Is this the right time ?

[pasturesnew]

Just received "at risk" notice of Redundancy, thinking this is now the time to move to Japan with J wife and little guy to spend some quality time with her family and friends. My Father in law is an amazing guy !, he had a triple bypass 2 years ago and came back strong as an Ox, more reason to spend time with my wife's parents as they reach a certain age... <sadly Im not particularly close to mine>.
We have no immediate financial concerns - can come to Japan with close to
USD 500,000.00.
I do however want to continue working at some point, there lies my issue.
My Father in Law could of retired 5 years ago but was kept on , he is some what of a high flyer and consequently has loads of contacts. Im thinking he may finally pack it all in next year. Given the Economic turmoil right now and for sure Japan is also feeling the pain, I think my best chance is to speak with my Father in Law and see if he can pull some strings, speak to contacts etc in order to help me secure work in Japan, on the other hand Im thinking the very mention of my asking for help will cause concern and worry for my In Laws and I in turn will get a major ear bashing of my wife if I try to instigate this myself as I dont think my wife would want to adopt this approach.
Any thoughts appreciated.

[larabell]

It's a tough time economically, for sure, especially in Japan. But there will always be some stuff going on business-wise for someone with the right skill set. Since you're married to a Japanese citizen, you should have no trouble getting a visa that will allow you to do any kind of work you want without needing company sponsorship. And since you're not going to be hard up enough that you have to accept whatever comes along, I'd say you're in good shape.

As for asking for help -- just position your request differently. Instead of saying "I need a job and I'm hoping you can find me one", say something like: "I'm still quite capable of being an asset to some company but I haven't had a chance to build up contacts here yet". The Japanese understand networking and building contacts very well. If you approach the subject with the attitude that you have something substantial to contribute but you just don't know who might need your expertise, you won't come across looking like you're expecting a handout. Rather, you'll fit in with the "ganbare" spirit that Japanese like to exhibit in their business dealings.

And... with your financial cushion and depending on what your area of expertise is, you might be able to open your own business or hire out as a consultant/contractor. If your Japanese is reasonably good, that's another possibility. Even if you don't land a full-time gig right away, part-time and/or temporary positions are good opportunities to build up your contact network.

And if you supplement your search by attending meetings and/or seminars of groups associated with your chosen profession, it can't possibly look like you're expecting a hand-out from your in-laws. Plus... who knows... you might find interesting work even without your Father-in-law's help. And if you're still concerned how it might look to ask for help -- you can always turn it around and drop the hint that you've been building up contacts on your own but have yet to hit upon the right opportunity -- I wouldn't be at all surprised if your F-in-L didn't offer to introduce you around even without asking. That's very Japanese.

It sounds like you're in fine shape. Good luck on your new adventure.

[pasturesnew]

Thanks for your reply Larabell !.

I am still seriously considering speaking with my Father in Law regarding contacts/work opportunities in Japan but really not sure which strategy to adopt, as said he is very much "old school", do you think it would be inappropriate if I were to write him a letter in Japanese <aided by a translator> to put across my point of view, I do speak Japanese but not to the level where I can confidently go deep enough into what I want to convey... Any thoughts welcomed.

[larabell]

Originally Posted by pasturesnew

... do you think it would be inappropriate if I were to write him a letter in Japanese <aided by a translator> to put across my point of view...

What can I say except to reiterate what I said in my last post. Japan business is all about contacts. If you (or your wife) are worried that you might come across like you're looking for a handout, then take care not to come across that way. Make sure you emphasize what value you believe you can provide to whomever hires you and ask whether he happens to know anyone who could use that kind of help. Make it about what you can offer, not what you want. And make sure you're willing to do some independent legwork yourself.

If you simply dash off a note saying: "please help me find a job" and then sit on your hind-end waiting for your Father-in-law to hand you one on a platter, it's going to come across as lame, old-school or no. On the other hand, if you believe you have something of value to offer to the right employer, I don't see anything wrong with letting him, and anyone else you happen to meet, know what that something is on the off-chance that they know someone with a similar position.

Now... if it were me, I'd rather spend some time just hanging out with the in-laws and when the subject of employment comes up (which it almost certainly will), mention what it is you can do, the fact that you're still looking, and ask if he happens to know anyone that might need someone with such a skill. If you insist on contacting him beforehand, and if you're not already on good social terms, I'd mention the job thing as an afterthought and focus on the relocation and how it will bring the extended family closer together. Don't just spring a request on him cold -- you need to build a contact with him yourself before trying to leverage his contacts. And if you *do* decide to broach the subject in writing, I'd suggest you have your wife critique the letter first, since she almost certainly understands Japanese etiquette far better than you or I ever will. Plus, if I understand the problem correctly, she's also sensitive to your coming across like you're looking for a handout so she would probably be a good judge of how your request sounds in that respect.

Bottom line... I don't think you're necessarily out-of-place wanting to consult your Father-in-law regarding possible business contacts -- after all, you can't be expected to have your own business network right out-of-the-box. But how things work out may well depend more on *your* attitude than on his cultural beliefs. In my humble opinion, of course.

[pasturesnew]

thanks so much for your comments larabell.
very much appreciated.