Long history short. I just got a new job after quitting a job in an nightmare institution. It’s a well paid job at a prestigious institution, and I’m very proud of it. Fortunately or unfortunately I just got the opportunity to move to Japan with my spouse permanently (my dream country) but due to visa restrictions I have to move very fast, that means I would have to leave my new job (like 2 months after I started). I’m torn apart. I feel guilty for leaving the job but at the same time I feel like the opportunity to move is just one in a lifetime. Any words of advice? anyone with a similar experience?
Edit: adding more details here. I’m a digital marketing professional, we are a Japanese-American family, my status/resident permit/visa, will allow me to work without any restrictions so I’m not worried about the visa stuff.
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This is a copy of your post for archive/search purposes.
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**What should I do? Stay with dream job or moving to my dream country, Japan**
Long history short. I just got a new job after quitting a job in an nightmare institution. It’s a well paid job at a prestigious institution, and I’m very proud of it. Fortunately or unfortunately I just got the opportunity to move to Japan with my husband permanently (my dream country) but due to visa restrictions I have to move very fast, that means I would have to leave my new job (like 2 months after I started). I’m torn apart. I feel guilty for leaving the job but at the same time I feel like the opportunity to move is just one in a lifetime. Any words of advice? anyone with a similar experience?
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That feels less a moving to Japan thing and more a life advice thing. Nobody can really choose for you.
You don’t offer details on which visa/career you would be moving here from but it already looks like you got a great job.
So on one hand, you might want to go live out your dream but on the other hand, you’ll most likely be taking a huge paycut, stalling any career progression, lose your entire support network from home, amongst many other things.
Up to you to balance out which is more worth it.
Working off of extremely limited information.
You have been at this company for two months, that sounds like you are in the honey moon phase. I also don’t find rushing to a new place to be wise though. If I were you, I would consider my situation and all of the pros and cons of rushing to Japan. Japan isn’t going anywhere and there is always a way to go later.
I would see if I can find work opportunities that have longevity, learn the language / culture, then move a bit later while being better prepared.
Remember I was working with lots of assumptions and little information.
Without details it’s hard to help evaluate— what visa will you be on in Japan? Will you be able to continue your career in Japan? What kind of career do you have? Is your career important to you?
How do you feel about being a trailing spouse? Do you speak Japanese? Do you have friends and family in Japan? Have you ever lived in Japan before (do you know if you actually like living there)?
I live in Japan and I enjoy it, but at the end of the day I feel like jobs, family, friends, etc have more influence on wether you enjoy your life— not the country you’re living in (with the caveat of course that it’s very different if your current country is at war, undergoing major economic issues, etc). I don’t think I’d move here permanently as a trailing spouse without decent career prospects— but my career is important to my happiness.
Keep your job
> PR visa
You might want to look into the contract because companies cannot give out a permanent residency.
Keep your job. Stay in USA. You are married to a Japanese national, so you can always revisit the move.
Japan, without a doubt. A job at an education institution isn’t that hard to get. And actually you would be a more refined candidate if you lived in Japan, came back, and applied for the same type of job again.
Given you have no worries about visa status, moving to Japan in the future will likely still be possible even if you don’t take the current opportunity. Depending on your industry and skills though, the dream job might be harder to find again if you give it up now. Good luck!
Personally, I’d make the move. Talk to your employer, explain the situation. Can you work remotely? Time difference is no joke but doable.
Over time you can explore career options more locally. Good luck
Can you not do the job remotely from Japan? If you have no visa restrictions, this is the easy solution.
dream job. not gonna elaborate