As a Japanese-American with a dual citizenship, I was wondering if there is even a chance at finding a job here in Japan as a bilingual person. If so, what would be the route to do so? Indeed.com? I am currently residing in Japan staying with family and am thinking about living here if there are any opportunities.
The problem is:
1. I cannot read or write Japanese. \[but I can speak fluently\]
2. I’m in my late twenties already.
3. I have no outstanding qualifications.
Does anyone have any experience that’s in a similar situation?
20 comments
Try and think of what jobs people who can’t read English would do in your country.
Without reading /writing you are kinda limited to factory jobs/construction. However, if you get a good grasp of kanji and can read and write. The you can get whatever pretty much.
Do you have a college degree? Major? Previous work experience? You can obviously get “a job”. The bigger question is would it be something fulfilling that pays a decent wage. There are thousands of open positions that don’t require writing, though most would require basic Japanese reading skills. You need to think long-term and I’d get cracking on improving your Japanese immediately. In the near-term you could work in a bar or restaurant, assuming you have customer service skills. Talk to your family and friends and think about what you’re good and if some kind of training or study can move things forward for you.
– What do you want to do for work in Japan?
– Why do you want to do it in Japan?
– Do you have a visa (work, marriage, etc)?
Sorry but if you can’t read/write then you’re not bilingual
I don’t even really understand how you can be fluent in speaking but you can’t even read Japanese?
If you’re actually fluent in speaking Japanese, picking up reading won’t take you very long at all
With dual citizenship, you can definitely teach English, but the salary will be more negotiable — ie: since your Japanese, you might be paid the same as Japanese staff. But then again, you might be able to negotiate up. No visa necessary and fluent spoken Japanese are great assets.
Then, you can work on getting literate & gaining some skills so you can move on to a career.
(University degree is not necessary for some eikaiwas as long as you don’t need a visa.)
You should get going on reading and writing ASAP. They are essential, and should be easy for you to pick up.
Fellow bilingual here.
There are definitely companies that want bilingual JP-ENG speakers for internal and external interpretation (e.g. client meetings; events; etc.).
> I cannot read or write Japanese. [but I can speak fluently
Ouch.
I highly recommend learning to read and write, as this will definitely hold you back.
I was in a similar situation when I was much younger, and it didn’t take that long since I could already speak.
Depends if it’s American standard bilingual or actually bilingual. Point #1 indicates American standard.
Typically you need a skill if you want something specific, otherwise your options will be very limited. You might want to consider picking something up.
As for language, if you’re illiterate in Japanese then you won’t be of much use to the company. Pick up those unko kanji drill books and get studying; it won’t take long if you’re already fluent in spoken language.
It is not too late to learn how to read/write.
Late 20s here, moved to Japan this year after online job hunting while in the States. I speak Japanese (not fluent, but good enough to get through all my interviews in Japanese) and cannot read or write without a translator (hiragana and katakana are fine, can’t do kanji). I’m working full time as an engineer.
Language aside, bottom line is if you don’t have any skills, finding a good job is hard. In any country.
I am not bilingual (conversational Japanese), and I can tell you it is definitely a negative. Luckily, I am married to a Japanese woman (who puts up with me), and I have a lot of IT skills that help me get jobs.
If you are coming to Japan without a lot of skills, then you need to learn Japanese (in your case, read/write). I believe you can get an English teacher job to start. The pay is not great at all but use that as your stepping stone.
I have been a fool for most of the 18 years living here because I trusted in my skills. I can still pull six-figure salaries, but they are becoming harder to find. Don’t be me, learn to read/write and you will have a lot more opportunities.
The second part would be to get a skill set after you get your reading/writing up to N2 level at least. There are a lot of jobs/companies that would hire you if you can function at a business level in Japanese and English.
IT is a good field, you can take some of the basic certs and then try to get a job as a helpdesk or desktop tech. From there you can build a career path along different paths but that job will help you learn a lot of IT basics. Some people might disagree with me but I think foreign firms pay better and will be more likely to appreciate your bilingualness. But they also demand good skills so cut your teeth where you can and plan to move up.
I would also like to suggest to always learn. Never settle into a job and just do the minimum. One, it will keep you off the list to fire when someone has to go and Two, it keeps you gaining skills and achievements. If you go more than two years with no achievements or new skills, you are basically settling and could endanger yourself when things get rough. Just a little advice from an old guy.
Good luck!
I’d say point number three is the one that is going to limit you the most when trying to find a decent job.
I can barely read or write, and my communication is basic but passable. However I do have a bachelors, red seal journeyman ticket in refrigeration, 7200+ hours recorded by the government worked, and Japanese drivers license.
I’ve had a couple jobs but nothing really serious or worth wanting to stay past my visa for. I think if you were literate and fluent opportunities are easier had.
Recommend trying Jac-recruit or indeed, for finding international companies in Japan. Sometimes no experience is favored so they can mold you
No, being born in a bilingual household isn’t enough to get you a job with no skills if you can’t even read or write in one of the languages. Quit being lazy and level up your skill set.
Would you consider taking a lesser job to spend time working on certifications/ studying? Look into getting a CCNA if IT interest you.
If you are speaking fluently you can find a hotel work easily. A lot of bilingual people work at international hotel chain.
But it’s a demanding job you know.
Your best bet is to talk to recruiters in your area of expertise (eg. tech, finance, marketing, etc.) They will give you the lay of the land for a person in your situation.
On a separate note, what is a drop top golf cart (username)? Sounds cool, pun intended!
Look on Linkedin, gaijinpot, daijobs, indeed is ok but mostly Japanese… I’m same dual and came here last year with just language skills. Got into a black Japanese IT company. Trying to get out..
But I know a lot of people who have CCNA or IT skills and practically no Japanese skills working here.