Job Discussion Forums

[keelychild]

i was wondering if i could invite some of you who went the hard road of coming to japan without a job and looking for one when you got here, writing in and describing your experiences. i am not talking about people who did it ten years ago, the more recent the better (although i guess any news is good news).
i think it is clear that if you come over with nova (or be on with aeon ) then it is an easier entry. what about those rugged, pioneer types?
give us your wisdom!!

[JimDunlop2]

You're talking to one....

I'm glad to relate my experiences, however the standard disclaimer applies: I neither endorse nor dissuade anyone from attempting what I did -- just be aware that everyone is different and as the TV commercials say: results may vary!

I arrived in Japan on a WHV with my wife in February. I'm a BSc in psychology, my wife is a journalist. We literally quit our jobs, sold our house and car, and put away all our belongings into long-term storage.

Why? The adventure of it I guess. That and we wanted a life change and to do something completely different than what all of our friends and co-workers were doing... While we were still young.

To make a long story short (you may e-mail me directly if you want any of the gory details)... We arrived in Tokyo with a 3 month budget (that we promptly spent in Tokyo in 2 weeks).

The day after we arrived (we had never been in Japan before and don't speak any Japanese) we found Akihabara and purchased a pre-paid cellular phone. Then we found the Internet Cafe and immediately started pounding the pavement for jobs.... They were mostly contacts we had established while still back home, but some new ones from Dave's and JobsinJapan as well. We found that while most employers were quite reluctant to do phone interviews overseas, they were more than happy to meet us in person. Some even paid for the train trip from Tokyo to wherever prefecture I had to go...

I had a SOLID week of interviews with at least 1 a day (average). This took a week to set up... But by the end of week 2, we had 2 solid offers on the table and went for one of them.

So.... we are here. We are working.... We are paying off the massive credit card debts we incurred in getting here!

In the end, I think we can attribute the fact we found employment to several things....

1) The job situation here is still a bit better than back home... Especially if you are here to teach English.

2) When I say we hit the pavement... We hit it HARD.... I must've sent out at least 20 CVs...

3) We weren't too picky. Didn't go with one of the BIG 3 in the end, which I'm happy about (even if our current employment isn't completely happy)...

4) I had both the experience and background (AND looks) to get the job after a personal interview.... No seriously... If you have a full beard, mustache and long hair you may have more trouble than if you are cleanly shaven with short hair.... Many ex-pats working here may disagree with me (saying: well I have all those thinngs and I had no problems at all) but I HAVE found that many Japanese employers prefer the "clean cut boy-next-door/girl-next door all-American look) and even had one say so openly...

5) We came at the right time of year. The Japanese school year begins first week of April and many interviews for jobs happen from February to March, and hiring happens shortly thereafter.

6) We had a physical presence. Not only could we be e-mailed, but we could be PHONED LOCALLY.... That seemed to make the word of difference. I immediately (well, the next day anyway) started getting calls for interviews once I bought and activated my cell phone.

Again, results may vary but this was my experience. If you need any other info, pls e-mail me... Otherwise, if you're planning on coming to Japan to work: Gambatte! (Good Luck!)

JD

[keelychild]

i can't believe how simple good advice can be sometimes. so much more helpful than getting a post back full of questions for you, the question-er!!
although i think what you wrote was probably what any reasonable person should be expected to do when going for jobs, sometimes it's good to see it or hear it from someone else who's been there, done that. thanks a lot jim!!
didn't i read a post by you somewhere else that said you were having problems with your job, that you were getting the union in? how's that going?
what was your situation re: tax? did that change when you got your job? how much are you paying (%)?
thanks again, i think your spiel should be posted somewhere here on daves, it would stop a lot of feudin' and fussin'.
keelychild

[Sherri]

I am one of those who came here without a job--but it was more than 10 years ago. So instead this is based on my experience hiring teachers in Tokyo. I worked at a school which insisted on face to face interviews. As Jim said, I think if you did decide to come to Japan without a job, you should do as much research as possible first. Try to line up your interviews before you get here. Mention in your cover letter when you will be here. Most companies will be happy to arrange an interview for you if they are interested in you as long as they know you are going to be here. You will not be able to rent an apartment in your name until you get your work visa, so you will have to stay in a gaijin house. I actually lived in a gaijin house for the first 9 months I lived here. I think you will be better off than I was 10+ years ago. The recession has made Tokyo a much, much cheaper place to live. It is still costly though. I remember thinking twice about buying a drink from a vending machine--that's how poor I was in the first month!

I think coming here without a job first is good for people who:
--have lots of money
--are used to being in a foreign culture and can adapt
--want to keep their independence (finding your own way here, own accommodation, etc)
--want to find a job which they are really happy with--not just a stop gap--the way that many treat Nova

Whatever you decide to do, good luck.

[JimDunlop2]

Yup... There are/were some difficulties with the school.... Keep tuned in to this forum as I will be posting a new message about this soon.

For now, I haven't joined any union, and as far as work is concerned, I'm keeping my chin up for now....

JD

P.S. Thanks for the flattery....

[Glenski]

I agree that what Jim wrote was good information for newbies to rely upon. I hope they see the need for preparations.

However, just a little point that I'd like to make.

[JimDunlop2]

Beard & mustache... Well, like I say, there's a mixed bag of opinions about that one... My adult students have seen my pictures from back home and have requested that I grow back my whiskers...

However, I know for a fact that someone was recently applying for a job at my company and the manager said (explicitly) that he couldn't hire another person with a shaved head and goatee... We have a couple of those already I guess..

Re: hitting the pavement hard... Well, depends how you look at it.... You're right... There's literally HUNDREDS of job postings out there with the resources you mentioned. However rather than using the shotgun approach, I did target certain companies.... Here were my criteria:

1. Nothing in Hokkaido (didn't want to be so far North)
2. Minimum salary of 250,000 (more and more companies don't offer that anymore and break that rule)....
3. FT (not part-time)... That rules out at least half the postings right there
4. Not in Tokyo (too expensive to live)...

There were some other minor ones, but I really did try to target the companies that I wanted to hit as opposed to peppering the landscape with CVs that wouldn't get looked at or considered...

In the end, it's a choice everyone has to make.