Hard to get into. Then four years of partying.

I have worked for several Japanese bosses and have been a part of the hiring process.

The FIRST thing a Japaneses boss looks at is what University you graduated from. All the other stuff is icing on the cake, but you are going to have extreme difficulties without some sort of degree.

I have impeccable references if that makes any difference.

I can get at least 4 references from high ranking Reuters data centre personel as I worked for the Global Network Control Center (GNCC) DTC-L and was well respected for my work and skill set.

To tell the truth, I was beyond university by 16 years old, I had already been working for two years as an assembly coder and also sound FX for various 8 bit computer games. At 16 I could code in Assem, Machine code, Cobal, forth and a touch of Pascal. I met various older people who had been to uni at the time and I will tell you that I knew alot more about computers and programming than 90% of the uni bods I ran into.

If it is the norm for J-companies to go by Uni stats alone then many high skilled workers will never get a chance too shine.

So by this silence am I right in thinking refs are not good enough?

F*ck it. I am good with a sword. I will cut down any opposition in my way. If we must fight for a job then I will present myself in Japan and remove all other lesser swords in my path.
Did I mention that I can command a satellite laser to burn any company that refuses me a job ;)

Thats not true!!!! this is what most people think about MOST universities all over the world!!! but it just isn't true! The people that just party all the time, never actually pass!! Uni isn't piss easy most of the time

Thats true, but its the safest bet for companies!!! finishing uni shows that you are able to commit to something and finish it, and also shows that you are generally smarter than most!!!

I dunno, EVERYONE over here seems to agree that university in Japan is a bit of a joke...

Except the people who actually study, you mean?

I went to university in Japan (not an exchange course - normal Japanese university.) and it wasn`t a joke. Neither was my husband`s university, nor those of any of our friends. The people who DID party the whole time paid for their actions.

The big thing is, it`s harder to get in than it is to stay in. You can do an awful job, and you`re not going to fail. But that doesn`t mean that any company you apply to isn`t going to check how well you did, and base part of their opinion on that.

Saying that Japanese universities are a joke is a bit insulting to those who actually worked hard - like most people I know.

ETA: The biggest difference I noticed between Japanese universities and those in the US - They don`t TRAIN you for your job in a Japanese university. The company you go to work for does all the work related training. University is just for building up knowledge.

Fair enough, but all the people I have spoken to on the subject at my work studied abroad for a gap year, and not one disagreed that the Japanese study years were a joke by comparison...

in what way is it a joke? i don't understand exactly what that means :confused: cos afterall, if i do Math in japan or in england or USA, after the degree, no matter what country i studied in, the course would have been the same!!!

Lets put it this way, if you mean its a joke cos lots of people party and there are not many lectures etc etc... its the same in england cos look at cambridge or oxford. i know lots of people there. they have MAX 12 hours of lessons per week!!!... then take me, i'm in france, and i have minimum 30 hours of lessons per week!!! french people think england is a joke, but when they actually go to england. most fail!! what people don't realise is that in UK and i'm sure in japan also, uni is suposed to be 70% individual work, and 30%guided!! so those people that party, might just pass with the average. but they sure as hell won't be accepted into a Masters program or something where it really counts

They just said the exams are really simplistic in comparison to american examinations

Funnily enough, I studied mathematics in England (The University of Sheffield) and I was doing a lot more than 12hours a week...