Lets face it, if you are reading this, you probably once considered applying for a job in Japan. Or at leastthought about how it would be to do so.Working in Japan Something like a lifetime dream for some, a challenge or dreadful experience forsome.

The Europe based Japanese learners have probably heard of the book/movie Fear and Trembling byAmelie Nothomb. The story is about a Belgian young woman(Nothombs character) who spent her wholechildhood in Japan but left before becoming a teenager and then came back to work. From the cultureshock to the impossibility to fit in a society (read company) she thought she belonged to, from thelanguage barrier to the discrimination and the fear that she wont be able to survive the one year of hercontract in Japan.

This book and the movie completely marked my decision making process as far as finding a job in Japanwas concerned. I thought it over and over again until I felt like I took the right path and I definitelydont regret it.

Now, lets see what do you need in order to get a job in Japan.

Are you ready?

Are you ready to work in Japan? All about Job HuntingOct 7, 2015HOW TO

huffingtonpost.co.uk/No, I mean are you ready to work in Japan?Of course it depends on what kind of job you want to do. If nature endowed you with good looks, youcan just go ahead and become the new sensation in Japanese magazines and ads. If you have a specialtalent (see Asa Ekstrom the Swedish girl who fascinated a whole world with her mangas) then you cantry your luck on that path. Who knows in a few years you can even become a (talento)!

Now, what about those of us who just want to try average office work in Japan? For that, you definitelyneed more than looks, a certain talent and just being a gaijin. And thats exactly what I found excitingabout job hunting in Japan. As in, what if I tried to find a job that matches my abilities? But overthere!

Most of my friends thought I was nuts. After 3 years of studying in Japan, they still thought I was nuts.Like havent you seen all those karoushi deaths and the way Japanese people dont have a life etc?I thought there must be a way to be yourself in any company all over the globe and if you are reallypassionate about what you are doing, some overtime shouldnt be a problem (as if theres no such thingin Europe or the US).

Criteria to work in Japan

jpoptrash.nihon-fr.com/First of all most Japanese companies require a certain level of Japanese(equivalent to N1 or N2, very fewjust N3). Also, most require applicants to have a perfect command of English (native preferred but nativelevel is also appreciated I am not a native English speaker either, at least not by my passport).If you match these two criteria, then youll have to consider the job you are applying for.

If you are a new graduate , you can literally apply to ANY job you want.Well unless the company or the job itself (like system engineer for instance) requires you have a science() background. Even so, most companies would choose a person willing to learn and work, with apositive and productive attitude, but with a linguistic background over any science graduate whodoesnt fit this personality profile.

If you already have work experience and you are looking for a change, things get complicated.First, because Japanese companies are looking for experts. That is, people extremely good at something,highly specialized and with a great deal of experience behind them. Of course they should be able tospeak Japanese and English but the more expert they are, the Japanese proficiency condition losesimportance.

Second, because intermediate positions are quite scarce compared to the amount for new graduates. Nowonder since Japan is known for the or lifetime employment, which technically entails thatchanging your job is virtually not happening.

Yet, as we know, things are evolving everywhere and Japan witnesses the rise of small/medium sizecompanies, looking for talented staff with experience and focused on results but also on qualityemployment. Also, multinationals are gaining ground and their feuds over stealing each others clientsinvolves massive personnel movements from one to another.

To cut it short, before you start searching for a job in Japan, this is what you need:

Near native English skillsGood control of Japanese or at least willingness to learnA positive attitude showing a wish to work and become something great along with the companyA special skill (preferably) like marketing, public relations, sales etc, anything to stand out of themass of applicantsAlso, a real wish to work irrespective of overtime, lost nights at the office, few weekends, noChristmas etc.

Sounds harsh but Japan is a land of commitment and thats all it is.

Are you already in Japan?Ok, so youre ready. Next question is: are you already in Japan? If so, you are in luck because this makesit 200% easier to get a job.Whether you are in Japan because you are/were a student, or because you already have/had a full/parttime job, if you have a visa (or can apply for a working visa) there is practically not much between youand the job you want.Well except for a few interviews. And tests. And screening processes.But where do you start looking if you live in Japan?

First of all, if you are a student make sure you dont miss the seminars held at your university forshuushokukatsudou shien (. Most companies visit each important university and exhibittheir jobs and programs, in order to acquire applicants. Students should just fill in some papers, hand intheir resumes and voila! The successful ones will get selected and will go to the next stage, theinterviews.If you got to that stage you can consider yourself lucky. Only 20% of the applicants are short listed forthe 1st interview. Once there you need to have two items clear both on your resume and in your head:the motivation part and the personal skills part (&PR). Note that the first interview iscrucial, as you only have 10 minutes tops to let the other party see that you deserve to go to the nextstage.

You need to know exactly what qualifies you for the job, what your strengths are and what you can dowith them for the sake of the company/clients. You also need to do some research about the company,grasp the essence of their activities and sum up why you would like to work for them.

Let me tell you one painful truth. You cannot lie.

You cannot pretend you did research a lot about the company when you didnt. You cannot pretend youlove what they do when you dont even know what that is exactly. And you cannot pretend you are goodfor something you dont really want to do.

And this brings us back to question no 1: are you ready? If you struggle to write a soulful and persuasivemotivation letter, if you ask yourself why you want to have this job, and the main answer is you know,because I wanna stay in Japan and I love it here and Then you are not ready and any interviewer willknow it.Because in Japan, more than any other country, I just came here for money never applies.

Well, if you passed the first interview, its better to make an introspection of what went good and whatwent bad (yes, some things can go bad but you can save the interview just in time, think about it, thepassing score is always around 50% not 100). Try to improve the bad parts and keep the good ones andshow confidence all the way. Note: confidence will get you far!

These tips seem to apply to any job hunting process, but most of them are the result of working closelyin HR surrounded by Japanese staff, so take it as inside knowledge, and use it well:)

Applying from abroad huh?

jasso.go.jp/If youre not in Japan at the moment of application things get rough. And that is because not allcompanies can offer visa sponsorship and to get one by yourself is technically impossible from abroad.But dont despair. There are still some ways to get here and they are all worth trying.Here are some sites you should try:

Gaijinpot. This is the Mecca of Japanese speakers looking for jobs in Japan. They even have a specialsection: overseas application, and another one no Japanese, so with a bit of luck(and skill) anyone

can apply to a job through their site. Wait, it gets better. You can build up to 5 resumes (English,Japanese etc) on your profile and also save each and every single cover letter if you consider reusingit in the future. Want more? Well, they even have Apartments and Education sections, that is ifyou got the job and youre looking for a place to stay, or if you didnt and reconsidered taking upsome studies in Japan instead.Daijob. This one is a real miracle fountain. The amount of jobs posted (both English and Japanese),the fact that the resume you create on their site is easily accepted at any interview, and the accuracyof the information (it will mention if the job requires a visa, if overseas applicants are not welcome,or if you need to be a native Japanese speaker) make it one of your most reliable tools in the searchfor a job.DaijobCFN. Career Forum Network is a goldmine especially for applicants from the US. With annual jobfairs in the main cities (LA, New York, San Francisco, Seattle, Boston etc) and applicants for whichonly US citizens are eligible, this site is perfectly tailored for Americans willing to work in Japan.Although not a US citizen, I myself found a few interesting vacancies, applied to them, and actuallywas successful most times, so even if you dont live in the US, trust me its a good one. Career ForumNetworkIndeed, LinkedIn. Even Facebook (see Jobs in Japan page). Social media lends you a hand to find tonsof jobs And select which ones are the best for you. Indeed*Automatic translationRecruiting agencies. Recruit Agent, Hays and many others help you with counseling, job hunting andrecommendation services to ease your way to getting a job. Most look for applicants from Japan, butthey also contact the ones from overseas. Just try to make your profile as appealing as possible. Also,some companies may actually scout you by sending you a message through the companys website,so stay alert!Your countrys embassy. Yes, who would have thought of this right? First, your countrys embassy inTokyo might actually help you with tips and advice about how to actually get a job in Japan. It canalso offer you links and addresses where to apply for a job. Or it can actually offer you one!(Happened to 3 friends of mine). Also, you can try the other way round, that is the Japan embassy inyour own country. Either way they are one reliable source to get employed in Japan.

4. What is it worth?

worldtravelerstips.com/Working in Japan might be meant only for workaholics but at a financial level its not reallydisappointing at all.A new graduate receives on the first month of payment in an entry level job, somewhere between1,800-2,200 USD. Most companies also offer a juku or shataku, 80% of the rent covered by them. Also,transportation fees are fully covered in most cases. Therefore a person until the age of 30, will onlyspend around 150-200 USD a month on rent, and thats all. Add up electricity fees, internet, phone,cable TV etc, you will also spend another 200 USD a month. This leaves you with about 1400-1800 USD

to spend on whatever you like.Living costs in Japan might seem expensive but they are about equal to the standard in Europe (butprobably lower than in America).

Is it worth it then? Well in 6 months over there I managed to make a great deal of savings withoutrestricting myself in any way. So financially speaking it definitely is. And consider we are speaking aboutentry-level jobs. With middle management and upwards the monthly income is something around 5,000USD a month.

On the other hand, hard work can also be extremely fulfilling. Most companies have incentives,bonuses for the employees with best results. Also, in young companies the possibility to get apromotion after only 2-3 years is very high. And if it doesnt happen in your company, you can alwaysfind another job in which you can use the knowledge acquired during all this time.

5. What are the odds of getting a job in Japan as a foreigner?

dailyfx.com/Remember Prime minister Asos target of getting at least 30k foreigners to study or work in Japan? Thatwas 7 years ago, and the quota was not achieved, not even at a 50% level.Also, Japan is confronted with a lack of a young workforce. With the declining birthrate, and youngJapanese seeking a better future (or a change in foreign countries) Japan will be soon left with a hugenumber of 40-60 year old employees. And that will become a main concern in the next few decades.

So basically, Japanese companies seek out foreign specialists, experts or even young people who loveJapan, its language and its culture, to fill in the gap left by that will soon appear in their employmentsystem.In other words, there is a high chance to get hired by a Japanese company if only you know how to sell

yourself. After all, as with any other country, the processes of head hunting/ job hunting are quitesimilar to other countries. The companies need the best product, and you just have to prove them thatyou are THE ONE.

Good luck!

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