# Working in Japan: My chances.



## sc1988

Hello everyone. As the title states, I am hoping to find some information relating to my chances of finding a job in Japan, preferably non-teaching. Thank you in advance for any information received! Let me start with a bit of information about my situation...

*Introduction*

I'm from the UK and a native English speaker. Since a young age, Asia and particularly Japan always fascinated me. I travelled Asia (China and beyond) quite extensively, but for whatever reason, never got around to visiting Japan. I worked in South Korea (teaching English) for a period and that part of my life definitely had its ups and downs.

I definitely do not want to teach the young learners ever again, however it is still my dream to work in Asia (Japan) in the near future. I'm just a little bit unsure as to the best ways to go about this and how my credentials reflect my chances.

*My Credentials*

- BA (English literature and Italian)
- Fluent in English and Italian
- 1 year teaching experience in South Korea.
- some experience, namely administrative and the like in the UK.
- Currently studying in the UK again for my master's in International Relations (Diplomacy).

*General Questions*

1. Would my credentials be good enough to find something in Japan? If not, what would you describe as the best way to break in?

2. Would it be possible to find a job from my home country, or would it be essential to do this on the ground?

3. Would language skills be essential or merely an added advantage?

4. Can anybody give me some resources or methods for finding employment in Japan?

I think that just about covers it for now. 

Thank you again for helping.

Stew.


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## mutsugo

How about UK embassy or consulate located in Tokyo?


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## lorgnette

My Credentials

- BA (English literature and Italian)
- Fluent in English and Italian
- 1 year teaching experience in South Korea.
- some experience, namely administrative and the like in the UK.
- Currently studying in the UK again for my master's in International Relations (Diplomacy).

It is harsh that without firm industrial experiences, your chance of competing with insitu foreigners with years of Japanese language fluency and skillset* or qualified locals is slim. Your one year teaching Korean pupils has no merit or edge with Japanese school qualification. Koreans and Japanese have different language, culture, traditions and school system with nothing in common except a foundation in some Chinese characters and phases (e.g., yochien). You had not mention any fluency in Japanese so your credits are native English speaker and a undergraduate (meeting the basic requirement for Immigration and a possible candidate for ESL teacher). Yes, the demands in ESL teaching jobs are highly competitive. 

It is less easy to penetrate the Japanese workforce with language barrier, lack of connections in a hierarchal workforce system. Ultimately, what are skills you will offer to a prospective employer to convince a recruiter to push your resume forward to the next step?


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## Glenski

You are barely qualified to teach, let alone do anything else in Japan.

If you have little to no Japanese language skills, forget about working in Japan in non-teaching positions other than bars (mostly for gaijin) or at the outside maybe a foreign company which operates in Japan using mostly or only English (rare).

You MIGHT get an intracompany transfer visa to come here, but you'd have to work at the home base outside Japan first for a whole year.

What is your "some experience, namely administrative"? If it's entry level or thereabouts, again, forget Japan. You're going to have to step up to the plate and get some real skills/experience and language ability. Put it this way: how would a non-English speaking/reading person fare in the UK?

Career Cross and daijob.com will show you what you need.


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## larabell

While I'd mostly agree with Glenski's assessment of your chances, there are a couple of things I'd like to point out... mostly for anyone reading this post in the archives.

There are some non-teaching jobs here that don't require Japanese fluency, but... almost all of them require some other kind of skill that is difficult to find in Japan. Tech support for companies headquartered in the UK or the US pops to mind. I know quite a few people in that industry whose Japanese was pretty much non-existent when they first came over. One manager I know was looking for techs who could install servers in a data center and he said Japanese was a non-requirement because pretty much all of the interactions on that job were with his IT guys in the States. In your particular case, with no tech experience, that's probably not an option but I didn't want everyone to get the impression that non-Japanese-speaking jobs were as rare as dodo birds.

Also... you don't necessarily have to work for a company for a year before they can send you over. The "Inter-company transferee" visa may require that but if you're qualified for one of the other visa categories such as "Business Manager", "International Services", or "Engineer" there are no minimum requirements. Obviously, no company is going to ship a new hire to Japan unless they have an urgently-required skill or an impressive track record so I doubt my comment applies in your case. But it is possible to land a brand-new job and be in Japan soon afterward... just difficult.

Also... don't get the impression that Japanese fluency will guarantee you a job in Japan. Just remember that there are far more native Japanese with the same skill set as yourself competing for the same entry-level jobs and some of them even speak English. If you throw visa sponsorship into your requirements and don't bring any hard-to-find skills to the table, your chances of beating out the competition is very slim, indeed. I'd suggest you find a job at home with a company that does substantial business in Japan, build up a good reputation within that company, then ask about openings in their Japan office. I think that's the best approach given your situation.


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## boatracers

you'll get an english teaching job no prob


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## Patch66

*note*

not relevant to poster but just to note. 10 years industry experience gets you into Japan on respective Visa also. fwiw i fit into this category plus very limited J Skills and yet I secured a middle management position in an Intl Company. Dont give up hope if your a non degree holder.


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