Job Discussion Forums

[bamboocactus]

I have an interesting conundrum. Let's all have a stab at it!

Backstory: I went to Japan for one year for a study abroad program, returned about three weeks ago. I've always been a little interested in Japan, but in my time there I really fell in love with the country. I intensively studied Japanese language, cultural issues, anthropology, and cross-cultural psychology. I love it there. On top of that I started dating a wonderful girl and it's become a great committed relationship. I made the desicion very early on in my stay there that I wanted to live in Japan for a while (some number of years, more than 4 or 5). So since then I have been working hard to make that a reality.

I'm a graphic designer. My Bachelor's (which I will have in hand on August 17th) is in Digital Art & Design, and I've been working in America, building up a good portfolio for about 4 years now. My goal is to be a designer in Japan, one I'm confident I can accomplish, however I need a foot in the door to put me in the country. My plan is to teach English for a year (I love teaching anyway so it's perfect), and during that time target my portfolio at design firms and fire away, landing a job before the year is up. I can do it.

Here's where the problem starts. Let's do it in chunks.

1. I need a visa to be in Japan. Plain and simple. In order to get a (working) visa you need sponsorship, which you can only get from an employer. When I was in Japan I applied to over 30 companies (might seem like a small number but considering I was pounding the pavement... it took a LOT of my time, sleep hours, and sanity). Most of them said to reapply when I have my degree in hand. Fair enough, I was jumping the gun and asking for preemptive consideration. However, I recognized that the big companies would hire you ahead of time and supply you with a visa, so I went after them. No dice; they want me to be OUT of the country in order to hire me and bring me INTO it. What...? Mght have something to do with placement or housing, either way it's not important. They're all a no-go. So I have to go with actually school system schools, or private English schools.

2. Teaching English. Not so much of a problem; in the year I was there I was teaching classrooms of adults and children, conversation caf�s, and one-on-one lessons. I got a lot of good experience there and feel confident in my abilities. On top of that, I speak Japanese (more or less fluently, not "survival" Japanese), which helps with the students a lot in terms of their comfort level with me (they know if they absolutely NEED to, they can ask a question in Japanese). I'm also in the final stages of completing my TESOL/TEFL certification here in the states. So when I walk back through the airport gates in Japan, I will have a 4-year University degree, TESOL/TEFL certification, a year of experience living and teaching in Japan, and a good command of the Japanese language. Oh, and there's some good features about my work ethic and personality, too!

So for all intents and purposes, I'm pretty qualified. I've been around, I've done my research, so I know what other foreigners are there and what they're doing. More on that later.

On top of all that, I live with my girlfriend, so I have housing. I also have a plane ticket TO Japan (August 19th). So if a company were to hire me there would be virtually no expense in it, apart from visa processing. I love teaching and have wanted to do it since I was a kid, so I'm very dedicated and hard-working. I'm like a dream candidate!

So why is it so hard to get a job? Why is the market so "flooded" (you guys gotta stop saying that!)?

Now, before we get into it, yes I've read all the FAQs, perused the boards using the search function and such, and yes, I know the "market is flooded". To be honest, I can't see how; I lived in Osaka for a year and hardly saw any foreigners. I don't know where all these people filling all these jobs are coming from!

So here's my problems:

A) I need to be in Osaka. That's where I live with my girlfriend, all my friends are there, and relocating is not an option. I know it lessens my chances for all those fantastic positions in the buttcrack of the country, but it's the second largest city in the whole place (Yokohama doesn't count), so there are plenty of jobs.

B) I need a visa to get a job. I need a job to get a visa. What the hell, Japan? The certification seminar I'm doing now has a placement service but there's no guaruntee I can be placed where I want, so if that fails, my last possible chance is going there as planned and pounding the pavement once more. I anticipate better luck, as many of the schools I've applied for since I got back to the States have expressed interest and requested I contact them when I'm back in the country. I understand employers can only really hire after they've met you, so I respect that.

C) The only problem with that last option is this: Coming back to the US, I used a round trip ticket. So the second part of that ticket takes me back to Japan, as per my plan. If I can't get a contract with a visa by the time I go to Japan, and enter the country on a tourist visa (to "visit family", of course), can I enter without holding in my hands a ticket out of the country before the 90 days would be up? This is the biggest question right now; tickets are expensive, and worse comes to worst I can buy a round trip ticket to Korea scheduled for the day or two before the 90 days are up.

Anyway, sorry this is so long, and my deepest thanks to those of you who stuck with me through the whole thing. This whole problem has existed for months now and has been slowly shaving years off my lifespan. I'm starting to finally relax and calm down about it, but it's still tough and I still have to be always pushing, so any help or advice would be great. And yes, I've been to nearly every site for job postings and have gotten my resume and cover letter to all the big companies.

[Glenski]

[timothypfox]

Of course I don't recommend rushing through life or doing something until you are quite good and ready, but it seems matters would be far less complicated if you got married. This would put you on the road to a spouse visa so that companies would not have to worry about sponsorship. Also permanent resident status may make you look like a more long term prospect to an employer.

A point that should be brought up is that Japan has a very protectionist labor market. If companies can hire someone qualified of Japanese nationality they generally do. But, some may like something fresh from a "foreign" expert such as yourself. Some companies may like the international image you may bring to their organization. Maybe with permanent resident status you will be looked at a little less as a foreigner....

Just some thoughts...

[Apsara]

Why is the market flooded? There has been a worldwide economic downturn which has hit Japan, and the eikaiwa market in particular, quite hard, at a time when eikaiwa was already reeling from the "Nova shock" and in a decline anyway. Add to that all the people who have lost jobs in other fields in both Japan and overseas deciding to try English teaching, and of course the market is flooded- how could it not be?

I don't know why you personally didn't see many foreigners in Osaka while you were there- they didn't seem to be all that few and far between when I visited in April, and I'm pretty sure Osaka has a decent-sized foreign population.

[fhsieh]

Not sure how extensive your portfolio is. Depending on what sorts of design field(s) you're interested in, your undergraduate work may or may not mean very much to different design firms. Some may look at your work and hire you on your own artistic abilities alone, while others may only look at your resume and judge you by which companies (or notable projects) you've worked with before. Most will probably require something along the lines of "business-level Japanese", so you need to eventually be prepared for that sort of interview. (And imo teaching English in Japan does not immediately lend itself to learning business-level Japanese.)

You mentioned:

[lensman]

You could do what thousands of other foreigners have done. Marry their girlfriend/boyfriend. Plenty of time on a three month tourist visa.

Buy a cheap ticket to Korea if needs be.

Once you have the spouse visa you should be able to pick up part-time and private gigs to keep you going until something better comes along.

[bamboocactus]

[bamboocactus]

Update: Turns out you do need a return ticket. Trying to find out if my student visa will let me in.

Edit: Nope. The woman at the embassy told me that if I came to Japan on a tourist visa without a return ticket and she was the officer, she probably wouldn't let me in. So I'm gonna have to buy a round trip ticket to Korea. Problem, is when I come back from Korea.... what then? Crap, this is getting really complicated.

[Glenski]

[timothypfox]

Glenski makes some pretty salient points, and I will weigh in again about the marriage option because sometimes life is about taking chances or losing them.

A lot of people get married to be together because otherwise they will lose the chance. Sometimes life is about taking chances and it seems like your girlfriend weighs pretty heavily in your decision to set up life in Japan. I think if worse comes to worse you would end up working at an Eikaiwa for a while. With the right connections you could work your way over to your field of interest.

Now this is coming from someone who has made his share of mistakes... But marrying my wife and quickly I might add was not one of them. I married my wife - who is Japanese - in part so we could stay together in New York City where we met. Her dream was to live in New York City, but I don't see her using me to get a visa so she could pursue her dreams here. We married quickly and did so at City Hall with only a few family members able to attend. Some family was burnt by our hasty decision - but let all family know that what really mattered was long term happiness and that we would be there for family. My wife has since been a great aunt to my little neice and best friends with my mom! So, uncertain things like this can work out better than you may think....

She said I was part of her dream of coming to America, and I think deep down your special girlfriend - a Japanese one at that - must be a large of your dream to settle in Japan. Ever heard the saying "nice guys finish last?" You might do the politically incorrect thing in marrying your girlfriend, but if you love each other it's not about being a nice guy or not if you are responsible enough to get a job.

I don't expect a reply to this - because this is now getting personal with all our advice as "objective" strangers. I think at this point probably you should take all our advice and bring it up with people close to you such as friends and family who know you.

[G Cthulhu]

[GambateBingBangBOOM]

Part of your problem is timing. You DO know that most jobs start and end with the fiscal year, right? (SOME dispatch companies will be looking for people to start in September, but arriving August 19 is cutting it pretty close- keep a close eye on job sites for Japan, though!)

There ARE employers willing to sponsor a visa, but the reality is that many of the jobs that need filling at this time of year are by companies that have to replace someone quickly, for whatever reason.

So basically, what you are saying is that your plan is to show up August 19 with a degree and that's about it. You should have a lot of money stored up to get you through until the end of April if needs be (by leaving after three months, and then coming back). You may find that you ARE just pounding the pavement on a tourist visa for three months and then have to leave- about two months before interviews for jobs beginning in April start.

You might want to consider seeing if you can get a job in Japan with your job placement service, even if it isn't in Osaka. Then at least you are in the country, and have a visa and can look around for a job in Osaka when you are here. Long distance relationships within Japan aren't all that uncommon, but don't tell potential employers in Kanto that your goal is actually to work in Osaka, because that would sound like your plan is to start working in Osaka in April and have no intention of staying with them until the end of your contract (because if you did stay with them until the end of your contract, you could find yourself in the SAME position as you are now, if you only have a one year visa. And if you have a three year visa, then you're still sitting around between the end of your contract until April with no job, or else with a job that you may leave).

[kitano]

I think you are over thinking it. You arrive on Aug 19th. You get a tourist visa at the airport, you do NOT mention work at any time. You look for jobs in the Kansai area that are willing to hire you and sponsor your first visa. There are jobs, look in the KTO, KFM, Ohayo sensei online before you go. You might have to work in the Kobe, Kyoto, Wakayama, Nara areas and commute. Lots of people have done all of this before you. If someone does hire you, you jump through the relevant immigration hoops. If you don't have a job near the 90 day mark you do a visa run to a nearby country to get a second tourist visa and continue the job search or you decide it was just not meant to be at this time and return to your home country.

PS: I and I am sure lots of posters have experienced this ourselves and watched lots of acquaintances go through similar experiences. First, you can get an eikaiwa job and a visa but most likely it will be a crappy school that you will want to leave, don't be afraid to leave if it is really bad. Second, no matter how good you think your relationship is with your girl there is a high probability that she and her family will be unreasonable in a way that will cause you a lot of stress, again do not be afraid to leave that situation. Third, you may establish a non teaching career here but you are probably greatly underestimating how easy it will be to accomplish and how good it will be when you achieve it, again do not be afraid to leave situations that really suck. Finally make some level headed foreign friends asap so when things are shitty you can bounce ideas off of someone.

PSS: Have fun!!!

[Glenski]

[Apsara]