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Studying/Working in Japan

Started 7 years ago by Michio, currently has 17 posts - latest post is by Geerie

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- living in japan
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Michio

At first I was typing way too much and I felt like I was telling my life's story. To the point:

Basically, I wanted to go work or study in Japan, perhaps even eventually live there permanently. I've always wanted to teach, I didn't care in what. I'm a math major (pure mathematics plan). Before being interested in something like this, I was going to just stay in academia and eventually get a phd. I should have my bachelor's degree (a 4-year degree) in maybe 5 more semesters. I live in America.

I had a chance to go study in Japan a while ago, but then I didn't have the money. :(

I read about the JET program for people wanting to teach English in Japan, and all you needed was a 4-year degree in anything. But that's only temporary.

All the jobs I've heard of foreigners getting seem to be very business oriented, and I wonder how some of them just suddenly found good jobs out of nowhere. As much as I love math... I can't do anything with a degree in mathematics other than teach unless I switch now and get some sort of applied mathematics degree.

All advice appreciated.

Posted 7 years ago # Quote
Artefact

English teaching is a waste of time, and pays poorly too. Avoid it if possible.

Finance and IT offer reasonable career prospects in Japan for non-Japanese, as does engineering. All of these can use maths, as you are aware. Doing your phd in Japan might also be interesting, and will provide a visa.

Most would advise against leaping into a career for which you have no real driving interest, however.

Posted 7 years ago # Quote
Michio

Thanks. I was aware that teaching English gets you paid nothing. -.-

Do they often hire foreigners for engineering jobs? And doing my phd in Japan... that sounds expensive. How would that work?

Posted 7 years ago # Quote
Artefact

If you can get the job in the US or elsewhere, you could probably get it in Japan. You would need good language skills in most work, and actually getting the position is another matter.

You can work a little as a student. There are also grants and so forth. But otherwise you would need to pay both fees and living expenses yourself.

Posted 7 years ago # Quote
Ichiro Ino

I'm being kind of envious right now with the both of you...

what's the employment/unemployment rate in japan? is it hard to get a Visa to go there? I'm having problems with my plans after school. I'm a computer science student. I am more capable in IT related field and also networking, and I always think out-of-the-box. And I also animate and draw as a hobby. What do you think are my chances? i would invest money for a plane ticket/requirements/etc. So how hard would it be to go there and stay there? I when I mean stay, I mean to have a house and live there permanently.

Posted 7 years ago # Quote
Michio

http://www.daijob.com/en/

IT seems to be the second most popular for hiring, so I guess you're in luck.

If you do well in school and have a decent resume, you might be able to get an interview with a company that will pay for your travel expenses.

I'm guessing being at business-level Japanese is a must.

I don't know if I like engineering... heh. Civil/architectural/environment engineering has a lot of entry level positions anywhere in the world, so I may check that out.

Posted 7 years ago # Quote
Ichiro Ino

Michio said:

If you do well in school and have a decent resume, you might be able to get an interview with a company that will pay for your travel expenses.

I guess I'm out of luck... I had lots of absences, I failed some of my class T_T, because I've been very sick from those times.

BUT, that doesn't mean I didn't know anything. that happened years ago, I'm okay now. If only jobs were skill-related. My teachers/professors tell I'm skilled (as far as I now, I am), they sympathize over my situation not been able to go to school due to illness.

Will there still be any chances? how about including awards in the resume'?

Posted 7 years ago # Quote
Michio

Honestly work experience and knowing the right people are going to be the best thing.

In America, positive letters of recommendation are the best thing to have in an application to university. You can have not-so-great grades, but if your teachers like you and talk about all these good things about you and put that in your application... you'll have as good as chance as the person with all A's.

Also, 4-year college degrees are starting to be worth nothing in America. Everyone has them, so employers aren't impressed anymore just because you have a college degree that everyone else has.

tl;dr Suck up to your teachers, have work experience, put together some kind of "portfolio" if that's possible (anything you made that's relevant to the job... make sure it's actually good and worth weeks or months of work), and at least pass all your classes.

Posted 7 years ago # Quote
Ichiro Ino

thank you! gonna ask recommendations from my teachers. and yes, I'm trying to pass all my subjects.

I have an uncle who owns a company in the US, he's a system analyst, and most of our relatives gets employed by him. He's really rich, he lives in a yacht.

But I don't want to be there, I really want to be where I think I will be happy, and where most of my interests are...

Posted 7 years ago # Quote
Michio

That's fine. Trolls will say you fail for being so obsessive with Japan that you OMG have to live there. But hey, if that's what makes you happy, then go for it. ;)

Honestly I'd rather be anywhere other than America. I was better off being semi-poor in the Philippines than being middle class here.

Posted 7 years ago # Quote
Quen

The traditional entry route for foreigners has been English-teaching for quite a long while now, but as Artefact said, it is best avoided because of the low-pay, plus it is generally regarded as a dead-end job by most and doesn't impress many Japanese when on a resume.

It is an option many still take despite that, however, with the idea of trying to find a real job once in Japan...

In any case, since you're an American, unless you go to Japan to continue your education, you'll need that 4 year degree to be eligible for a visa that'll allow you to legally be employed in Japan (unless there's been some revisions in the past few years I haven't heard of).

ichiro_ino said:

what's the employment/unemployment rate in japan? is it hard to get a Visa to go there?

It's not great at the moment, but that's also the case in many other countries I believe.

Visas depend on your country's arrangements with the Japanese gov't - Australians and Canadians can easily get a "working vacation" visa, but most other countries (including USA) have a more involved process. Google your local Japanese Embassy to find more.

The one thing that likely won't change will be the necessity of a 4-year college degree, so keep on that~

P.S. Danny Choo might have some old blog post regarding this, and there definitely was one involving apartment/house hunting I remember. A search there might be useful.

Posted 7 years ago # Quote
Ichiro Ino

Thanks Mina, that's encouraging enough...

Michio said:

Honestly I'd rather be anywhere other than America. I was better off being semi-poor in the Philippines than being middle class here.

I'm semi-poor in the Philippines, with all the news saying people get laid everywhere this is very problematic. But they say IT and Call center employees/agents are getting more hired.

I don't know what you call this, getting paid to do something? like programming, fixing computers and animating... I get paid for that, I'm a freelancer..

would that count as an experience?

Posted 7 years ago # Quote
muteKi

ichiro_ino said:
I'm semi-poor in the Philippines, with all the news saying people get laid everywhere this is very problematic. But they say IT and Call center employees/agents are getting more hired.

I think you mean "laid off". Otherwise I may find myself heading off to the Philippines.

Posted 7 years ago # Quote
Ichiro Ino

yeah that's what I mean.. sorry for that...

"laid off"

Posted 7 years ago # Quote
basilio

muteKi said:

I think you mean "laid off". Otherwise I may find myself heading off to the Philippines.

Exactly what I was thinking...

Question though - are international references applicable? I mean, one can stuff his resume full of goodies, but then what's most important are still the references, right?

Posted 7 years ago # Quote
Michio

muteKi said:

I think you mean "laid off". Otherwise I may find myself heading off to the Philippines.

I was confused at first when I read "laid everywhere".

Also the economic situation is bad worldwide. I think over 3 million jobs were lost here in the US since September.

Posted 7 years ago # Quote
Geerie

Michio said:

I was confused at first when I read "laid everywhere".

Also the economic situation is bad worldwide. I think over 3 million jobs were lost here in the US since September.

aint that the truth i quit my job before things started happening like this i havnt been able to find one anywhere... i almost got hired at circuit city but after they called me they were closed down.

Posted 7 years ago # Quote

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