<aside> đź’« How I moved from early education into a product designer for major Japanese companies and you can to!
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After nearly a decade working in education and in the very early days of the COVID pandemic, I knew it was time for a more sustainable change for my future. Leaving Japan wasn't an option, and honestly wasn’t something I wanted to do. So with a degree in Fine Arts where could I go from here? The answer? UP AND OUT! I started focusing and transitioning my career out of teaching and into tech design. If you're in the same place or just not feeling fulfilled in your current career, fear not! I am here to assist and guide you through the process (and yes it is indeed a process) so let’s get into it!
In recent years, there has been a growing trend of teachers in Japan switching careers to work in other industries with one of the major ones being tech. This is understandably due to limited opportunities for career advancement and often hardly a salary to gain any savings on. In an expensive country, it is safe to say that teachers are looking to THRIVE and not just survive here in Japan. While the idea seems exciting, realistically it takes a lot of smart and careful planning and MASSIVE amounts of self discipline to buckle down and start the journey that is, getting out of teaching and into a better situation. This will without a doubt require a certain amount of sacrifice on your part, but there IS hope, community, and a ton of resources at your disposal if you are truly serious about remaining in Japan with a job other than teaching. Through this discussion, I will touch on the all possible points, but let's first talk about the biggest challenges facing the expat community.
While many expats sing to the hills that Japan is the magical dreamland where there can be no wrong…realistically there are many issues that affect and work against the expat community. This especially goes for stepping into different industries for the first time. While everyone’s experience is different, let's elaborate on a few common hurdles one may face while switching careers in the Japanese community.
While it seems common sense that you would need to learn Japanese to live and work in Japan, many expats do not reach above simple conversational level for multiple reasons. Many being that you come find, time slips away from you while living in Japan and a lack of consistent studying and often difficult hours to attend pricey Japanese courses means Japanese language levels are left on cruise control for years. Also, a lot of expats usually don’t plan on living in Japan for as long as they do so enthusiasm to improve their Japanese is put on the back burner. So this begs the question and I get asked a lot…
<aside> <img src="/icons/help-alternate_blue.svg" alt="/icons/help-alternate_blue.svg" width="40px" /> Do you really need to speak Japanese to work in Japan?
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Short answer: Duh. Less short answer: It depends.
For many positions in Japan you will find the minimum requirement is N2 (Business proficiency) and N1 (Native speaker). This can be a frustrating point if you have been living in Japan for a few years and can’t seem to make it past the basics.
Although not all jobs require Japanese (or will accept N3-daily conversational) depending on your field and will often make exceptions over a very experienced resume, many jobs that require a higher level of Japanese tend to be harsher and stricter working conditions. Often these jobs feel you are obligated enough to meet the “Japanese standard” of treatment which can be another frustrating hurdle.
If you have lived in Japan long enough you have noticed there are very defined ways to behave in society, this also goes for the workplace as well. While yes there are now many international companies in Japan, the social standard remains strong. When it comes down to it and as xenophobic as it is, many Japanese companies have no interest in hiring international team members, especially ones that they may feel might “rock the boat” around the office. I sometimes hear from recruiters…