From: fester@island.COM (Mike Fester)
Subject: Re: U.S. Engineers in Japan
Organization: /usr/local/rn/organization
Date: Tue, 26 Jan 1993 19:27:20 GMT

In article <1993Jan25.173101.26264@twg.com> hyung@twg.com writes:

>	1) Did you receive a lot of offers from companies who need
>	   Japanese-speaking U.S. engineers?  I am trying to find out
>	   if what the newspaper wrote is generally true or if the paper
>	   was talking about just a few special cases.

"Receve a lot of offers"? Not exactly. I received several in response to my 
mailing out cards.

>	2) How did you get your job working in Japan?  Did you pursue
>	   the companies or did they pursue you?  Headhunters?

I just wrote a section for the FAQ, part of which I'll post below.

>	3) Did you get the job because you speak Japanese?  Or
>	   because of your engineering skills?  Or both?

A little of both, in my case.

-------------------------------------------------------------------------------
GETTING A JOB IN JAPAN (FOR NON-JAPANESE)

  Getting a job in Japan involves some lag time and effort, but is not
really that difficult, especially if you have a technical degree and speak
some Japanese. The hard part is knowing where/how to look. And, as in the
rest of the world, the better your qualifications, the easier it is.
 
  If you can speak, read, and write Japanese (you need not be fluent), pick up
a copy of the magazine _Shuushoku Jouhou_ ("Job Hunting Information") at
a Japanese bookstore. It comes out 3 times a year, and it contains company
descriptions, benefits explanations, etc, from companies who are actively
recruiting new employees. In Japan, the magazine is (or was) free, but overseas
it costs about $2. It also has lots of postcards to fill out (1 per company)
which you send in to those companies in which you have an interest. If you
have work experience in addition to the technical degree, don't pay too much
attention to the salaries listed, as those are for absolute beginners. Note:
there are other magazines for such job-hunting info, but _Shuushoku_ is one
of the more expensive. Companies advertising in it are, in general, better
able to come to terms with employing a foreigner who does not have exposure to
the Japanese system.
 
  If you do not speak Japanese, it becomes more difficult, but not impossible.
Get ahold of the daily edition of _The Japan Times_, particularly the Monday
and Thursday issues. They contain job offers (usually in English, but often in
French, German, Italian, etc). Many of these are targetted specifically for
foreigners.
 
  If you have a non-technical degree, but speak Japanese, again, it is a bit
more difficult, but not impossible. The _Shuushoku_ route works well there.
 
  If none of those applies to you, you really have to hustle. Probably, you
will have to actually visit Japan (read: Tokyo) and personally answer those
ads for English teachers. There are a lot of jobs available, but there is
also a lot of competition. You'll have to hustle, but it can be done.
 
  If you take the _Shuushoku_ route, expect to send about 45 - 60 cards in
for every 3 or for positive responses. Many of the companies will show an
interest, and will await your arrival in Japan for an interview. Some may
fly you out at their expense (I got 3 such flights).
-----------------------------------------------------------------------------

There is more to that section, but most of it has to do with visas, contracts,
etc. It should be in the new FAQ.

Mike
-- 
Disclaimer - These opinions are not so much opinions, as pearls of wisdom. Any-
one disagreeing is obviously either a) a snivelling, whining, mentally-
deficient, weak-willed, inconsequential, namby-pamby tool of some vague but
conveniently defined conspiracy, or b) my wife.