Hi all,
I’m a dual citizen (Japan/USA) who is working in a major American city with very HCOL. I’m a woman in my mid-twenties and have been in my industry for 5 years now. I’m looking for something new and one of my career goals is to one day work in Japan / get to go to Japan often for work.
Recently I’ve been considered for an opportunity from a FAANG company for a marketing role. They’d help with my relocation (around 1M JPY if I choose lump-sum) and my TC (base/equity/sign-on bonus) is said to be around 15M JPY for my first year. They’d want me to move over the winter holidays. If I calculate the TC with the current terrible exchange rate, I’d be making around the same as I do now. If the exchange rate wasn’t so bad, it would be higher than what I make now.
The job itself is very similar to what I do now, but it’d be slightly less exciting work albeit much more stable. But it is a move in the right direction for me because I always wanted to work in tech and being able to use my background as a strength adds a lot of meaning to my work. The workplace uses English and my boss would also be Japanese-American.
I’m very fluent (went to school for it growing up and have N1), ethnically Japanese, very close with my Japanese culture, and have lived in Japan before multiple times. I’ve also worked there as an intern before too at a Japanese company. I went back this year to see my extended family and felt a lot of emotions because Japan always feels like my 2nd home.
Everyone I have spoken to (both in Japan and the USA) has said I’m doing amazing in my career and have a lot of momentum in the states right now. And that Japan will always be there when the time is right.
Do you all think now with the current drop in Yen, I should wait a few years? My parents still live in the states but are planning to move back to Japan in 5~10 years since healthcare in the states is a nightmare for the elderly. I still want to be able to afford to travel back to the states and also travel abroad, and when the Yen is doing so poorly, it makes me worried about the feasibility of it.
I’m also a bit burnt out and started pursuing therapy recently. Maybe I should wait until I get my mental health in a better place before making such a big move?
At the same time though, I’m a big believer in taking risks in my 20s and maybe getting it out of system now when I have no major life responsibilities is a good way of seeing it too. It’s not like my Japanese is improving living in the states either.
I’m still TBD on where I see myself living long-term, but I know I could make a lot more with my salary if I stay state-side. But with cost of living being so high in the states, I don’t see myself being able to comfortably afford living without roommates until much later, whereas in Japan, I could probably afford it much more easily.
If you all were in my shoes, what would you do? Any opinions welcome… thank you 🙂
by norwegianwoooood