Hello all! My first time posting on reddit.
I’ve been considering the idea of moving to Japan in the near future because 1. I’ve always been drawn to the culture 2. Most of my relatives are in HK, and being closer to them would mean a lot since they’re not particularly fond of visiting the US.
Currently, I’m a 25-yr-old American with a Bachelor’s degree in Finance and two years of work experience in a commercial bank, primarily in risk management and internal audit roles. Even though I’m not planning to move immediately, I want to be as prepared as possible.
For those who have made a similar move or is knowledgeable on moving to Japan. I have a few questions:
What steps can I take to increase my chances of landing a job in Japan, given my background in finance and banking? Are there specific certifications or language skills I should acquire, of course other than Japanese? I’m open to switching career as well.
Would it be easier to work for a Japanese company in the US and seek for relocation opportunities to Japan? Does anyone have experience with this path recently?
Does knowing Cantonese/Mandarin give me any advantage when seeking employment or adapting to life in Japan?
Are there any work aspects, company cultures, or practical considerations I should be aware of when planning a move to Japan?
I appreciate any advice or guidance you can provide and thanks for the help in advance!
4 comments
This is a copy of your post for archive/search purposes.
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**25 yr old American with 2 yrs of work experience**
Hello all! My first time posting on reddit.
I’ve been considering the idea of moving to Japan in the near future because 1. I’ve always been drawn to the culture 2. Most of my relatives are in HK, and being closer to them would mean a lot since they’re not particularly fond of visiting the US.
Currently, I’m a 25-yr-old American with a Bachelor’s degree in Finance and two years of work experience in a commercial bank, primarily in risk management and internal audit roles. Even though I’m not planning to move immediately, I want to be as prepared as possible.
For those who have made a similar move or is knowledgeable on moving to Japan. I have a few questions:
What steps can I take to increase my chances of landing a job in Japan, given my background in finance and banking? Are there specific certifications or language skills I should acquire, of course other than Japanese? I’m open to switching career as well.
Would it be easier to work for a Japanese company in the US and seek for relocation opportunities to Japan? Does anyone have experience with this path recently?
Does knowing Cantonese/Mandarin give me any advantage when seeking employment or adapting to life in Japan?
Are there any work aspects, company cultures, or practical considerations I should be aware of when planning a move to Japan?
I appreciate any advice or guidance you can provide and thanks for the help in advance!
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1. You’re going to want/need a minimum of N2-level Japanese, if not N1. The higher, the better.
2. Yes, it would likely be easier to come to Japan via transfer within the company.
3. I do not believe knowing Mandarin or Cantonese will help you in seeking employment. It might make it easier to learn Japanese but that’s about it.
I cannot speak directly for the banking sector so I’ll leave it at this. Everything else will depend on the company itself. It isn’t difficult to do research on work culture patterns in Japan, which can be very different from the USA if you find yourself in a very traditional Japanese company. Prepare for the worst, hope for the best. Good luck, hope you can make it to Japan!
Unlike IT, finance usually requires not just conversational level Japanese but a strong command of reading skills, writing composition and Keigo which is a form of polite japanese. N2 (maybe) or probably more desired N1 would be a good jlpt score to aim for. You should know though that it might be enough to get an interview but you will likely also be interviewed by a native speaker. The test does not factor in your speaking and writing composition.
Your two years of experience might also not be enough but for that I recommend you talk to recruiting consultants. A masters would definitely set you apart as 2 years is still in your associates or junior years.
3-5 years of experience or a masters, familiarity or experience with JGAAP IFRS and US GAAP financial reporting frameworks. JLPTN2 or greater would make your job hunt comfortable. Worthwhile doing research on what ERP systems are commonly used here.
I had a similar background to you and At least this is what I found pre-pandemic. I had a hard time finding a job since I didn’t have a lot of these criteria. I think my Japanese level at the time hurt me the most tbh.
I transitioned into software development and tbh I don’t regret it. That being said just take what I wrote as my personal observation. Those who are working here as finance professionals will certainly have better insight. Anyways hope it helped
You should also do some preliminary job board research, they might not even recruit people who are not already residents of Japan.
Even with an N1 it’ll be difficult to find a finance job there. Even for bilingual finance roles, your Japanese has to be better than ur English. Even amongst the Japanese, working for a bank is a still considered semi prestigious. So I’d start with working towards an N1 and hopefully that gets u through the door.