of Japan. I have learned about culture, language and teaching from books, but to enrich and refine that knowledge I need to experience Japan first hand.

The first reason I want to live and work in Japan is because I have been interested in Japan and its culture for several years. I studied many aspects of Japanese language, literature, history, and culture at the University of Georgia during my undergraduate studies. Everything I have learned about Japan only serves to make me want to learn more. I can continue to study Japan for many years to come, yet my knowledge will be limited by experience. To truly comprehend and use what I have learned requires first-hand life experience.

A second reason I want to go to Japan is to increase my understanding of the language. I have recently received my Bachelor’s degree in Japanese but it seems as if I have only just begun to grasp the intricacies of the language. I have always been intrigued by Japan’s written language. Although I have studied Japanese writing, I have a strong desire to improve my reading and writing skills in the language. By immersing myself in written and spoken Japanese, I will be able to refine my skills by using the language in daily life experiences.

The final, and most important, reason for wanting to work in Japan is because I am looking forward to teaching American language, customs, and culture to students there. While I may lack professional teaching experience, I have been volunteering with children most of my life. As a volunteer, I have had many opportunities to help others gain knowledge, skills, and abilities. Teaching English in Japan seems like it will be both an exciting and challenging opportunity. Learning a new language has always been my favorite part of school and I’ve had the chance to study under the direction of some excellent instructors. In college, my first-year Japanese teacher was so excited about teaching Japanese to her English students that we easily benefited from her enthusiasm. My desire is to share that same excitement for teaching English with Japanese students. I want to share with others the excitement of learning about a culture and language new to them. Learning a new language can be daunting, but having a teacher who is excited about teaching makes it much more enjoyable.

Ever since I was little it has always been my dream to see the world. As I grew older, this dream became more focused on Japan. To live and work in Japan, instead of simply visiting, will be a wonderful experience and will help me achieve my goals of becoming more proficient in Japanese, learning about the culture and customs, and teaching Japanese students about my own language and culture.