Java GUI, transitioning from one class to another

Question

I am stumped and desperate for help. Been able to figure everything else out until I got into GUI's. What I am trying to do is go from the LogInPane (Log In Page) to JobSelectionGUI (Job Selection Page);

When I compile it runs how I want it to, but I can't figure out how to get my JFrame from LogInPaneGUI to close when it opens JobSelectionGUI, Tons of reading and videos and picking GUI's/Applying them is rough! I started with a GridLayout then switched to GridBagLAyout, then tried CardLayout and now back to GBL.

I don't use an IDE; I use SublimeText, so if something looks extremely elongated in my code, its because I had to write it out long for Sublime (or because I'm bad). All my code is separated into different classes so it stays neat and easy to debug. Every class has its own package, and every package has no more than 2 Methods. I work my butt off to keep my main completely empty!

Taking all criticism and advice!

MAIN:

package com.hallquist.kurtis.leigh.srcmain;

    import java.awt.*;
    import javax.swing.*;
    import java.awt.event.ActionListener;
    import java.awt.event.ActionEvent;
    import javax.swing.text.*;

    // Class imports;
    import JobSelection.*;
    import LogInPane.*;

    // My Main function. Used to pull packages and methods and compile them here;
    public class SrcMainUserInformation{
      public static void main(String[] args){

        LogInPaneGUI logInGUI = new LogInPaneGUI();
        logInGUI.logInPaneMainGUI();
      }
    }

First Class:

    package LogInPane; // package name;

    import java.awt.*;
    import javax.swing.*;
    import java.awt.event.ActionListener;
    import java.awt.event.ActionEvent;
    import javax.swing.ImageIcon;

    import JobSelection.*; //import for next GUI when LogInButton is clicked;

    public class LogInPaneGUI{

      private static final JFrame frame = new JFrame();
      private static final int COLS = 10; // Max columns;
      private static final JPanel panelForm = new JPanel(new GridBagLayout()); // layout
      private static final JTextField fieldLogInName = new JTextField(COLS); //login
      private static  final JPasswordField logInPassword = new JPasswordField(COLS); //pw
      private static final JButton logInButton = new JButton("Log In"); //login button
      private static final JButton exitButton = new JButton("EXIT"); //system.exit button
      private static final JButton newUser = new JButton("New User? Click here to sign up!"); // new user button
    // Wigits on login page;
      public LogInPaneGUI(){

      GridBagConstraints c = new GridBagConstraints();
    // Creates the panel that goes ontop of the JFrame;
        c.gridx = 0;
        c.gridy = 0;
        c.anchor = GridBagConstraints.LINE_END;
          panelForm.add(new JLabel("Account Name: "), c);
            c.gridy ++;
          panelForm.add(new JLabel("Password: "), c);
        c.gridy ++;
        c.gridx = 1;
        c.gridy = 0;
          c.anchor = GridBagConstraints.LINE_START;
            panelForm.add(fieldLogInName, c);
        c.gridy++;
            panelForm.add(logInPassword, c);
        c.gridy++;
            panelForm.add(logInButton, c);
        c.gridy++;
            panelForm.add(newUser, c);
        c.gridy++;
            panelForm.add(exitButton, c);
    // Goes to fourm/website on newUser click;
      newUser.addActionListener(new ActionListener(){
        @Override
        public void actionPerformed(ActionEvent e){
          System.out.println("Fourm/Website to sign up for game");
        }
      });
    // Exits program on exitButton click;
      exitButton.addActionListener(new ActionListener(){
        @Override
        public void actionPerformed(ActionEvent e){
          System.exit(0);
        }
      });
    // Goes to JobSelectionGUI on logInButton Click;
      logInButton.addActionListener(new ActionListener(){
        @Override
        public void actionPerformed(ActionEvent e){
        JobSelectionGUI jobSelecting = new JobSelectionGUI();
        jobSelecting.jobSelectionJFrameGUI();
    //    frame.dispose();
    //      System.out.println("Will log you in when I set it up");
        }
      });
    }
    // Actual JFrame that everything goes ontop of;
      public static void logInPaneMainGUI(){

        JFrame frame = new JFrame("FirstProject");
        frame.setDefaultCloseOperation(JFrame.DISPOSE_ON_CLOSE);
        frame.setSize(1080, 720);
        frame.setResizable(false);
        frame.setVisible(true);
        frame.setLocationRelativeTo(null);
        frame.getContentPane().add(panelForm);
      }
    }

Second Class:

    package JobSelection;

    import java.awt.*;
    import java.awt.event.ActionEvent.*;
    import javax.swing.*;
    import javax.swing.text.*;
    // Mass import from JobSelection package; All base job information;
    import JobSelection.JobInformationIndex.JobAmazonData.*;
    import JobSelection.JobInformationIndex.JobBanditData.*;
    import JobSelection.JobInformationIndex.JobLancerData.*;
    import JobSelection.JobInformationIndex.JobSorcererData.*;
    import JobSelection.JobInformationIndex.JobWitchData.*;
    import LogInPane.*; // to return to login screen;
    import JobSelection.*; // dont know if needed;

    public class JobSelectionGUI{

      private static JFrame frame = new JFrame();
      private static JSplitPane jSplitPane = new JSplitPane();
      private static JPanel leftPane = new JPanel();
      private static JLabel logInCharacterName = new JLabel();
      private static JTextField userCharacterName = new JTextField();
      private static JButton logInAccept = new JButton("Accept");
      private static JButton logInBack = new JButton("Back");
      private static JTextArea firstGameIntroduction = new JTextArea();
      private static JTextArea descriptionIntroduction = new JTextArea();
      private static JTextArea jobSelectedInformation = new JTextArea();
      private static JPanel allWidgits = new JPanel();

      public JobSelectionGUI(){

      JTextArea firstGameIntroduction = new JTextArea("\ Text.");
        firstGameIntroduction.setLineWrap(true);
        firstGameIntroduction.setWrapStyleWord(true);
        JScrollPane areaScrollPane = new JScrollPane(firstGameIntroduction);
        areaScrollPane.setVerticalScrollBarPolicy(JScrollPane.VERTICAL_SCROLLBAR_ALWAYS);
        areaScrollPane.setPreferredSize(new Dimension(250, 250));
        areaScrollPane.setBorder(
          BorderFactory.createCompoundBorder(
            BorderFactory.createCompoundBorder(
            BorderFactory.createTitledBorder("Introduction"),
            BorderFactory.createEmptyBorder(5,5,5,5)),
          areaScrollPane.getBorder()));

        leftPane.add(areaScrollPane);

      JTextArea descriptionIntroduction = new JTextArea(" Text.\n");
        descriptionIntroduction.setLineWrap(true);
        descriptionIntroduction.setWrapStyleWord(true);
        JScrollPane areaScrollPaneTwo = new JScrollPane(descriptionIntroduction);
        areaScrollPaneTwo.setVerticalScrollBarPolicy(JScrollPane.VERTICAL_SCROLLBAR_ALWAYS);
        areaScrollPaneTwo.setPreferredSize(new Dimension(250, 250));
        areaScrollPaneTwo.setBorder(
          BorderFactory.createCompoundBorder(
            BorderFactory.createCompoundBorder(
            BorderFactory.createTitledBorder("What to expect"),
            BorderFactory.createEmptyBorder(5,5,5,5)),
          areaScrollPaneTwo.getBorder()));

        leftPane.add(areaScrollPaneTwo);
    }

      public static void jobSelectionJFrameGUI(){

        JFrame frame = new JFrame("FirstProject");
        frame.setDefaultCloseOperation(JFrame.EXIT_ON_CLOSE);
        frame.setSize(1080, 720);
        frame.setResizable(false);
        frame.setVisible(true);
        frame.setLocationRelativeTo(null);
        frame.getContentPane().add(leftPane);
      }
    }

Answer 1

1. You grossly overuse the static modifier and most of your fields should not in fact be static. I would venture to state that most if not all of your class's fields should be private instance fields.
2. The log-in window should not be a JFrame but rather a blocking or "modal" dialog, and for Swing that means using a modal JDialog or JOptionPane (which creates a modal JDialog behind the scenes)
3. A modal dialog will block the calling code when it is displayed
4. And if the dialog is modal, then you know when it is no longer visible since the calling code is unblocked. This is when you would query the state of the dialog's fields (using public getter methods, not calling static fields directly), and decide if the login was successful or not. If so, show your main GUI window or JFrame.
5. Another option is to yes, use CardLayout, but for this to work, all your major GUI classes should be geared towards creating JPanels, not JFrames. This way you can insert the panels where and when needed, including within top-level windows such as JFrames or JDialogs, within or JPanels, or swapped using a CardLayout.
6. Note that frame.dispose() isn't working for you because you shadow the frame field by re-declaring it logInPaneMainGUI() method.

public static void logInPaneMainGUI() {
    // ***** this creates a new local JFrame variable called frame
    JFrame frame = new JFrame("FirstProject");       
    // so calling frame.dispose() elsewhere will have no effect on this window

Don't do this, and the .dispose() method call will close the first window.

public static void logInPaneMainGUI() {
    frame = new JFrame("FirstProject"); // this initializes the frame field
    // so calling frame.dispose() elsewhere will have no effect on this window

Of course frame would have to be non-final or not-initialized previously. I still would recommend using a JDialog however, as well as moving out of the static world and into the instance world

Unrelated criticism:

Less chatty text in your question, text that is completely unrelated to your actual problem at hand, and more text that tells us useful information that helps us to understand your problem and your code, and thereby helping us solve the problem.