Hi! I’m a university student majoring in Japanese. In future years I hope to have internship opportunities in Japan, but for now I’m not far enough into the program (and not good enough at the language) to do any internships that would require language proficiency. I know it’s a long-shot but are there any well-known opportunities to work in Japan for just a summer without being fluent? If not, what summer internships/jobs in the US could prepare me for opportunities in Japan in the future?
If it helps bring ideas to mind, my minor is computer science, but I’m not loving it so that might change. On that note, I know CS is highly valued, but are there other fields of study that tend to be sought after if CS doesn’t work out? Since human languages seem to be more my speed than programming languages I’m considering trying to minor in Korean instead. Would that improve my prospects at all? Overall I’m kind of worried about my career prospects post-graduation. It’s still 4 years away but if there’s any advice anyone could offer I would appreciate it so much!
6 comments
>I’m a university student majoring in Japanese.
You have chosen quite frankly the absolute ***worst*** major if you want to move to/work in Japan.
Speaking Japanese is not, in and of itself, a marketable skill in Japan. There are millions of people who who speak Japanese far more fluently than any Japanese major (AKA: Japanese citizens)
>It’s still 4 years away
So you just started university? Good. Here’s what you need to do:
***Immediately*** change your major to something “practical”. CS is always a good choice, but literally anything will be more helpful in the long run than a Japanese major.
You can minor in Japanese if you want. You definitely still need to learn the language if you want to work here. But if you’re worried about your job prospects in Japan you need to have an actual marketable skill when you graduate.
I know a few people in my office who majored in Japanese for their bachelors degrees.
All of them went on to do a masters in a more useful subject (and got their JLPT N1 certificates) before moving to Japan.
If you’re not enjoying CS then I’d say don’t stick with it. Sure, its a high paying field that’s in demand all over the world. But if you hate it you hate it, and sticking with something you hate will make you miserable.
I would say though don’t start trying to collect languages like they’re pokemon. Being able to speak a language, or three, is admirable. I’m definitely jealous of the polyglots I know. But you still need to have actual skills that you can do with those languages. So if you’re struggling to find something reach out to your schools career counselors and see if you can get some ideas. By all means, if you want to learn Korean in your spare time on top of your course load go for it. But don’t *not* study something more useful in favour of a third language.
If you feel very strongly about keeping your Japanese major, then a double major is a good option.
I’ve met way too many people in Japan, usually on JET, who think they will find a job after being an ALT because they speak Japanese. It doesn’t work that way. You need a skill that you can perform in your second language. Everyone learns this lesson. Avoid that hard reality by learning a skill that is not language now.
CS is a great choice. Other decent options could include finance, business, engineering, project management, or health.
>if there’s any advice anyone could offer I would appreciate it so much
Its already been said but I’ll say it more concisely; switch majors.
I majored in Japanese because at the time, it was the only thing I cared to learn at college and it would get me a bachelors degree to get to Japan.
I only regretted it because honestly, I definitely should have done something more useful. It all depends on what you want to achieve in Japan, and study that with a minor in Japanese.
So, I’ll start by saying that I hope you’re talking to your professors, department administrators, career counselors, etc, in addition to asking on Reddit. I see a lot of students these days doing research online instead of making use of the many resources your department offers (and you’re paying for!). Make sure you’re on your department email list— go to the events and talks on the calendar, ask questions and network at those talks. Chat with your professors, talk to them about your future goals. You’re not the first person in their department to have these issues! If it’s a decent department, they should have resources and advice available.
Your short term question is about internships in Japan— it can be tough to find those without adequate Japanese language skills. What about an internship at a multinational or Japan-facing/focused company or organization in your home country? That could get you some good business skills, start your important career network, and help set you up for possible opportunities in Japan in the future.
As to your long term goals, yes, you’ll need skills besides Japanese (and your Japanese should be as high as possible by graduation). This is true whether your goal is to work in Japan or not (you didn’t say).
However, this doesn’t mean you necessarily have to abandon your major. I have friends and acquaintances who did their BA in Japanese and/or Japanese studies and have ended up working in Japan or in Japan-facing companies in their home country. However, they made sure they acquired other skills as well— not through extra minors/majors but good business experience through summer jobs, part-time jobs, etc. The networks and skills they developed, on top of their Japanese language skills and academic cultural knowledge, helped them land those jobs.