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. ;)

Well i've already looked into this and although it's not as common as younger people doing homestay, the option is still available.
I've found more than 1 website which allows UK travellers to stay with a Japanese family although they do require to find out a lot about you beforehand.
They have various Japanese families in towns around the coutry and will set you up with 1 which suits your requirements.

I believe as long as you have a genuine interest in the culture in question, there would be people willing to let you stay.
I mean i'd be happy to have an older person from Japan stay with me. And in all honesty i'd prefer that to a younger person. I would have little or no interest in conversing with a 17-18 year old as they would be much younger than myself.

I understand your point.
However, although i'm getting an 'open degree' it will cover 90% of the units from a full engineering and technology degree. The only units it will not cover are some level 1 units which i have more than covered in my HNC qualification (which is the equivilent to level 1 in a uni degree).

So effectively by studying level 2-3 in engineering technology, i have covered it all.
So for level 1, i wanted to take on other units which i believe will help me in the specific path i wish to follow because engineering in itself is a very broad subject.
I will cover 'environmental' and 'networking' too.

Also, i already have 9 years experience running my own department in a massive worldwide engineering company. Based on research i've been doing (writing to companies etc) i have found that my experience usually outweighs those with degrees anyway.
So if i add a degree then i'm simply boosting my chances even more.

As for the relevance of Open Uni qualifications, from my understanding a lot of companies actually prefer them to campus university degree's. Initially you may wonder why...but consider the fact that i have to work full time, and study full time.
How many people come from campus uni and lack any real skills or knowledge?



I'm not going into it blind. I looked into a lot of things and it seems to be the best way to go. At least for now. The good thing is i can change when i want. Even if i do level 1 as i am, i can simply do more level 1 units than is required and cover everything. It's quite flexable.

I think the language would be the main issue then.
I believe i'll be capable of speaking it very well...but fluently? I'm not sure.
To be honest i think learning to speak a language fluently requires constant use and probably far more dedication than i have time for.

As for what i can offer...well that depends really and is something i also need to look into.
My current experience is Calibration. (over a varied range of equipment) Obviously in the UK, legislation for this practise is quite strict and all companies are forced to comply or they can not manufacture goods.

I would assume it is the same worldwide? because it's necessary for quality control. And who would want to buy a product from a company who does not verify their equipment accuracy?
Now, this is where maybe i'd have something to offer. I think based on my experiences in my company (who sell to all countries in the world) i could be a valuable asset to a company who does wish to have their own calibration department and who wish to distribute goods worldwide - especially to the UK market.
It's a bit of a niche job though.

Now, someone from Japan could learn all that too...but that's the same with almost anything.



I would also consider setting up my own company, as it's something i had considered doing here in the UK.
I'm not sure how good of an idea it is to set up a company in a foreign country though.

Thanks for the replies so far.

I know there is a lot of questions coming from people about various things. But remember, i'm not doing anything specifically to get into Japan as i don't think that is a sensible way to go about it.

And Japan is also not the only country i would move to.
Canada is somewhere i would very much like to live too.

I just like to discuss various things and just get a general idea of how various things work etc.
Career wise i've already been sucessfull, but i figure that while i'm still young i should consider a possible move abroad...

I know it's the same old life really. Work, Work, Work...but it'd still be a very interesting experience.

That is why jobs for foreigners in Japan are more or less limited to those where being foreign is an advantage- English teaching, translating, or jobs in finance and IT for those with work experience elsewhere and fairly good Japanese skills.

Basically if a Japanese person can do the job, a company is unlikely to go to the trouble of preparing all the visa paperwork needed to hire a foreigner.

Starting a business in a country you haven't spent much time in and where you don't speak the language fluently? Doesn't sound like a good idea really.

To get the visa to run a business here one of the requirements is to hire two Japanese nationals as full time staff, so it isn't something you can do unless you have quite a bit of capital to start with.

That is the major problem. I have found the same issues with Canada and they speak my language.

Maybe i've just missed the boat in a sense. If i had spent some time in a foreign country (or a few) when i was younger it would have been fine. I had zero commitments. For numerous years i had very high pay and lived with parents (16-22), and saved up a lot of money.
However i wasted it all on expensive cars and i can't change the past.

Now that i've bought a house and settled down it's considerably harder to move. I have commitments which require a good wage, so changing careers and starting at the bottom is not really an option.

I may yet have a chance though...once my loans are finished my only commitment is my house. Now because i'm in positive equity then selling it, moving and starting a job for a lower pay would be possible.

End of the day i could experience it for a few years then come back and easily find a job which pays well again.



I'm not really that fond of the business idea anywhere, even in the UK. To be honest unless it was going to be insanely sucessfull and make me rich then i'm more than happy to let someone else deal with all that and pay me well but have a lot less responsibility.
Plus, with current economy situations i think starting a business is a bad idea.
If i had planned right i would have had sufficient capitol to pay 2 or more wages for 1-2 years but i didn't...so the ideas pretty much redundant really.

Maybe i should just settle with going on holiday numerous times. I know you don't really get to experience a culture properly as a tourist but if i could indeed stay with a family then that would be great.
I'll be at least looking into that option first and foremost.

Emigrating is something i just like to think about and maybe 1 day it will happen. Guess we'll see.

Just for the record, I wasn't doubting the relevance of Open Univeristy qualifications, and I realise their value and importance. I simply thought you were doing what it actually called an 'open degree' with the Open Uni, which is a formal degree but comprised of a variety of courses from different subject areas, which is also how you made it sound. I'm sorry if I was wrong.

Regardless as you've explained it seems you've really looked into the matter, and I didn't realise that experience counts for more than the qualifications themselves. I can see why a degree of any sort would help you, and I truly wish you luck in achieving your goals :)

Apologies for not clarifying that. I'm not doing 100% in 1 subject but almost all of it is. But like i say the 10% from another subject is purely because my current qualification covers level 1 Engineering. However due to not studying for 4-5 years i wanted to start back at level 1 to get back into it. Afterall, my company pays for it so i might as well learn even more. :cool:

But i do agree that a full 'open degree' is a little pointless.
Some people just like to keep studying because they are scared of getting into the real world and getting a job.
I found by having a job since i left school and studying at the same time that other employers much prefer this over University students.

End of the day it shows i have acheived the same qualification as them, in the same time frame and all the while putting it all into practise every day at work.
I know from personal experience of Uni graduates coming into my company that they generally don't know half of what they think they do. Things you only learn by working, and things you can not be taught.

Thanks, nice of you to say so. :vsign:



As for moving to Japan, my company actually has a premises in Japan. However it's only a sales office and when looking at the website only 2-3 of them actually look Japanese...which kind of defeats the point.
Although, at least i'd get to have a bit experience of working life in Japan if i went out there for a few months. Maybe a possible option to consider, although again...if i was single it'd be easy. Not so much as i am not leaving my partner for 3 months!!!