Shion, who worked as a recruitment manager for many foreign IT companies in Japan, chose to leave voluntarily in March 2023 after experiencing 14% layoffs in Japan by his former company and many uncontrollable changes in business content.
She is now the founder of an international human resources consulting firm. For those who plan to apply for jobs in Japan in the future, today she shared some of her own insights based on her own experience.
As we enter 2024, it is clear that more and more people are interested in job opportunities in the Japanese market based on recent trends in the Asia-Pacific region. I have summarized some of my recent thoughts that I hope will be helpful to those who are planning to work in Japan.
△来源 / pakutaso
Leverage previous work experience
If you're an engineer
To be honest, there is a high demand for engineers in the Japanese market, especially those who are bilingual.
But compared to countries in the Asia-Pacific region, the average salary of an engineer in Japan has been lower than that of a commercial position. This pay gap has led many Japanese talents to switch to business after graduation, even if they have a science and engineering degree.
In addition, Japanese engineers who are highly capable and proficient in foreign languages often go overseas in search of job opportunities, which further exacerbates the loss of Japanese engineers.
As a result, there have been many foreign engineers in Japan in recent years. For engineers with overseas backgrounds, the shortage of local talent is an advantage for them to find a job. In addition to job skills, they can also bring a diverse cultural background to the company (which is especially important for foreign companies).
However, it is important to note that some positions still require appropriate Japanese language skills, which will be explored further later.
△来源 / pakutaso
If you're not an engineer
If you are not an engineer and want to get a job in Japan, you will usually need to have the following three things:
- Appropriate Japanese language skills
- Experience working with Japanese customers
- Hold a work visa
In addition to this, your work experience will also be an important factor in the job search process, and those who already have more than 3-5 years of work experience will have an advantage.
But for those with less experience (less than 3-5 years, commonly known as the second new pawn in Japan), the focus is on showing your positive and proactive personality and still stand out in the Japanese job market.
The necessity of the Japanese language
One of the most common questions I get asked is: Do I have to be able to speak Japanese to find a job in Japan?
Actually, there is no right answer to this question, and it all depends on what position you want.
△ Source / unsplsah
For example, for an engineer, if you focus on product development and are not in charge of technical support for Japanese customers, then you don't need a good level of Japanese to be qualified for the job.
But in any case, the advantages of having Japanese language skills always outweigh the disadvantages. When I first came to Japan, I had an N1 on my resume, not only to find a job, but also to show my respect for Japanese culture.
To be honest, when I first came to Japan, the N1 certificate combined with the experience of being an exchange student in Japan really opened the door to more job opportunities for me. Finding a job is like playing a game to level up, the more skills and weapons you have, the more likely you are to get close to victory.
Think about it another way: if you look for a job in the U.S. and don't speak English, your options are much diminished. This theory applies to any country looking for a job.
Japanese company VS foreign company
△来源 / pakutaso
Those of you who follow the Japanese job market will probably hear that many large Japanese companies, such as Mercari, Rakuten, Panasonic, and Softbank, are actively recruiting overseas talent.
During hiring season, you may find some excellent positions that match your past job offers. In addition, they have a relatively good understanding of the needs of overseas talents to work in Japan, so there are more opportunities.
Realistically speaking, it may be difficult for local SMEs in Japan to find a job due to language barriers or recruitment teams that are not familiar with overseas talent management.
Another option, and often the first choice for job seekers, is foreign companies (foreign-owned). However, it should be noted that most of the vacancies in foreign companies in Japan (if not in development) are mostly focused on sales to Japanese customers.
In other words, most foreign vacancies are focused on the business field, so companies will want you to have stronger business Japanese skills.
Methods: internal transfer, work permit, study abroad
Next, you may want to ask, how do you get a visa to enter Japan to find a job?
△来源 / pakutaso
First of all, I am not a visa expert, just to share my experience in recruiting in the Asia-Pacific region, but if you are willing, there must be more ways than questions. Here are some ways you can do it:
Internal transfers. If you are already working for a large multinational company, you can try to apply. During my tenure at Meta, I've seen a lot of colleagues move across borders through hard work and complete preparation, and all of them are paid at a certain level.
Get a work permit and look for a company that is willing to sponsor you for a work visa. In Japan, it is much easier to obtain a work visa than in other Asia-Pacific regions, and there is generally no direct link between the work permit and the employing company (if you leave your job for any reason, you can have some free time to look for another job before the work permit expires).
So when applying for a position, it's a good idea to check with the company to see if there are any benefits available to help you apply for a visa.
If none of the above methods work, you can consider studying abroad first. For example, many well-known Japanese universities offer master's programs to foreign students, and some language schools can provide visas.
△ Source / unsplsah
Back to the Beginnings: Why do you want to come to Japan?
Moving to a new country, starting a new career, salary adjustments, visa issues, settling in, and even the culture shock of joining a company are all things that happen all the time.
Working in Japan is completely different from traveling, and the things that you think are good may disappear before you get a job. So to figure out, are these really what you want?
Because I work in the human resources industry, people keep asking me if I have a position to introduce, but the brutal truth is that not everyone is ready to face reality.
I would advise them to do their homework and mental build-up, and when you're ready and in the right place, the perfect opportunity will come your way.
△ Source / unsplsah
Last but not least, I would like to remind you that I am a corporate recruitment consultant, so instead of asking me if I have a job without any preparation, you can first confirm those open vacancies, or frequently follow LinkedIn and other job search sites, and you may have future opportunities in them.
I hope that you can find what you are looking for in your job search adventure in Japan, and I wish you all success in your job search in Japan.