Living in Japan - Round 2

[Jcandres]

Ok had to make the title a little interesting so it would catch your attention. Anyways way way way back in March/April, I posted questions about the possibility of living in Japan with a degree and getting a job. I now know that it is nearly impossible. Anyways I'm going to begin attending FullSail College, in August. I will be going after a Bachelor's degree in Science, with my computer animation's key goal. The school offers an accelerated program that lasts 21 straight months to attain a Bachelor's Degree. I wonder if I get this degree, what would be the possibilities of landing a job in Japan straight out of college. I'm not looking for a job with some big name company like, Namco or Konami. I'm talking practical here. Any advice here would be awesome, such as where to look for a job, and what companies to talk to. And any things I could do while going to college that would further my chances of landing a job would be awesome. Thanks for your time.

Josh

 

[yukio_michael]

I am wondering if I get this degree what would be the possibilities of me landing a job in Japan straight out of college. I'm not looking for a job with some big name company like, Namco or Konami. I'm talking practical here.

I'm going to be completely serious and say your chancers are probably zero to negative 100 per cent.

I'm familiar with the school that you are attending. In fact, my last roommate before I left the USA just graduated FullSail (a college that has only recently become accredited mind you)... w/ a degree in Digital Media.

You don't mention at all if you are fluent in Japanese? If you aren't, then please increase that negative percentile above somewhere to a thousand.

I do not mean to sound rude; I completely understand your situation, and it's a common one. However, unless you are working for a games company based in the USA who then transfers you (based on your language skills), your chances of getting a job are fairly nought to a company in Japan.

The native Japanese almost exclusively operate digital media in Japan. Why? The Japanese know and understand the culture of the Japanese work-ethic--- they'll work harder, and longer, without any idea of "worker's rights" (they're not stupid mind you, they don't like it just the same, but this again, is a 'tradition' that dates back to the war)... They also know the language, inside and out. (Well, well enough to speak it in everyday business Japanese--- there ARE television shows on TV whose sole purpose is to RE-teach Japanese to the Japanese people.)

Maybe you can expand on your situation, your language skills? Still, I think the chances are slim.

Edit: Just to put an anecdotal touch to this, my friend who lives in Shibuya works as a video editor--- he edits all the parts together of the various broadcast sports events. He often goes in on a morning, and then doesn't come home until 3:00, THE NEXT afternoon---

 

[Jcandres]

Wow, that's depressing lol. Well, thanks for your advice, that's what I needed the cold hard facts. Ok, so I would still like some more opinions from other people. And I guess I'll throw this one in since "computer animation" doesn't sound like a good option if that's the case. What type of Job in japan besides Teaching and Business can an American get? With only elementary Japanese?

 

[Jcandres]

And to add to that with, a bachelor's degree. Thanks

 

[Mike Cash]

Very few Westerners are willing to tolerate working in Japanese companies on an equal footing with and under the same conditions as Japanese employees. Which means that the vast majority of them end up in a position where part of what they're selling to their employer is some aspect of their foreignness, whether that be a foreign face, language ability, or familiarity/expertise/connection with some overseas thing.

When you're talking about competing with the native Japanese labor pool for a position where none of that is the case, get ready to face some extraordinarily blunt and unambiguously worded rejections. Speaking from personal experience here; get ready to kiss many frogs first if this sort of thing is your idea of a prince.

 

[yukio_michael]

And to add to that with, a bachelor's degree. Thanks

Teach English. You may not even like Japan--- A lot of people seem to think that it's Shangri-La, despite never having been there. Try it out for a year and see if you like living in the country. Good luck.

 

[cyberryo]

Jcandres, may I know what`s the reason for your attending Fullsail College? To get the degree in computer animation as the foundation for your career or to live in Japan???

 

[Jcandres]

I love digital media and computer animation, but I would really like to relocate to Japan, I have several friends there. And I have visited there two times. And I loved it. So I'm trying to find a compromise. I can enjoy doing that would also allow me to have a better chance of being employed in Japan. I hope that makes sense cyberryo

 

[Mike Cash]

A better chance at being employed in Japan? Or a better chance at having a career in Japan?

 

[Jcandres]

I meant a better chance of having a career sorry

 

[Mike Cash]

I wasn't nitpicking; it's just that the answers to the two are very different.

 

[Jcandres]

I see well then if you have'nt any info on how to establish a decent career in Japan that would be great. Thanks

 

[Mike Cash]

1. Research fields that have shown themselves to be open to foreigners and conducive to long-term employment of them in Japan.

2. From those, choose something that appeals to you as a career, regardless of what country you are in and which is a marketable skill in your home country.

3. Go to college and learn that skill. Stay there until you graduate. Consider getting a masters degree while you're at it.

4. Concurrently, study the Japanese language.


I can't think of anyone who has actually ever done that, by the way. Practically everyone is burning up with the fiery enthusiasm of youth and in a mad rush to get to Japan (usually to live forever-n-ever-n-ever) like they're afraid the country is going to be shut down before they have a chance to get here or something. So they rush over here unprepared with a "Gosh! I love Japan! I'd be happy digging ditches for the rest of my life just so long as it means I could live in Japan!!!" attitude....and in a year or two they leave disillusioned and bitter. Either that or they're the type who don't qualify for a visa and find that their all-encompassing burning desire to do anything to live and work the rest of their natural lives in Japan doesn't extend to putting forth the effort to get themselves qualified in the first place.

 

[cyberryo]

Hi Mike, I second that! You do not spare your words. In addition, I feel that while Japan may seem like a fun exotic place to be from the arts and entertainment, it is in reality a very competitive business environment to live in. Japanese people place great emphasis on diligence, competence, self-sacrifice and success. I believe that it would be easier for one to attain that authoritative position in one`s home country than to try to achieve it by climbing up within the Japanese environment while burdened with a language and cultural handicap.
Ken

 

[epigene]

Mike,

No one could have said it better!

Ken,

Thanks for your insight, too! If I say these things, I just sound like a grouchy obasan...

 

[yukio_michael]

Practically everyone is burning up with the fiery enthusiasm of youth and in a mad rush to get to Japan (usually to live forever-n-ever-n-ever) like they're afraid the country is going to be shut down before they have a chance to get here or something. So they rush over here unprepared with a "Gosh! I love Japan! I'd be happy digging ditches for the rest of my life just so long as it means I could live in Japan!!!"

Well said, Mike. This attitude is so prevalent as to make people feel that their own countries (no matter which) were far inferior to Japan despite them never having even been to the country...

It's an attitude that is so prevalent as to be almost the defacto standard. I know maybe from the past you may feel I personally fall into the latter half of that (un-quoted) statement... but, eh... Japan just happened to me.

 

[Mike Cash]

Don't feel like the Lone Ranger. Japan just sort of happened to me, too. The primary difference in my case is that having a Japanese spouse swept away much of the visa b.s.

I wish there were some sort of easy answer to give folks who (think they) wish to emigrate to Japan, but there isn't. The Japanese government erects those visa walls around the country on purpose; the country hasn't historically been open to a broad range of employment for outsiders, hasn't encouraged their prolonged visits, and gives no real indication of changing that policy anytime soon.

Let's think about it:

The planet seems to be crawling with people who want to emigrate to Japan, enter the Japanese job market, or Tokyo University, and make their permanent homes here.

If sizeable numbers had actually managed to do so, I think we would be tripping all over them (on the internet, at least). Where are they?

A great many jump through the legal/visa hoops and then find that the cultural/linguistic/societal barriers are far harder to break through or get used to and often give up and go home in a short while (ask Maciamo). This is why I recommend that the career skills the OP chooses should be ones that are marketable outside Japan.

 

[ArmandV]

So they rush over here unprepared with a "Gosh! I love Japan! I'd be happy digging ditches for the rest of my life just so long as it means I could live in Japan!!!" attitude....and in a year or two they leave disillusioned and bitter.

That's about it. While Japan is a nice place to visit, perhaps you really wouldn't want to live there. My cousin works in the U.S. corporate offices of Honda, and she's had two opportunities to go to Japan, company-paid. I asked her, "Why not go for the experience? I've had nothing but fun there."

Her response, "I have to work with these people every day, and they drive me up the wall. Why should I want to go there where there's more of them?"

Mind you; she's worked for Honda for nearly 30 years (almost right after graduating high school).

 

[GaijinPunch]

Her response, "I have to work with these people every day and they drive me up the wall. Why should I want to go there where there's more of them?"

Unfortunately, working with people (regardless of race) is a lose-lose. The majority of people are not clever, and in many cases annoying. As such, your chances of working with an office full of people that don't suit you is high. The unfortunate reality of being a misanthrop.

 

[Mike Cash]

I had some doubts about a college which has a .com web address instead of .edu, and which also grants a degree that traditionally takes four years in well under half that time...so I googled.

The original poster may wish to further research the school before writing any checks:

Full Sail University - Wikipedia

en.wikipedia.org

The Fullsail Scam: Exposed

Floridian: Showbiz U.

They may be very good at what they do, for all I know. But it's not a college; it's a vo-tech school. If I were making this school a part of my qualifying for the Japanese visa, I'd first want to contact the Japanese authorities and see if they're even going to recognize it or not.

 

[Ewok85]

I dunno, I've worked in IT and had nothing but a ball. Most of the people I work with have the same interests and hobbies, are intelligent and fun to be with, and there's never a dull moment in or out of the office.

Might just come with the profession tho

 

[GaijinPunch]

I dunno, I've worked in IT and had nothing but a ball. Most of the people I work with have the same interests and hobbies, are intelligent and fun to be with, and theres never a dull moment in or out of the office.

It doesn't. What form of IT are you in? Do you support non-IT users? How big is your company? The good side of a big company is there's a certain level of anonymity. This inhibits you from standing out for achievements, unfortunately, b/c the bosses usually don't care. On the flip side, you can ignore all the morons in the office and "get your work done" a lot easier than working for a micro office. I got lucky - the people I work with are very cool, even though we share almost no interests.