So, I’ve been interested in moving to Japan for quite a while, been studying Japanese for 5+ years. I’m around N2 level (I’m taking the test next month, hopefully I should pass). In terms of higher education, I have a BSc in biochemistry, MSc and PhD in biotech from the UK, and 5+ years of experience in said field (mostly R&D, but also doing some project management). My main strategy for moving has been securing a job from abroad before arriving to Japan, and I’ve been taking online lessons with a Japanese teacher to brush up my Japanese as much as I possibly can.
Very recently I had an interview with a recruiter, and according to his assessment, my Japanese is pretty good for someone who’s never lived in Japan, but still not quite business level, so not where it needs to be, at least for his clients. He feels I won’t be able to improve much further without moving to Japan (or it would take a very long time) and suggested me either trying to do a crush course of business Japanese in Japan and try to apply to jobs from there, or take a JLPT N1 course, even with a tourist or student visa. This is a very risky and costly bet, I’d obviously need to quit my current job, pay the notoriously expensive Japanese language schools, and try sustaining myself with a part-time job that surely has nothing to do with my current skill set and background, potentially damaging my CV and career. Overall I’d say this is a high-risk, high-reward kind of approach (since potentially I’d be able to move to Japan, and improve my Japanese the fastest, but having to sacrifice my savings and potentially my career as well)
Another option would be to apply for a postdoc in Japan, that would get me there for at least 1 or 2 years, usually all expenses paid (and probably a higher wage compared to a part-time job). Also, I could potentially meet people from the Japanese biotech industry, thus potentially expanding my network. However, there’s basically no guarantee whatsoever that during those years I’m gonna be able to improve my Japanese at all, as it’s largely gonna be lab-based work, with very little to no communication, and in an environment where most people probably speak English anyway. As a result, I might end up having to come back due to still having subpar Japanese skills. More importantly, at this point in my career I’d benefit very little from doing a postdoc, I’ve worked mostly in industry, so going back to the academia doesn’t look appealing, or makes sense at all from a career standpoint.
Lastly, he suggested considering the usual teaching route, which in my case it’s even harder, since I’m not an English native speaker, so I’d say that’s pretty much not an option.
What do you guys think? Has anyone here followed a similar path? Namely moving to Japan with a similar background?
Should I still keep trying to find a job from abroad? Despite not having business level Japanese just yet? (And not knowing how much time that will take), should I do what that recruiter suggested and go all in? Quit my current job, bet it all and hope that I’m gonna improve very quickly in Japan, and land a job shortly after? Or perhaps should I try to land one of those very few jobs in Japan that don’t require very advanced Japanese?
Many thanks in advance!
Edit: typo
by MerryStrawbery