Job Discussion Forums

mini · Joined: 08 Apr 2005 Posts: 2

I am thinking of doing a Professional Proofreading and Editing course via correspondence and am wondering HOW useful such a certificate would be in getting work in Japan...any ideas? It wouldn't be through a university. Does anyone know if these types of certificates are good enough? I have searched the net and have not found any badmouthing of this institution, and have asked journalism lecturers at my old university, so I figure its repectable enough. Can anyone help me out here?

Glenski · Joined: 15 Jan 2003 Posts: 12844 Location: Hokkaido, JAPAN

I've been doing rewriting and proofreading on a freelance basis for scientific manuscripts for the past seven years in Japan. The work is hard to come by for ANY writing market as far as I can tell. What is your genre or specialty? I wouldn't plan on making a living at it until you make the right contacts and/or are able to translate as well as proofread. Don't think anyone in this area (except translating) has much in the way of certification.

mini · Joined: 08 Apr 2005 Posts: 2

thanks glenski, and how i miss sapporo!
Yeah, i am aware of that. For the moment i am thinking more of doing this certificate to give me a few more work options. I have seen jobs advertised for rewriters/proofreaders/editors for a organisation that publishs the "What's on in ....City" kinda thing, and places like Xene or the other local bi- lingual magazines. Do you teach as well as translate etc?

AsiaTraveller · Posted: Mon Apr 18, 2005 11:45 pm Post subject:

If you're a native English speaker and have the editing skills, you can do well by editing the writing of Japanese technical writers who are writing software documentation in English.

With the significant outsourcing of tech writing jobs from the U.S. to Asia, there are some American agencies that are recruiting native speakers to edit the (frequently abominable) writing that many companies are receiving these days from offshore writers. Most companies have no editors at all on staff.

Contact software companies in Tokyo for starters, especially branches of American software corporations. And try to find out if there are specialised outsourcers in Tokyo who get writing jobs from those American companies.

Contact the Japan chapter of the Society for Technical Communication (www.stc.gr.jp). Go to local chapter meetings. Introduce yourself to the tech writers there.