I have been working here for a total of 5 years, including the year I spent as a student.
During this time, I have changed jobs around 4 times due to many old-fashioned companies relying on insourcing. Even when I was hired as an engineer or translator, these companies expected me to do manual labor tasks at the fab. Although working for 100% Japanese companies improved my language abilities and knowledge of Japanese working culture, I often had to wear many hats, some of which were not what I would have preferred, incluiding manual work with machines.
However, last year, I finally found a multicultural company where I felt at home. The company culture, coworkers, and job duties were all different from my previous experiences, and I was able to fit in and thrive.
I recently had an interview with a yet old-minded Japanese man who offered me a job in my home country. Out of curiosity, I inquired about the salary, but he informed me that I couldn’t expect much, even if I were to be contracted in my home country without any connection to his Japanese company, and that my time working here is worthless because I didn’t work 3 years in the same company. At first, I didn’t take the offer seriously, but it made me upset to think that my four years of hard work here would count for nothing. I know that not many people back home have the experience that I have, let alone survived working in old-fashioned companies.
I like my current job, so i wouldn’t change it, but the way of the last interview just made me wonder if really those 4 years bitting the bullet are really worthless…
10 comments
Yes pretty much. If you continue to switch jobs every year in Japan, you will find sooner than later that your job prospects will dry up. Even though the work culture here is changing (slowly), it is still very much seniority based. You could be the perfect candidate and have a world of experience behind you but when they see that you’ve had multiple jobs over a short period of time they will bin your resume or if they really need another body, give you entry level and promote someone from within.
Just because one person does not value (or rather claims not to value) your employment experience does not not automatically mean that your experience is worthless! It is true that some old fashioned company usually require you to work your way up through the ranks of the company bureaucracy before your start getting paid well but not all companies are like that. Anyway, don’t let anyone fool you! Your experience, culture knowledge, and language skills are of great value.
You don’t have to stay at the same job for 30 years or anything like that, but switching jobs in less than 2 years is generally taken as a bad sign. They will be asking themselves “was their job that bad? If so, are they that bad at choosing companies? Were they pushed out?”, Etc. Doing this more than I’ve in a row is worse.
The number one red flag on a resume is someone who has a history of changing jobs more than once a year. After all, what are the chances they will stay with their new employer much longer?
If you stay at a company 4-5 years and then move on, it can much more easily be seen as having achieved all you can, and wanting to move onto something different or more challenging.
That’s not to say experience is worthless, however. At least you can say you have experience with multiple different company cultures.
Going forward I would be much more careful about changing jobs, though.
Lol if one really has to work at least 3 years at one company for the experience to count then I would still be working entry job. I don’t think I have been at any company for 3 years my whole career, jumping through 6 companies in the last 10 years. Don’t let one bad interview bother you too much.
4 jobs in 4 years? that’d be alot in the West
major red flag for japan unless all of these are jobs like Mcdonalds
Before I left the US, I had an interviewer ask me why I kept changing jobs every year. I just told him the truth. I switch jobs when I get offered a better deal, reasons being, more pay/more fulfilling work/more vacation time or benefits etc…Then I flipped it on him and said wouldn’t you switch? Still got an offer. I really don’t think it would fly here in traditional companies but I’m suprised a good amount of my young Japanese friends also switch companies time to time or even fields.
Prove him wrong by getting a better offer from somewhere else.
It’s all relative, like realistically your time spent is for you – some may see as useless where others would admire greatly. Life is so damn short , do what you feel and what doesn’t vibe your way switch it up. Don’t listen to people (especially those you don’t even know or respect) who tell your your time was wasted.
Only you get it spend it the way you want. All time is a trade for something else, you can’t be everything everywhere all the time. For example you had some bumps in the road but you learned Japanese! Perhaps you may miss out on an opportunity in your country with this dude but maybe you dodged a bullet and a better one is right around the corner.
Anyways what I’m saying is – life goes on, don’t sweat it too much
imo unless there is some major unbearable reason you should always stay 3+ years at a company before changing. Otherwise its kind of a red flag both employment and immigration wise. Its a double whammy for us
Even if you spent just a year at a company, as long as 1) you have made some achievements and can show that you accomplished XYZ (specific examples), and 2) have a valid reason to change companies or at least can come up with one during interviews (not just “vibes were off so I jumped”), you will be fine.
Staying in a company for three years is bullshit.