Computer Science Co-op in Japan

Currently, I am third-year Computer Science student. As part of my university's BS program, I am required to have a year of paid co-op experience in a position related to Computer Science (and not IT or anything else) before I can graduate.

Having been to Japan on a study abroad program, I really want to come back and get some contacts over there because ideally, I want to work over there for a few years after college. I also don't want to be stuck being an English teacher because of the pile of debt I will be leaving with.

I am also aware that traditionally, co-ops are not that popular in Japan, but that being said, I was wondering if anyone here knows anything about co-op positions for Computer Science majors in Japan or can point me to some resource that would have said information.

Any help would be greatly appreciated.

If you are going to a canadian university, google co-op japan and you will find information on a program that places 40 or so students a year on co-op terms in Japan. Many canadian universities are part of the program, so yours might be included.

Previously JETRO (Japan international trade organization) co-ordinated technical internships in Japan for students from Canada, US and England (and perhaps more recently from China and other countries as well), but they have focused their interests elsewhere as of this up-coming year, so you are out of luck. Even so, if you search them out on the web you may get the names of some companies who have hosted internship students in Japan in the past and that might be a good way to start your search if you are doing it on your own.

Good luck

I`m interested in what other foreigners working in engineering jobs have to say about this, but my word of advice to the original poster is that you might find that teaching english in Japan pays equivilant or better than a engineer just out of university.

I`ve been here 5 years and my starting salary as a mechanical engineer was definately below what an english teacher made. (When we consider the hours worked per week and the housing subsidies offered by eikaiwa schools, it was way, way below, but I won`t get into that because there are pluses and minuses of both fields and I am only wanting to compare monthy salary) The JET program particularly paid much better.

When I stared 5 years ago I was paid the same level of pay as my fellow Japanese engineers. For a starting engineer the base pay is around 200000 to 220000 per month. (I haven`t included bonuses or overtime pay).

If you can enter a company with foreigner`s living allowances or one that pays really well, then maybe you will make more. But, even a company like Toyota would still be probably only paying 230000 yen per month as a base salary to its engineers just out of university. If you have a special skill or experience, then maybe you can convince them of more pay, but coming just out of university, it may be tricky.

Now, if you are in it for a long run, then taking an engineering job for less pay than teaching english is probably a good move. Japanese companies give yearly raises, somewhat based on performance, but generally it is a given that you will get a raise each year in April. 5 years after starting, you might be making 240000 yen to 270000 yen a month. It all depends on the company however. I realize that Computer Science is a different field than Mechanical Engineering, but I imagine that it is comparable. As well, summer and winter bonuses provide a considerable chunk of money twice a year. Most engineering/technical companies would give generous bonuses equivalent to 2 or 3 times your monthly salary twice a year.

As many people in this forum have suggested before, check to see if you can get transfered to Japan with a company based in your home country. If you are looking for money to pay down your debts, you will most likey find better pay going that route than teaching english or getting a job directly with a Japanese company.

That is just my advice. It is a bit off topic, but I would be interested to hear what others have to say.

Having a computer engineering degree (mostly EE but also some CS) I would recommend looking at companies that have people stationed in Japan, work here in the US for a while and try to get a job as an expatriate in Japan.

Expatriate positions tend to pay very well and since you only mentioned wanting to be there a few years after college, why put up with substandard pay (it sounds like from what co-op japan alumni said the Japanese system is more favorable for long term employees than many other countries, a few years will only have you experiencing the lower pay of a starting employee)

Best Regards,
Ryan

Thanks to all of those who responded to my questions.

Unfortunately, I do not live in Canada so I cannot take advantage of that co-op.

I won't be coming out of college with a ton of debt, but as a constant worrier and pessimist, things like that bother me quite a bit. Even with a mediocre starting salary, I could probably pay it off fairly quickly.

I didn't mention in my original post that I am also considering switching my major to International Studies (with a focus on Japan and East Asia), and making Computer Science my minor because I really don't like Computer Science at all. What sort of work could I do with that major? My fear is with that sort of major I won't be able to find work either here in America or in Japan.

I don't mind doing JET or going the eikaiwa route to get my foot in the door. It's just that I've heard horror stories from some people who have done that. In all fairness though, they were people who didn't bother leaving their small circle of gai-jin friends.

One final point. The reason I said I only intend to work in Japan for a few years is because while I really liked being in the country, as a pessimist, I plan on being totally burnt out with the place in a short span of time. Whether or not that's true remains to be seen. I just don't want to plan on being there for all eternity because I'm imagining that might not be likely.