Japan or no Japan

[johnleitao]

Dear fellow citizens of the world,

I am batteling with a very difficult decision in my life in which I would like to have your opinion on.
I have been offered a job in Japan that will last 8 months in a major Japanese company (but not known in Europe) preceded by 4 months in an intensive Japanese language course in Tokio, all paid by this company. I am a student of computer engineering and as such I will be participating in a project at their research department.
Meanwhile, as this is my last year at university, I have been offered a very good job here in Europe, basically paying as much as in Japan and in which I will aquire considerable knowledge and be responsible for a high profile project here in Portugal.
My question now is which of the two I should opt for. People here tell me I should stay here as this project will greatly enrich my CV, my problem is I want an international carrer but in Europe, and I don't know how important it might be to have gone to Japan for a year, or to know Japanese here. Basically I would like to come back and go work in London for a few years, but I have no idea if working experience in Japan is a plus there or even here.

Could anyone give me their insights to this matter, maybe someone who has gone to Japan and come back to europe to use the knowledge and experience aquired there?

Thank you in advance, John

 

[Iron Chef]

All depends on where your priorities are both now and in the forseeable future. I've never thought that taking up a prospective employment opportunity because it might look good on your resume' down the road (on that sole criterion) was a wise course of action. Rather, think of this as a chance to invest in yourself and to further your skillbase. Sounds like you have a keen interest in the Japan angle in relation to your career so maybe you should do some further research to see what kinds of opportunities might pan out from taking time to invest a year or so. Seems to me though that job offers will still be available for you after a year or more but the opportunity to experience Japan abroad at the company's expense no less, might not always be... Anyways, regardless of your decision, best of luck to you. And welcome to the forums btw.