Pretty self explanatory. How do you, as an American looking to get a work visa and speaking Japanese at N1 proficiency, stand out to employers? Outside of work experience, do they look for certifications or specialised skills? In addition, how can you network with Japanese businessmen remotely? Normally in the US, you can meet people at seminars and conferences, but doing that in Japan before securing a job is obviously out of the question.
I’m 24, with experience in middle management in a printing production environment wrapping up my undergraduates in Business Administration and Business Management. I’m working on PMP & SCM certification and maybe interning on the side to build more work experience. Moving with the company is unfortunately not an option since it’s production operations are all in Europe, NA, and Africa with only retail stores in Japan. Any help is appreciated!
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This is a copy of your post for archive/search purposes.
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**How to Stand Out to Japanese Employers?**
Pretty self explanatory. How do you, as an American looking to get a work visa and speaking Japanese at N1 proficiency, stand out to employers? Outside of work experience, do they look for certifications or specialised skills? In addition, how can you network with Japanese businessmen remotely? Normally in the US, you can meet people at seminars and conferences, but doing that in Japan before securing a job is obviously out of the question.
I’m 24, with experience in middle management in a printing production environment wrapping up my undergraduates in Business Administration and Business Management. I’m working on PMP & SCM certification and maybe interning on the side to build more work experience. Moving with the company is unfortunately not an option since it’s production operations are all in Europe, NA, and Africa with only retail stores in Japan. Any help is appreciated!
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The first thing to do is to apply for a company that actually needs to hire a foreigner. Not many industries are trying to substitute local candidates with foreigners. Then you focus on what the company requires.
>how can you network with Japanese businessmen remotely?
Do you mean company owners by “businessmen”? That would require you to be relevant to them…
>Outside of work experience, do they look for certifications or specialised skills?
Japan isn’t any different from the rest of the world. Employers look for all of the things you’ve mentioned, and any other industry-specific job requirements that you would see elsewhere.
>with experience in middle management in a printing production environment
This is going to be your biggest hurdle. Your experience is in a field that, quite frankly, isn’t really going to be interested in hiring foreigners.
> maybe interning on the side to build more work experience
Internships aren’t really a thing in Japan.
The question you need to ask is the one that gets suggested here almost every time someone asks this question: What makes you more attractive as an employee than a Japanese person?
For some fields, like tech, the answer is “There’s a global talent shortage”. For other fields the answer is that employers want or need a foreigner, either because of language ability or skills that aren’t common in Japan.
While it is certainly *possible* for a foreigner to get a job in any field, it requires a bit of luck and perseverance. Most employers aren’t going to hire a foreigner if there’s a local who can fill the position, because the local speaks the language better, is more familiar with the culture, and doesn’t require a visa.
To stand out you will need to offer something the company cannot find through a local hire. Unfortunately your current resume is easy to find locally and so nothing will help you stand out. You will need to develop education, credentials, and experience that cannot be easily found in the local hiring market in Japan. In your field this may be challenging as Japanese companies won’t need to import professional staff for the printing industry.
Be good at your job and can prove it, basically