Future Possibilities - Moving to Japan
 

Basically I'd just like to discuss various things with regards to moving and working in Japan in the future.

- At this point i'm only interest in general discussion and advice. Nothing
heavy, just general tips.


I'm currently 24.
I have travelled around the world a lot, and Japan is the next place on my agenda. I plan to visit a few times before making a choice of whether to move there or not.
And at least once live with a Japanese family and get some idea of what life is like there.
I am the type of person who lives life by experiencing things, and 1 thing i feel it is important to experience (for me personally) is living in another country at some point.
I would love it if i could experience this in Japan. Whether it's permanent or not is irrelevant and to be decided once i do it. Right now, i simply want to experience it.


Firstly i'd like to discuss jobs, and working life in Japan, and where my qualifications would get me.

I am currently employed at Draeger, a Safety, Medical and Aerospace company and i work in Quality Control/Engineering as the Calibration Department Manager.
Main Quals:
- HNC mechanical Engineering
- NVQ Technical Services
- Business Ambassador certification
- Quality Control Auditor certification

I am also studying an Open University degree, (Hons).
For this i am including Environmental, Engineering Technology and Networking at level 1...but i'm unsure as to what to cover in level 2/3.
Maybe my plans to move to Japan will influence this?

So, any idea whether those qualificaions in the UK, plus an Open Hons Degree (mainly covering modern engineering and technology) would give me a good chance at finding work in Japan?

And any advice as to which units to study during my Open Degree? It can cover absolutely anything, so I can really tailor it to suit my plans.


Also, if i stayed in Engineering what level of Japanese language would be expected of me?
I've only just tsarted learning, but i would hope i am quite advanced by the time i would be moving.

That's it for now, i'll enquire about more things after discussing thse points. Thanks in advance.

:ywave:

Ok, this isn't just you, it's something I see fairly often, but what makes you think there are lots of host families for adults in Japan? Is it a common thing where you live for a family to let some foreign adult move in with them? Sure, there are some families that host exchange students but the max is usually high school age. Many Japanese homes are smaller and so the practice of renting out spare rooms to a stranger is not at all common in my experience. If I wanted to go to England, as a 38 year old man, could I find a British family to host me for a while to really see what British family life is like? Are there agencies for that sort of thing?

Sorry for the mini-rant...

I really have to ask (and sorry if it sounds offensive), but what is the point in an open degree? It seems nearly as useless as a half/half degree (I forget the name of those). I mean it shows you're intellegent enough to pass a degree level standard of education, but it's a mix of all different courses and subjects, so you won't be really qualified at any one thing.

You mentioned at one point that most of the courses for this degree would probably be engineering and technology based, in which case I'd strongly recomend just taking an engineering or technology degree. That way you have a qualification that entitles you to work in a good proffession, because I'm pretty certain an open degree isn't the right kind of qualification to enter any job in such fields as engineering/technology.

I think OP means an Open University degree. It can be subject specific, it's just a degree that you can take whilst working/part time. It's quite popular in the UK amongst unqualified professionals as it allows to to get a degree without having to relocate, quit work, leave your family etc. Although it doesn't have quite as much clout as a conventional degree, it's getting more credible and it is considered a valid degree here in the UK.

Ah, thanks, but I knew what an Open Univeristy degree is and what it can do :) It's just there is an actual 'open degree' that the Open Univeristy offers, I thought that was what the OP was planning to take. I know the univeristy offers many qualifications and that an open degree is one of them, but if I was mistaken as he was meaning 'Open Univeristy degree' rather than 'open degree' then I apologise.

It's quite alright. I should apologise as well; I totally missed your location tag or I would have realized you would know about the Open University.

It's not that uncommon. Many universities with exchange programs will set students up with host families. The university in Japan that I had an exchange with usually has over 50 students per year stay with a host family - most of the students are in their 20s, some even in the 30s.

I don't know how internationally recognised your certificates are, and one thing I would say is that Japan often refuses to accept anything other than its own certification. (e.g. Teachers, Doctors, Nurses etc.) So if you are looking at going into engineering - be prepared to start again at the bottom.

Furthermore, as I am sure you have thought about - in a very homogenous workforce, and especially in an industry where miscommunication can cost lives, a high level of Japanese language ability would be a must.

However, you're definately heading the right direction getting a degree as it is still the ticket for foreigners looking for sponsorship for a work visa. If you would be happy getting a job teaching english then you will have no problem finding work.

Remember that your travels to Japan are likely to be a mere sojourn so I would do whatever units will help your longterm career goals (not to mention that it is unlikely doing a unit related to Japan will make any different to getting a job, unless perhaps you were applying to the JET programme - but I am not sure if they accept OU degrees anyway?).

I just quickly checked the site's FAQ on eligibility to apply. It says "Any type of Bachelor's degree from a recognised university is sufficient." The OU is a recognised univeristy, and so I believe that they would in fact accept an OU degree.

You will need JLPT level 1 or 2, I am afraid (fluency). Engineering is a competitive market as it is in Japan. You always have to ask yourself the following question:

"What can I offer a Japanese employer that my equivalent Japanese cannot?".

English teaching as an ALT or Eikaiwa is probably your best bet unless you really do go to town on your language proficiency. Poke you nose in Gaijinpot if you want to look at possible jobs. Here is one engineering post just to confirm:

They are looking for native in Chinese as well for that one. ;)