Looking for a good expat industry

[Expat Hopeful]

Hi! I'm new to the forum and hoping I can get some advice!

I have always wanted to live and work in Japan, and am looking for ways I can get an expat position.

I am currently studying in a MBA program to be finished in the next year with a focus on international business. I have a degree in Japanese and am quite fluent, and am very familiar with the culture. My problem is, I have very little to no full-time work experience. I am trying to figure out what kind of job or what kind of experience will help set me up for a position in Japan. I figure that working for a company and having them send me to Japan is better than going directly to Japan, but I do not know.

I am unsure as to how to get started, so any advice or reccomendations will be greatly appreciated!

[Bevdeforges]

Hi and welcome to the forum.

A friend of mine just moved to Japan, due to her husband's transfer. He has been working for a Japanese company for many years - only in Europe - and now they are transferring him for his final three years before retirement as a sort of "gesture of respect." From all accounts, visas for Japan are not that easy to get.

But, it's unusual enough for someone with an MBA to have fluency in Japanese. Flog that for all it's worth when you are interviewing. At a minimum, you should be able to find something with a company that will allow you to work closely with the Japanese office, or branch or subsidiary. Whether you're travelling to Japan or just dealing with colleagues on the phone or by e-mail, make sure you listen to them - their gripes about the "home office guys" or policies they don't understand. (The US headquarters never listens to the foreigners in the field.) Let them know you speak Japanese and are willing to do so when dealing with them.

The key to transferring is having contacts in the target country who will vouch for you, or who will put your name into contention when an opening comes up. But in the meantime, if you get to visit Japan on a regular basis, that's not a bad start.
Cheers,
Bev

[larabell]

I agree with the part about connections and listening to those you're assigned to support. In most industries that export to Japan -- especially products like high-end software applications which usually require a lot of hand-holding support, being even marginally fluent in Japanese will be a giant foot-in-the-door in English-speaking countries. Play that one up for all it's worth and you should have no problem finding a company having a hard time with their Japanese market because of the communication gap between HQ and the Japan office.

I don't really agree that Japanese Visas are hard to get. What's hard to get is the job. And in today's economy it's even harder to get a job where the company will pay you to live in Japan. But... once you have the job, the Visa is just a matter of paperwork.

As for getting a job over here directly (assuming you're willing to pay you own way), I don't think the MBA is going to be as impressive as it is in the States. But if you have some other specialized skill -- especially in a technical field -- *and* you have an MBA, *and* your Japanese is fluent enough to work directly with the locals, then you should do OK, even now. There are websites for jobs in Japan and job fairs are held in major cities from time-to-time. According to the news reports, a lot of companies have been cutting back on hiring so you'll have to be able to provide them something they need. In which case, you could play the same card here as there -- that is, you could help to close the communication gap between HQ and the field. But the most important thing is having some niche skill that not just any Japanese college grad can offer. That is what will likely get you in the door over here.