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Getting a non-teaching Job in Japan, How difficult is it?

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zeroyon

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I am wondering how difficult it is to land a lob in Japan, but not as an English teacher for JET, NOVA, or some other company.

It seems that most western foreigners in Japan who are not entirely fluent in Japanese are working as either teachers (usually English teachers), military personnel, or performers of some sort. I am currently enrolled in a university in the USA, my major is mechanical engineering, with a focus on robotics. I have also been studying Japanese for 3 years (I plan to minor in Japanese), and I studied abroad at a Japanese university all last year.

My ambition is to find a job as an engineer in Japan. I have come to the conclusion that it seems very hard, if not impossible to find an engineering job in Japan. Even if I somehow become fluent, which is probably not possible unless I actually live in Japan for another 5 years or so, it seems that a job as an engineer in japan will be hard to come by.

Are there any gaijin on the forums here who live in Japan, but are not teachers, military personnel, or performers? Any of you have any pointers or criticism for me, and could you share your experience if possible?
 
Advice? Don't let the internet be the Dream Destroying Machine that so many folks do.

In other words: You already know that what you propose is hard. There is a tendency for folks to seek out info from random strangers on the internet, most of whom have no actual knowledge or experience (but don't let that stand in the way of muddying the waters with an uninformed, irresponsible leather-headed opinion), and then use the confirming negative statements to justify throwing their dream onto the ash heap.

If the internet had been around back when I decided to try to get a job driving trucks, I'd still be teaching English.
 
I have no success story, but I'll let you know I'm in the middle of a similar task. You are right, though: it will be hard.

I've worked in the software industry as an engineer for several years now, after a brief stint working as a translator. Next, I plan to go to grad school in Japan, hopefully followed by employment after I graduate.

If you have any questions on my story, let me know.
 
From what I see there are a few scenarios which could get you into that kind of job.

- You work for a foreign company in which Japanese is not essential.
You would have to get into one of the companies that hire people from your field in Japan. This could be either directly or by going through their subsidiary in the U.S.

- You acquire some kind of skill which is difficult to find on the job market.
In that case any employer is more likely to accept language difficulties.

- You start working as a research student (or something like it) at a university and find you way into the job market.
Especially in robotics I would see this as a good chance. But you will have to get accepted as a research student for at least a year. During this time you have to built up contacts to possible employers or make sure you can continue doing research at the same place.

Besides these, you are on the right path if you get you Japanese as good as possible before coming to Japan!
 
This advice is pretty close to the mark.
Connections are the foundation of a good job I think. My experience is owed to 'connections'. You have a responsibility to your benefactor, and he is judged in return by your performance.
It might be cronyism in the west, but when in Rome...
 
I'm sure you can find an engineering job in a non-Japanese company in Japan. But I'd recommend taking your time to find the right one (ie one that you enjoy and which maximises your chances of staying here for as long as you want.)

I monitored Japanese job opportunities in my field (s/w engineering) for 2 years before spying my prey and swooping on it

PS Join LinkedIn.com if you haven't already...
 
Careercross is far better

There are plenty of IT related engineer positions for people who have the experience and qualifications, but also having Japanese gives you a big boost.
 
How about massage therapists?
I've read an article that said that companies will hire massage therapists on contract and give them a space to work. I've seen this on a Japanese show so I know it's real, but I've been wondering how hard it would be to get a contract, anybody know?
 
If you work for a company in the USA that has branches in Japan, you must work in the USA for at least a year in order to qualify for an intracompany transfer visa.

If you want to work for a Japanese company, the advice already given by others is sound. That is, you find one that doesn't require much Japanese (how hard that is, is anyone's guess, but consider the situation if the tables were turned in your own country).

You don't have to be perfectly fluent in Japanese, but it would be a wise idea to take the JLPT and try to pass at least level 2. Look at www.daijob.com for job ads and for links to Terrie Lloyd's articles.

Working at a university here may require equally high fluency in Japanese. I work at a science university, and Japanese training is needed by all of the foreign exchange students. They need 4-6 months of intensive (VERY intensive) study before they are allowed to come for their research and courses.
 
Dont overlook the obvious sites like Monster.com. Put your resume up there and do searches every week.
 
Also consider the fact that people in non-teaching jobs sometimes use teaching jobs to get themselves into Japan. Once in Japan it can be easier for them to move out of the field and into something else than it is to get into the something else directly from outside Japan.
 
I have a friend who is currently working for Mori-Seki in Nara doing something with his actual degree, something along the lines of programming and he is going to school there for his masters. So, nothing is impossible. I think Mike Cash has a good point. Really if you know what has to be done, then just do it and things will fall into place.
 


Mike Ca$h speaks the truth. I say the same thing to anybody that wants to move to Japan and not teach English. Plus you would be suprised who you meet teaching English. One of my good friends met a student from Panasonic and next thing you know he was a full time employee teaching English business classes. While still teaching English it was a "real" job at a Japanese company.
 
Zeroyon...I'll assume (bad idea) because of your name that perhaps you are into cars, and you were once on Okinawa. (close?) Anyway, with a mech eng. degree and a grasp of Japanese, you may very well be able to work in Okinawa again. Ever heard of AEC? I can get you in contact with them when you are ready.
 


could you clarify this for me,to me it sounds like if you have a degree period,you can come to teach english.is that what you're saying?
 
You don't need a degree to teach English at most Eikaiwa; it's for the visa requirements.
 
jmwintenn said:
could you clarify this for me,to me it sounds like if you have a degree period,you can come to teach english.is that what you're saying?
Click to expand...

You'll need a pulse, and a necktie and pleasant disposition also help.

Those plus a degree and you're in like Flynn, friend.

(Nice to see a fellow Tennessean here).
 
Most employers would like their teachers to have a degree. They feel a sense of academic completion means something, even if the major is unrelated to teaching. Whether they are sticklers on you having the degree depends on the employer and your visa situation.

You need a degree or 3 years of teaching experience to get a work visa as a teacher.

You can also teach with a student visa, cultural visa, spouse visa, dependent visa, or working holiday visa.
VISA
The Working Holiday Programmes in Japan (zeroyon, since you are American, you are not eligible for a WHV, but this info may be useful to others.)
No degrees required for any of the above visas, but SV, DV, and CV need special permission in order to work at all, and it will only be part-time.
Immigration Services Agency of Japan

As for Mike Cash's remark about being "in like Flynn", I wouldn't be so bold as to say anyone with a degree is a shoe-in. Eikaiwas hire people with non-teaching related degrees, yes, and people with zero experience, yes, but they also turn down many applicants. It is not a guarantee that anyone who can fog a mirror and smile will get a job. In fact, some of the Big Four eikaiwa start their interview process (a 1- to 3-day affair) with a general knowledge of the world test to weed out undesireables, and they also have a general grammar test to cull even more. Then, you have to listen to their speech on the company, give a demonstration lesson of your own (sometimes with no idea what the topic is until you are actually there), and only in the final analysis will there be an interview (panel style). Heck, even on the JET programme, the application process (a once a year affair) contains a lot of paperwork due at the end of the calendar year, and the interview is in February (panel style, only about 15-20 minutes), and you don't get notified until May.
 
well,I've tutored kids in my class before,so I'm sure i could teach a class.

you said you can get a part-time job with a sv,but on that link,it said that students aren't allowed to work,as documented at the bottom of the chart with the * saying work is not allowed for these types of visas.

my next question would be,programs like JET,NOVA,GEOS,and EEC(might be ECE not sure),do they require a degree or just a good control of the language?


Mike Cash-nice to see it's possible that a tennessean can make it over.
 

I've only met a few teachers in Japan, and all had degrees related to the work they were doing - be it education, ESL, or language based.

Lets be realistic here, ALT's and Eikaiwa workers are no more teachers than I am the Tooth Fairy, and we should be clear when talking about such topics or else it leads to misunderstanding.
 
Mike Cash said:
Advice? Don't let the internet be the Dream Destroying Machine that so many folks do.
...
If the internet had been around back when I decided to try to get a job driving trucks, I'd still be teaching English.
Click to expand...
So, wait, your dream was to drive trucks? Shall I call you Rubber Duck from now on?

Anyway, a-men to the whole advice on the internet thing. Getting information isn't a bad idea, but the internet is not the only source for the sort of detail somebody might need. Personally, I find knowing someone and speaking to them face-to-face about the possibilities and methods regarding how to do these things is more useful than simply to read the opinions of Anonymous online.

Yeah, until I can pass the Ikyu proficiency exam, this is basically what I intend to do. Of course, I'd prefer teaching Classical Greek and Latin, but somehow I doubt there's a huge demand for proficiency in that particular field. :auch:

kenasto said:
- You start working as a research student (or something like it) at a university and find you way into the job market.
Click to expand...
I should look into that, despite the lack of interest in history I imagine I'll run into.

Do they need to pass the proficiency exams? I'm considering taking Yonkyu this December at Columbia University in NYC, but it'll be a long time before I can pass Ikyu.

This is definitely of interest to me, and I'm glad you mentioned this.

Ewok85 said:
Lets be realistic here, ALT's and Eikaiwa workers are no more teachers than I am the Tooth Fairy, and we should be clear when talking about such topics or else it leads to misunderstanding.
Click to expand...
A-men again. I'm not looking forward to working alongside cowboys just looking to score with 16-year-old schoolgirls.
 
jmwintenn said:
well,I've tutored kids in my class before,so I'm sure i could teach a class.
Click to expand...
What kids and what class are you talking about? If you helped a few classmates who speak the same language as you to learn biology or social studies or psychology, you are comparing apples to oranges if you think it is comparable to teaching a foreigner how to speak English. Please clarify so I can fully understand.

you said you can get a part-time job with a sv,but on that link,it said that students aren't allowed to work,as documented at the bottom of the chart with the * saying work is not allowed for these types of visas.
Click to expand...
That just means with the Student Visa alone you are not allowed to work. The special permission gets around that.

my next question would be,programs like JET,NOVA,GEOS,and EEC(might be ECE not sure),do they require a degree or just a good control of the language?
Click to expand...
Let's get terminology straight first. JET is a program. Those other places are companies called conversation schools (eikaiwas).

They require a degree only so far as it depends on what sort of visa you hold. Many visas will permit work (with or without special permission) and yet do not require a degree. In fact, you can even get a regular work visa without a degree if you have 3 or more years of teaching experience! JET absolutely requires the degree, though.

Work full-time at places like NOVA with a work visa in hand (not any of the other kind), and you may very well be expected to have a degree. It's case by case. The reason they would like it, even if your visa says you don't need it, is that they often like to post the names, faces, and credentials of their employees in the school/company catalogs, and having a degree looks good.

As for "just good control[sic] of the language", you are going to be scrutinized during the interview for your English language skills. Most if not all of those eikaiwas you mentioned even have a 100-question exam based on grammar, vocabulary, and knowledge of TEFL terminology to weed out applicants. You will also have to present a demonstration lesson during the interview.
 
Last edited:
GodEmperorLeto said:
Do they need to pass the proficiency exams? I'm considering taking Yonkyu this December at Columbia University in NYC, but it'll be a long time before I can pass Ikyu.
Click to expand...
The situation at my school is like this:

The PhD program offered directly from the U is brand new, so most PhD students who are currently here have come from another Japanese university that has a connection of some sort with us. Those students get a Monbusho scholarship, and it requires 6 months of intensive Japanese language study. From what I gather, they don't have to pass any JLPT exams, just whatever exams the course itself provides. I'll double-check.

The master's program has no such requirement, so the school accepts students with no Japanese skills whatsoever. The U offers a meager Japanese course for them, but as crazy as it sounds, the course overlaps with their other master's courses, so students are unable to study Japanese.

This city has no language schools for Japanese, so it is practically impossible for the master's students (and the school's own PhD students now) to acquire Japanese language skills. This obviously presents major communications problems, not only for the students, but for their families. Some come here alone, but some bring their spouses and kids.
 
Quite demanding. You have to jump through so many hoops, and yet the eikaiwa themselves have a pretty bad rep. Especially NOVA. 100 questions shouldn't be that tough, I assume, especially if you'd taken grammar courses in school and had to take the SATs and GREs.

Then again, as a tutor at my institute, I've noticed vast differences in terminology between TEFL textbooks and the classic English Macmillian grammar books I had in school, especially with the tenses. And it is difficult to remember exactly what an adjective clause is, even though we use it constantly.

Anyways...

It seems to me that it is much better to try to get a teaching job at a smaller English school or a cram school. The Big Four supposedly treat you like a number, and some people I've talked with have told me that the smaller schools and the cram schools treat you like a member of a team.

The some advice I've gotten is as follows:

1)Save up about $5000 (plus plane faire, two-way).
2)Go to Japan and "vacation" there. While there, pound pavement looking for places that will sponsor a working visa.

Personally, I'm talking to recruiters, but I'm being pretty careful. I've heard a number of horror stories about them, so I'm being a bit cautious. I'm looking on Kansai Flea Market's classifieds, and any company I'm referred to I try to research as best as I can.

The aim is long-term. If you want a job in Japan, teaching English is a stepping-stone. The best way to learn a language is immersion, too, so going to Japan with a mindset of learning the tongue will help, too. Watch TV (especially the news), listen to talk radio, study the writing, and within a year to three you should be proficient enough to get into some sort of company. Indeed, teaching English may actually help you get connections, because you may end up with a student who is in a field you want to work in, and the two of you can help each-other. Networking is pretty important.

Just make sure you don't get locked into teaching English forever. It is a means to an end.
 
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