To anyone working in IT in Japan. I recently got my first Sr. Systems Admin job in the US managing a virtual server environment. I always hear how Japanese businesses still use fax machines, but what are their server environments like? Would most businesses be running pre-Server 2012 OS? I was planning on spending the next 5ish years working towards an N2/N1 level while getting more experience at my job, so if they are still behind are there any signs of things changing within that time?
I was considering going back to school for a Computer and Electrical Engineering degree to go more on the hardware building side, would I have a better time going to that side?
6 comments
The fax machine thing is sort of like an overused meme. Start asking questions about floppy disks instead.
In all seriousness though: traditional Japanese companies yea stuff might be behind a lot. Chances are you won’t get a job there anyway since they’d much rather hire a Japanese person than a westerner who can speak Japanese.
As for startups however they’re pretty modern (mostly). It’s not Silicon Valley bleeding edge level but you will at least be managing cloud instances and k8s instead of outdated Windows.
Edit: so don’t focus on older more hardware focused technologies. Go modern instead. If they want old then there’s tons of Japanese who can do that. Be a benefit to them, not a slightly worse version than a Japanese engineer.
It very much is a company by company basis. There’s outdated shit in every company, no matter which country. Japan has some that are at the forefront for tech, and some that are way behind. It’s easy enough to tell from job postings and company websites.
It very much is a company by company basis. There’s outdated shit in every company, no matter which country. Japan has some that are at the forefront for tech, and some that are way behind. It’s easy enough to tell from job postings and company websites.
I would suggest getting more experience in the US until you *understand* why some companies would still use a fax machine 🙂
In all seriousness, a cloud-only experience set is a bit of a liability, as knowing how things are working properly under the hood is a critical skill when things go awry, and having potential language barriers around makes it even worse.
Think of it as a mechanic who takes a job in Somewhereistan who’s a little too dependent on diagnostic machines and can’t do an old-fashioned tune-up.
Hmmm I highly doubt you would see 2012 unless on legacy or gov systems. 2019 is our current environment over in Japan. As for a combined CS,Electric, I would just get an IT degree or CS. Servers are not built in Japan and it’s not a good field to be in. You can learn the hardware without the degree.
One thing I have noticed working for a modern Japanese tech company is that the use of clones of mainstream western products designed for Japanese users and language that are about 5 years behind modern counterparts seems to be the norm. Along with segmentation, using X product for calendaring, X for email, X for messaging, X and Y for web video conf, when they could be all under one unified roof.
Also, expect push back when offering ideas/suggestions if you frame it as what you did in the US or other western country. Japanese people don’t like drastic change. Look how long Hanko, the fax machine, floppies, using cash, have been around and how long it took for companies to adopt teleworking, it took the pandemic to get that moving.
Another option is working for a US/EU/UK firm’s Japan offices, they’re usually more modern and likely to follow western work culture. Think Google, Amazon, Visa, Netflix, Adidas, Audi, Nestlé, etc.