What jobs are normally being looked for in Japan?
 

Well....I would love to go to Japan one day and live there and get a job, however, Just curious, what kind of Jobs are they interested in? I heard they like IT related careers, Law, and Business......I am doing Bachelor of COmmunications, will that be sufficient?

Looking to hear from you guys, thanks

I am not sure I understand the question. What sort of jobs are who interested in? Or do you mean what sort of jobs are available?

I think he means 'What jobs are available in Japan, for foreigners?'. @kakaislegend - I think IT is one. I'm happy about this as I'm studying IT. lol. I'm sure MMM can help now. He knows his stuff. Or anyone else with info. I think teaching English (or at least assisting) if English is a first-language, can be considered as one as well :)

as long as you are qualified and you don't have to face or simply don't have a language barrier then any job is on the table.

why people seem not to be able to understand that japan is like any other country? if you have brains you'll get a job. simple as that. just because culture is different doesn't mean they are not interested in qualified workforce.

Whilst this is true there is a higher demand for certain jobs in certain countries, thus if you're qualified in an area for which there is a demand then you'll be more likely to get a job. Example, I heard that there is a large demand for nurses in Australia, so a nurse would find getting a job easier than other areas. In Japan there seems to be a demand for English teachers, and IT, and so these jobs are easier to get than others.

If you're qualified in something and fluent in Japanese then you probably could easily get a job in that area, however you'd be competing against Japanese nationals, so the liklihood of getting said job is no different to competing for it in your home country.

Though I've never been to Japan, I love researching stuff, and I came across this nifty job search. It seems IT, teaching, and international jobs that are not located in Japan, but under Japanese companies, are the most popular. However, right now, jobs are in high demand and small supply, so not only foreigners and immigrants, but also Japanese citizens are competing more and more for these jobs. It looks like it's gonna be a little tough, but I hope this helps!

Actually it's not that easy even if you are fluent in Japanese to get a job with a Japanese company. The employer will have to show pretty good reason as to why they are choosing a foreigner to fill a position if they wish to sponsor your work visa. So most of the opportunities for foreigners in jobs like IT will be through foreign companies with branches in Japan. Getting jobs here for positions other than english teaching is not like competing for a job in your home country. Getting a job in any overseas country is not as easy as getting one in your home country unless you have very specialised skills which are uncommon in the country you are looking to get a job in.

Thank you everyone for the honest answers.

Yes what I mean is "In Japan, what kind of jobs are they looking for?"

I am doing Bachelor of Communications....and hoping to do a Major in Japanese at University, so I can work in media, and things like that. However, i have a bad feeling that these types of jobs are not really popular in Japan, therefore I will have little chance of finding a job there? Damn...hope im wrong...

By the way, I live in Australia, where bachelor degrees are obtained in 3 years, with the exception of doctor...lawyer...etc which take 4-6 years.

Thats because some websites say I have to have spent 4 years on a degree....but doesn't that only apply to USA? Here in Aus we only need 3 years to get a bachelor.




Any any information about jobs, living in Japan will be appreciated.

I think I know what you are asking, but you are having trouble asking it.

Who is "they"?

Well, the Japanese employers :)

At least in American English, "looking for" means you are wanting to be hired. "hiring for" means you are an employer hiring for a position.

I think you are fine with the 3-year degree if that is what is the standard in Australia. I met plenty of Australians, and I don't think they did any extra years.

Other than english teaching in one form or another there'd be very few Japanese companies looking to hire foreigners. If you have business level Japanese then maybe some Japanese companies that have overseas clients might be looking for someone with native english.

O...k....

So I guess just the thought of moving to Japan is really really difficult.....

Isn't Japan just like any other country? If you want to live there, you gotta have a degree, be fluent in Japanese, etc?

I am thinking of looking for a host family(homestay). What is the best use of this? I mean, what do people normally do while living with a host family? Are they on holidays? Or maybe they are looking for a job?

So basically what do people do if they live with a host family?

Japan isn't exactly like any other country. If it was why would you specifically want to come live here? ;)

One thing to note is that Japan doesn't really have immigration as such. Certainly not like it is in say Australia, where I'm from, which has an annual immigration intake of well over 100,000 people. They just don't really do that here. They'll let you stay if you have a sponsored work visa or you get married to a Japanese national.
Generally these days you'll only be able to get a 1 year sponsored work visa that can easily be renewed each year through the same company or another one. After 3 years with the same company they'll normally grant you a 3 year visa. If you haven't married a Japanese national during that time you'll need to be here approximately 10 years before you can apply for permanent residency.

There are lots of foreign owned companies with branches in major cities throughout Japan and it is these companies that you'll have a decent chance of getting a job that is not english teaching related. Having fluent Japanese is often not essential at all at these companies. Conversational ability is often enough.

It's not incredibly hard to get jobs here but you're not just going to walk into jobs that a Japanese national could do just as easily. This is why most opportunities are either in the english teaching field or with foregn owned companies.

you are telling me that japanese businessmen are stupid?
it souds like it...
anyone in business with his brain cells working knows to hire more qualified workforce.
sounds like japan is a special case from the rest of the world were ones skills and abilities are not a higher value to the company than being a native worker.
if they are as you say - not interested in foreigners - then, well, thats just stupid on so many levels.

so....im going on a leap and say you actually dont have a clue about things like that :cool:

well I guess your many years of living and working here has helped to inform your opinion :rolleyes:

If you think I'm wrong then ok see if you can find any foreigners on the boards or are CEO's of any publicly listed Japanese companies. Good luck! :cool:

If I can do it, anyone can. Host families are generally for students, not for working folks. You can't really come to Japan and look for a job and expect to be hired. Most people are recruited in their home country and then movie to Japan. Look at things like the JET Program.


That's not what he said at all. Japan is not Europe where you have dozens of countries all crowded together with open borders. Japan is an island country that was literally separated from the rest of the world for hundreds of years. No one asked you to like it.

Just trying to give people a realistis idea of what it's like to try and work in Japan. If you're wanting a job in a career related to what you are studying in your home country (outside of the english teaching sphere) then you'll struggle to get a job with a Japanese company unless you have business level Japanese or a specialist skill not commonly found in Japan. To secure a sponsored work visa for you a Japanese company will have to be reasonably convincing that a Japanese national can't be found who could do the job just as well. They have to justify hiring a foreigner.
That's not to say you can't get a job here. You'll just probably end up working for a foreign owned company that has branches in Japan. As MMM points out most positions if you don't already have a working visa will need to be applied for from your home country. You can do what I did and use an english teaching job just as a stepping stone to get the visa and then move on to things you'd prefer to do.

jesus..
my main point was that people make it sound illogical - you can be only in the IT or english teaching.
any company should be interested in qualified people without caring what nation they are from.
anyone should be able to work anywhere in their respective fields as long as language isnt a problem...

Just because what you're suggesting makes complete logical sense doesn't mean that's how it is done in Japan.
I completely agree with you though. Certianly in Australia top executive positions in major companies are advertised worldwide seeking the best of the best. Many of the top positions in the biggest companies are held by non Australians because of this.
In Japan though there is still a pretty strong culture of promoting from within the company. Also top executives in Japan are paid only a fraction of what is normal in major international companies. CEO's at Japans 100 biggest companies only average something like $1.5 million dollars a year. The average in the top 100 companies in the US is nearly 10 times that. So even if Japan did seek out the best of the best for executive positions in their companies (which they don't) then I don't think there'd be all that many interested.

Well...yes I hope to learn Japanese and then maybe move there...

If I work here, what is the likelihood of being sent to japan anyway lol. Its not like I can ask my boss "Hey sir....will you send me to work in Japan?" right?

To be honest I thought about that too....it would be good if the company I will be working for actually sends me away to japan...

Aim to get a position in a company that has branches in Japan and that may be a possibility! Especially if you get your Japanese skills up to a good standard.
The real trick to working in Japan is to get a working visa. Traditionally the easiest way is to apply through programs like JET or through large eikaiwa schools.

Yes so my final question I guess is....is Communications pretty popular in Japan, is it high in demand like IT or Business related jobs?

Or at the very least, can people with a degree in Communications find a job fairly the same like any other job? Or its going to be super hard because communications isnt popular?

How good is your Japanese? Unlike I/T where programming languages are a common link between the western world and Japan, I'd imagine that communications would probably entail a very good command of the Japanese language. Perhaps at a higher level than the average Japanese citizen depending on the job.

Your best bet would be to find a multinational corporation which has ties to Japan.

I work for one of the worlds largest I/T companies and I had the opportunity to transfer to our Japanese division years ago. Of course I didn't take it because I'd like to have a life outside of work. :ywave:

Unfortunately people do not always do what is logical or most efficient. But I think that you will find Japanese hire foreigners in postions where they are specifically looking for them.

There is a fairly strict system in Japan when comes to entering into a company. Most Japanese who get into the good jobs, follow the path of college and then immediately enter into the workforce in April following their graduation in March, those who go outside of this system may find it hard to enter into companies as full fledged employees, those who leave their jobs before retirement may find it hard to enter back into the workforce at the same level. These of course are not absolutes and depends on the field and the company, but this is what I have picked up from talking to Japanese people about this over the years I have lived here.

If you ever come live in Japan and experience how things are done here you will see what I mean.

As for me, the foreigners I have run into that were not students or English teachers here in Japan were one of three things.

1. They started their own business, or were working for a foreigner who started their own business.

2. They were brought over here by their company.

3. They got a job with a Japanese company as a translator, or they were hired for one reason or another because they are a foreigner, and speak English or whatever.

I have yet to meet a foreigner who came over here looking for work (non-English teaching) and just got hired on through the ranks like a regular Japanese person would. (at something other than a convenient store).