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Finding a job in Japan for a stranger 2007/7/30 06:09
Hello everyone, I'm french, and I'm planning to work in Japan later, having a stable life there ect..ect..
But I know that it's very hard for stranger to find a REAL job to evoluate in social stairs.
I heard that it's nearly impossible to get the job if a japanese is able to do the same, and the employer will hire you only if he has not any other choices...
More precision: I'm planning to work in international trade, I'm actually study to get the diploma...
I'm also planning to speak at least 5 languages...

Is that enough to be hired in a japanese company ?
If not, wich are the work I could get more chance to get hired (except french teacher and working for the embassy)?

Thanks in advance.
by Lowik  

job 2007/7/30 17:58
In any country, including your own (France) one needs to be very fluent in the language of that country to get a good job. Even so it is still hard for a foreigner to get a great job as, besides the language, local people are born in the local culture and don't make the thousands of small cultural mistakes that every foreigner makes, without even being aware of tem. In France, for example, local know intuitively when, and how, to shake hand and/ or kiss another person, use "vous" or "tu" when talking to them, and so many other things..
Before you even move to Japan you should already be able to speak, and perhaps even read, Japanese well enough and to know quite a few things about everyday Japanese culture, otherwise you will only get badly paid crappy jobs, if at all. Perhaps you could try to find some company in France that does business in Japan..
Your also need to improve your English. before trying to learn more languages...
by sensei 2 rate this post as useful

work in Japan 2007/7/30 20:25
Two fields in Japan that are more open for foreigners (not strangers- you are translating the French "etranger", right? Stranger means "une personne inconnue" in English) are IT and finance. If you have a reasonable amount of experience in these fields you can be hired by foreign companies in Japan, even with minimal Japanese skills.

Very few other fields are open to non-Japanese unless you have very good contacts here- usually people spend a while as a student here or teaching English before opportunities to move into other fields come up.
by Sira rate this post as useful

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