Japan first, Job second?

[Murs]

From browsing the forum here and other places, it looks like a lot of people want to/do live in Japan just because they like it and are willing to get into employment that seems like something they initially wouldn't have done (i.e. teaching).


Is anyone going to admit this? not that it's a bad thing at all.

Also what would you think of people going to employment that probably isn't their ideal choice but sacrifice that to live here. Wise decision?

 

[GaijinPunch]

I think to get a job you like you will have to do a lot of things you don't like. It usually entails doing something you don't like, but quite often living somewhere you don't like. I moved back to the states for a great job. Hated it and wound up moving back to Japan (and luckily got to keep the job) but it's really no different.

Teaching is an easy way for people to spend a couple of years in Japan, and that's what a lot of people need (students of Japanese that want to solidify their knowledge). I was one of these. It was a tool, and it served it's purpose 100%.

Also what would you think of people going to employment that probably isn't their ideal choice but sacrifice that to live here. Wise decision?

Ask yourself this: how many people in your home country are content w/ their current employment? Surely many are as described above and aren't even in a foreign country.

 

[frostyg02uk]

No doubt many people go to Japan and other countries and teach..even though they'd NEVER do that in their home country. Many even take a wage cut to do so (meaning they could earn more in their own country). If you asked people why you would probably get 8 different answers out of 10 people.
I think that people have to do what they want. How many people do you know that complain about their jobs or the state of the country yet have never done anything positive to improve the situation? Just open the opinions page in any newspaper.

 

[Davey]

I am teaching English, which is not the job I want to have but I have to do certain things to make money for me and my lady right?

Time will come... hopefully.

 

[Murs]

I get what you mean Gaijin Punch, a lot of people here do tend to dislike the job but love the country and do nothing about it. "Work to live, dont live to work" comes to mind here, where living in JP will/should improve life and thus work should be secondary.

frostyg02uk, everyone does have there own reasons for doing so, it just looks like their less 'career orientated' for taking a pay cut.


I ask these questions because I was thinknig about doing the same thing, however a few issues have risen.

-Learning the language, I really wanted to learn Spanish but IF residing in JP this will be horrendously tedious.

-Future employment prospects after teaching.

-Parents (mainly father) is disturbingly too emotional, and will be disgusted with me not being around, and really, thats one reason to go overseas to get away from a life my dad wishes for me. To make it worse I'm 21.


So I'm just trying to guage if its worth the trouble if you see where I'm coming from. Sorry for going off a tangent.

 

[frostyg02uk]

I think i can understand you. before i started my degree course i was going to move to japan and my parents (maining father) basically said you cant go. At that time i was 18 and told him that ill do what i want. But you know it might be better to stand up to your dad rather then move to Japan to get out of sight from him. if you want to learn spanish why not move to spain or a spanish speaking country, i know getting a job in those countries is often easier then Japan and the cultural shock might not be as bad.
career wise working a year or so in another country can boost your CV and give you alot of new experience alot of other people wont have, everything can be used in a positive way if you know how. I agree that teaching isnt (for me) something i'd like to do as a career at least not in Japan and i dont think it is something that would last forever either. I think the basic salary for a ELT is 250,000yen a month which is around 1000£. If we are honest thats not enough to survive in japan with any kids never mind trying to buy a home so i can see where you can coming from but for many it isnt a career but rather a step onto the ladder.

 

[GaijinPunch]

-Learning the language, I really wanted to learn Spanish but IF residing in JP this will be horrendously tedious.

And expensive. You will have to pay prices similar to what Japanese pay for English.

-Future employment prospects after teaching.

There are plenty of jobs for English speaking people with qualifications. Hell, there are jobs for people without qualifications. Get a degree in something. It will help. When you arrive in Japan, network.

 

[Murs]

frostyg02uk, I would say that i'd like an international career, Japan being one of a few countries that are intriguing (thoguh i'd never been there and possibly wont like it) together with Argentina et al. I'd like to think i'll be moving not just to get away from family life but because I want to, but then again subconsiously thinking, maybe you are right. An I guess it is really a step stone for many people, which is the crux of my thread question.

GaijinPunch, Plently of jobs eh? sounds promising. Though I have seen a few but they require "some knowledge" of Japanese, whatever that is. Oh and I have a degree, just graduated this past monday *shock* and I'm officially unemployed now. I studied a business degree, which isn't technical obviously, so I have no idea how/where my degree could be used, any insight?

 

[GaijinPunch]

There's not question about it, the more Japanese you speak the better (except for most teaching jobs). It really does open doors. If you're serious about long term employment, get a few years under your belt.

Plently of jobs eh? sounds promising.

I will get caned for this, but I'm under the impression that the average person is a bit of a *****. With the internet growing people are becoming more and more detached from the world, and more importantly from other people. CNN just had a list of 10 things to do to not get fired. First on the list was develop people skills. I've seen qualified people get canned b/c they can't talk. If you can sell yourself, you can get job. Japan is really no different than any place else... you'll just have less to choose from.

 

[RockLee]

There are a lot of foreigners who move to Japan, live in a cardboard box so to speak, but they're happy they live in Japan. After a few years they realize they were stupid, and should've waited before moving there, so they had a better chance on living there. Mostly this involves young people, just graduates who don't have a clue.

Take me for instance, I'm planning on moving to Finland, but atm I work for a help desk for a company, even tough I could earn more money if I worked as a programmer, analyst, etc.
I think about money now, so a job is a job, and when I have enough money, I move to Finland and look for a job that pays well AND suits me. ;-) If I was stupid, I went there now, had a crappy job...but would live there as well. Sometimes you just need a bit of patience, and things will work out.

 

[Murs]

Good point, I would like to have a job that utilises my degree, doesn't have to be a perfect match.

I have seen stuff about communications being of utmost impotance, in a coutry where some people find it hard to live up to the expectations on them, thus being very stressful? perhaps not the right word.

 

[Davey]

Sometimes you just need a bit of patience, and things will work out.

You sure need patience so now and then. I was on a 2 years distance relation with my wife before I made the move to come here. In those two years, I tried to save as much money as possible, learned about Japan, thought about the relation with my wife, and also what a lot of people forget... saying goodbye to my family (would be a nice thing to make a thread about that).

Find as much information as you can before you come here, even though you will see the real Japan when you come here... just read so that you know a lot more things.

I have seen stuff about communications being of utmost impotance, in a coutry where some people find it hard to live up to the expectations on them, thus being very stressful? perhaps not the right word.

Ask my wife about this, especially in the morning.

 

[frostyg02uk]

You havnt been to Japan before? I'll give you one tip ^-^

Leave a place in the Uk you can return to and call home. Ive just started my degree course but im thinking about buying the family home for my future. i havnt decided if ill ever move to Japan but its an option if i wanted it. And although i have experience of spending an extended time in Japan and loved being there i still think of a place i can return to if i wish, or even a place to stay at when i'd visit the UK. Alot of people up and move to Japan with all sorts of dreams and after a few months hate it. It can be a very suffercating and lonly place without family, friends or an understanding of the language.

As for the father bit ^-^ I'm sure your do yourself right. My dad kind of left me alone after i joined uni and proved him wrong. I dont know your personal situation but im sure in the end your do OK ;o)

 

[GaijinPunch]

Mostly this involves young people, just graduates who don't have a clue.

On the contrary...that's the best time to do it!

 

[Glenski]

From browsing the forum here and other places, it looks like a lot of people want to/do live in Japan just because they like it and are willing to get into employment that seems like something they initially wouldn't have done (i.e. teaching).
Is anyone going to admit this? not that it's a bad thing at all.
Also what would you think of people going to employment that probably isn't their ideal choice but sacrifice that to live here. Wise decision?

I changed careers by coming to Japan. Yes, I took a pay cut to do it, as well. My situation is pretty unique, but I had been considering teaching science at a university back home as a change in careers anyway. So a change was probably inevitable.

Do I regret it? Sometimes.
Reasons not to regret it? a great wife and kid, an amazing experience here (so far) that has been mostly positive.

For some, it's truly sacrifice. Not for me. Mid-course correction and adjustment. But, I'd been here before a couple of times, so it wasn't all new to me, and the previous experiences I'd had here were part of the reason I came back and ended up teaching.

 

[vettee]

Ok, We know what the college educated with 4 yr.s(school) under their belt do to work in Japan(teach english), BUT what do the rest of us do? Here's my situation: No college ed. Much work experiance...Factory work, warehouse, retail, once in the Army, trainned as an EMT-B, and would be happy as a clam in that so called "cardboard box". What do I do? I was actualy turned down by Nova.
Do I have any hope? I forgot to mention I'm in my 30's. Any one got any ideas? I'm open to suggestions.
Thanks.

 

[Ewok85]

You need to be able to please immigration - thats the most important part right there.

That means to have graduated from college or equivalent, to have at least 4* years of experience in the same field as you are being hired in (to get a working visa you need to show someone who is offering you a position) or be married to a Japanese national.

*- this is 10 years when technical/research positions are involved.

 

[Glenski]

Ok, We know what the college educated with 4 yr.s(school) under their belt do to work in Japan(teach english),

You don't need a degree to teach English if you have the right experience or visa situation. Plus, there are plenty of degree holders here doing other than teaching English. Get used to it.

BUT what do the rest of us do? Here's my situation: No college ed. Much work experiance...Factory work, warehouse, retail, once in the Army, trainned as an EMT-B, and would be happy as a clam in that so called "cardboard box". What do I do? I was actualy turned down by Nova.
Do I have any hope? I forgot to mention I'm in my 30's. Any one got any ideas? I'm open to suggestions.
Thanks.

You were turned down by NOVA beause you don't have a degree. Degreeless teacher candidates either need a working holiday visa (sorry, not for Americans) or a minimum of 3 years of teaching experience.

For non-teaching work, you have to show relevant experience (5-10 years' worth for most non-teachng jobs) to get a work visa.
VISA

Even so, you will likely need more than that to do certain work. Heck, even a factory worker needs to read specs or a manual sometimes, or understand written or spoken orders to adhere to safety regulations. EMT (emergency medical technician?) training in English is useless if you can't speak and write/read Japanese to apply it here (unless you continue to stay on base under SOFA status somehow). There are probably some non-Japanese speakers here, legal or otherwise, but they are often given the jobs described in Japanese as the 3K's (translated as dirty, dangerous, or simply unwanted by the rest of the population).

You are going to have to prove you can fit in or do something that Japanese cannot.

vettee, you didn't say whether you had a spouse visa or not (married to a Japanese). If you do, then you are merely eligible to do practically any sort of work. Being qualified in the eyes of employers is different. The only advice aside from learning Japanese is to look at sites like www.daijob.com and hope for the best, but it will depend on what you can do and what they want.

 

[Murs]

You don't need a degree to teach English if you have the right experience or visa situation. Plus, there are plenty of degree holders here doing other than teaching English. Get used to it.

Could name a few? and perhaps, some tips on how to get these jobs i.e. which sites or methods.

 

[Ewok85]

When it comes to immigration there is really only 4 ways that I know:
)Degree
)Experience
)Relation (Spouse of Japanese or Visa holder, Dependant of Japanese or Visa holder)
)Company Transfer

There's the exceptions I guess, but thats just about it. Its not that hard to work for a few years and build up experience, or to go to Uni/college and do your time that way.

The best thing you can do for yourself is learn Japanese, and prove it by doing some sort of exam.

 

[RockLee]

On the contrary...that's the best time to do it!

Yes, and no. When you just graduated, you won't have a dime (in most cases anyways, unless you have rich folks) to be able to support yourself sufficiently. If you build some reserves before you plan moving to another country, you'll have a kind of buffer for in case things are not as you expected, or you can't find a job that easy.

Ask yourself the question : "Do I want to start with a ****load of debt, even before my life even started, or do I want a reserve to fall back on?"

 

[Glenski]

Could name a few? and perhaps, some tips on how to get these jobs i.e. which sites or methods.

Just name an occupation, Murs. People do it. Lawyer, accountant, human resources, dentist, IT, etc. Look at www.daijob.com for bilingual opportunities and also for some nice articles on non-teaching jobs. Career Cross also has the ads. The main point is that you are going to have to have good language skills and the proper background to make you attractive to an employer, over that of a local who could do the same job.

 

[Murs]

Cheers Glenski

I'm more focused on entry level jobs as im a new grad, but this seems to be the area where there are the least amount of job openings going.

 

[Glenski]

Murs,
Plenty of people come here to teach, to the point that the market is saturated right now. Plenty of entry level work, but you have to know why. Lifespan at places like NOVA is less than a year for a reason. (Well, actually, for more than just one reason.) If you don't mind doing that just to get your foot in the door while you scout around for other work in your field, that's one way to go, however...for non-teaching work, I've already stated that you need more than just a degree. Figure it like this -- why would someone in your home country hire a fresh Japanese graduate if he doesn't speak English and has no experience?

Get some, preferably in a company whose field is to your liking, and who has a branch here. After a year, you are eligible for an intracompany transfer visa, but be realistic, too. After all, how many companies are willing to send people overseas after such a short time if they are fresh out of college?

The only other thing you might consider is internships. Google is your friend.

 

[ET_Fukuoka]

I don't know about you folks but I hate working in general!! I am on a mission to find a way not to work, or at least to not work too hard. Teaching was just a way to get me to Japan and to put food in my stomach. When I worked for NOVA I worked a lot of lessons to get my pay, while other teachers worked half as much and made more money. That really motivated me to work less and enjoy Japan more, while making more money!!