1.   Where do you work?   I work as a TV producer for MCCS (Marine Corps Community Services) TV.  

2.  How did you hear of your job?   It was a job posting on the MCCS website. When I first arrived on the island, I went in person to MCCS to introduce myself and hand out my resume.  Unfortunately at the time, there were no openings. I was unemployed for about 8 months.  Despite my prior experience, there just wasn't anything available. TV jobs are few and far between here on Okinawa.  AFN Okinawa does not hire civilians or dependents, so really, my options were limited to MCCS and Kadena’s 18th Services.  It took a lot of patience before a position became available and I was hired.

3.  What does your job entail?   Although I consider myself a TV producer, I really do a lot more.  For MCCS TV, I produce TV and radio spots, provide voiceover work for radio and TV spots, as well as shoot, edit, and appear as an on-air host for a monthly TV program called Hai Sai Okinawa.

4.  Have you ever done a job like this before?   Yes, my background is TV production.  Prior to coming to Okinawa, I worked as a TV producer for Discovery Channel and Animal Planet in Silver Spring, MD as well as a TV producer for a TV news station based in Washington, DC.  

Many people have asked me how on earth I could leave DC and my job. My answer is that the opportunity to live abroad in a foreign country is a once in a lifetime experience.  Frankly, after working 50-60 hour work weeks, I was burnt out and just ready for a new challenge.  My husband and I decided to come to Okinawa for two years to grow as individuals and as a couple. Despite the fact that I had a “great-paying, highly respectable TV producer” job, it wasn’t all that mattered to me. We came to Okinawa for the life experience and that’s something that I could never get from just a JOB.  

I had to realize a “job” didn't define me.  I define me.  Honestly, my first 8 months as an unemployed woman here on Okinawa were difficult, as I felt I had little or no purpose…but that’s just it… I need to work to live…not live to work. I soon discovered that I could focus on other things that I had always wanted to do.  I had the luxury to really find myself again and that’s priceless…

 5.  Is the job part-time or full-time?  I work full time.

6.  What’s the pay like?    I’m not paid as much as before (especially when you compare my pay to what I used to make in the States), but considering that jobs are hard to come by here on Okinawa, I guess I’m lucky to have a good job. There are other perks that I think should be noted. For example, I like what I do. Additionally, MCCS pays for college tuition and books.  So although I already have a Bachelors degree in International Studies/East Asian Studies as well as a Masters in Broadcast Journalism, I decided to go back to school and get a Business degree with a little help from MCCS.

7.  Were there any education or training requirements for the job?  Previous TV or radio production experience is a must.
 
8.  Is this your dream job or a fill-the-time job?  I’d say for the time being, this job is a fill-the time-job.  Once I return to the States, I plan to go back into TV production.  This job has been a great buffer for me.  After I return to the States, I can go into an interview and confidently say, “You want to know what I’ve done for the past two years?  Let me tell you: I became a voiceover talent, I learned how to shoot my own video footage, I honed my editing skills, I improved my Japanese vocabulary while living in Japan, I hosted my own TV show, AND I went back to school & got a degree in Business.”  How’s that for 2 years out of the traditional workforce?

9.  What are you learning about the military?  Japanese culture?   As a military brat, I lived much of my childhood overseas.  This experience and job in Okinawa has allowed me to connect with my heritage and use my Japanese language skills.  That’s definitely not something I could get from a job in the States…

10.  Do you feel like you are making a difference in other’s island experience because of your job? I do feel like I’m making a difference.  I often have people approach me and tell me how much they enjoyed watching a story on Hai Sai, or how much they learned about Japanese life and culture. Being able to get direct feedback from the audience is wonderful.  I feel like I am leaving my own personal mark here.

11.  Work website:  www.mccsokinawa.com/tv