So I was laid off from my job in tech recently. already have bachelors and masters along with 5+ years of applicable work experience. Specifically, I am a data analyst/business intelligence engineer with skills in SQL, python, tableau etc.
My question is, is it harder for someone outside of japan to get an interview for a job in tokyo compared to someone applying locally? I have been applying for jobs in the past and response rate is low, and there’s even a job with a foreign tech company(not FAANG big) who are ok with me not speaking conversational japanese but backed off due to needing visa support after clearing the final interview(I heard work visa for skilled foreigners aren’t expensive or hard?). I also interviewed with mercari until the last stage but sadly they told me the dept was entering hiring freeze :(. other than that I applied to jobs where they didnt state japanese was needed and I perfectly fit the roles according to description and response rate was bad. starting to think I might have better chance if I am located there with a working phone #.
I am thinking about going to Japan for language school for a year at most, my intention is obviously improving my japanese level while applying for jobs in my spare time. Don’t worry about finances and gap in my work, I always saved 60% of my take home paychecks and that doesnt include past bonuses and RSU and im still 26.
3 comments
This is a copy of your post for archive/search purposes.
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**how hard is it applying from outside japan? are work visas that hard to get?**
So I was laid off from my job in tech recently. already have bachelors and masters along with 5+ years of applicable work experience. Specifically, I am a data analyst/business intelligence engineer with skills in SQL, python, tableau etc.
My question is, is it harder for someone outside of japan to get an interview for a job in tokyo compared to someone applying locally? I have been applying for jobs in the past and response rate is low, and there’s even a job with a foreign tech company(not FAANG big) who are ok with me not speaking conversational japanese but backed off due to needing visa support after clearing the final interview(I heard work visa for skilled foreigners aren’t expensive or hard?). I also interviewed with mercari until the last stage but sadly they told me the dept was entering hiring freeze :(. other than that I applied to jobs where they didnt state japanese was needed and I perfectly fit the roles according to description and response rate was bad. starting to think I might have better chance if I am located there with a working phone #.
I am thinking about going to Japan for language school for a year at most, my intention is obviously improving my japanese level while applying for jobs in my spare time. Don’t worry about finances and gap in my work, I always saved 60% of my take home paychecks and that doesnt include past bonuses and RSU and im still 26.
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It’s not a *lot* harder but it is harder. Once you’re in the country it’s substantially easier. There are plenty of companies who may be willing to sponsor/renew your visa if you already live here. Hiring someone from overseas isn’t just visa sponsorship, it’s also a lot of waiting- the certificate of eligibility takes anywhere from 1-3 months to clear, but someone in-country can start next week, and is also less of a flight risk from culture shock, homesickness, etc. If you do get a job, try to get one that will give you the engineer+specialist in humanities visa- it’s by far the most flexible. This means avoiding ALT dispatch companies that will get you a teacher visa. Maybe look into IT support/consulting roles as a foot in the door?
EDIT: As an aside, the economic situation is slowly worsening here, so it’s not too surprising to me that these companies are slowing/freezing hiring. Keep in mind your salary won’t be that high compared to back home, though I think most people moving to Japan understand this, and think the healthier + more convenient quality of life is worth the trade off.
Layoffs are about to skyrocket, it will get more difficult.