I.T Industry in Japan
 

I wanted to know how the I.T industry in the Japan, at the moment. What job roles and skills are in demand in the Japanese IT market?

for a foreigner ... Japanese skill is on the top of the list. But there are some companies in Tokyo that don't require Japanese skill .

oh and don't try the cellphone dev project... :D

Yeah, I'd also like to know about I.T. jobs in Japan, seeing as I'm doing a degree in I.T. and would eventually like to have an I.T. related job there. (Once I've learned to speak Japanese.)

same here...u're not alone (a)lonewolf-san...:)

i currently work in an I.T. related environment and kinda hoping too to find an I.T. related job in Japan...once of course i've learned to speak some Japanese...:)

i see...but i'm just curious, why do we have to stay away from cellphone dev project?

...and samokan-san, i read somewhere (maybe on the "what do u do" thread) that u work as a programmer...if u won't mind, what specific programming language(s) do u do? visual-basic? java? perl? and what do u think are the specific programming / i.t. skills that are in great demand in japan?

@ShibaInu, yes I do work as a software engineer. Why not cellphone? if you are willing to work for more than 200hours per month minimum its up to you :D. Actually, it is a very interesting project, you get to handle all the latest cellphones and try different technologies, especially if your on the application side. Right now, am no longer interested on working for any telecommunication project, no more sleepless night please :D

what I know? depends on what the project requires :D . I had tried diff languages both in school and in work, but I can't say I am far from being an expert. Basically, c/c++, oop languages : java vc++ , c#, vb. This past year, all my project are new to me, especially the languages fortunately internet is available and lots of guru out there who are willing to lend their knowlegde and tips.

actually, language is an advantage. If you know the language it is a very big advantage. Attitude towards work and dedication is the most important factor. Your willingnes to learn and try something new.

if you have anymore question. just post them here, ill try to give some pointers if I can :D

During my last trip to Japan, my Mother in Law was quizing me about the hours I put into my job. She was curious because IT workers in Japan typically work EXTREMELY long hours. Apparently they make the long hours of an American Sys Admin look like a vacation to a resort island.

The advice I would give you, based on what I've been told, is to simply not do it.

yes comparing it to an american IT company, they have more flexible time than the Japanes IT industries.

ok, i get it now...we have to work sooo many hours on cellphone devt companies...actually, i'm a kinda workaholic and would rather work long hours in the company rather than do clubbing or get drunk...but u're right, we all need to get some sleep sometimes...:D

Yeah, i think i can be very dedicated (being workaholic as i am) to my work as long as i like it...:D

But language is something that i need to work on...i guess i have to study japanese harder then...is it enough to just learn the spoken language or do we also need to learn the written language?

lol, thanks for the advice...but i'm kinda workaholic as i've mentioned on my previous post so i may still try being an IT worker in Japan, and maybe regret it afterwards..:D

if you can do all, read, write and speak. then you are going to be very marketable :D

my japanese skill far from perfect, but enough to express my ideas and opinions and ask question with the help of body language and flow charts.

so if your japanese skill is not yet good, target those big companies that deal with international clients like NEC, Sharp, Mitsubishi, Ricoh, Epson. Most if not all their engineers can speak/understand english.

Try searching in JDV international site..

My husband works in IT, and his hours aren`t that horrible.
I think that really just depends on what you`re working on, and how skilled the people who made the development plan are. If they suck at making development plans, there won`t be enough time, and you`ll be working constantly.

It seems like so few people realize that, and end up blaming the wrong people for their long hours.

Anyway, my husband`s normal work schedule is from 9am to 6pm. Because he manages the in company servers too, he generally stays about an hour later after everyone leaves to check their status, fix problems, etc when it won`t cause trouble with most workers or customers. So usually he leaves at 7pm. So, really like 8 hours work? Because he has 1 hour lunch, and an hour worth of breaks in the day. But because he is there 10 hours, he gets overtime for it too.

So not everybody works like 16 hours a day.

Of course, sometimes he`s busy, usually toward the end of a big project, and will be at work until like 12am, but that`s usually only a couple weeks a year.

**body language and flow charts** lol..i have had the same experience here with my chinese colleagues once in a while...:)

nwayz, i'm taking notes of all ur tips...thanks again samokan-san! :)

PS: the JDV intl site seems like a very good job-hunting site indeed...i'll try to check it out more closely later. ..

that's encouraging to know...i guess, i wouldn't have to regret working as an IT worker (if it ever happens) in Japan after all...thanks!:vsign:

another helpful site would be http://type.jp/
-> this one is all japenese ..