Re: [tlug] IT job in Tokyo

[Tim Hurman <kano-tlug@example.com>]

On Thu, Mar 13, 2003 at 03:01:22PM -1000, Jan Daniel Semrau wrote:
> 
> >> i am a guy from Germany seeking an IT job in Linux and
> >> open source environment in Tokyo. My japanese skills
> >> are not good, yet.
> 
> Hi,
> 
> Interesting to read that as I am probably in a similar situation.
> I want to go to Tokyo as well to live with my girlfriend, but the 
> situation in Japan is really bad right now. I mean the Nikkei is at
> a new 20 year low. I was told by the Japanese embassy in San Francisco 
> that some companies even lay-off japanese senior-level employees! So 
> there is no real chance (exclude networking here) to find a decent 
> payed job in Japan right now without a Visa and with limited language 
> skills. This job-situation is so frustrating right now :-( I am 
> searching since September 2002 and still haven't found anything stable. 
> My situation as a recent graduate doesn't support that. But dont get me 
> started. Anyways, sorry for the rant, I just wanted to say the the 
> "grant" idea sounds interesting. 
> 

When I was in Tokyo looking about 4 months ago, I found that basically
nobody was interested unless I spoke really good Japanese, I had to ask
for some fairly big favours so that I could even be seen. However when I
came back to London a company approached me and in the interview they
asked me to attend, I mentioned that I wanted to work in Japan. They
offered me this propsal: if I could find work that could benifit the
company in Japan, I could take it. This only really works with the kind of
work I do, but it is one hell on an insentive, and I have a really good
job. It may be worth approaching the larger consultancies where you are
(Accenture, PCW and others) because sometimes they offer exchanges between
other offices. It is a rather indirect route, but it sometimes pays off.

Tim.

-- 
"ergo it is easier to drag sheep downhill" - Applied Ergonomics Magasine
Tim Hurman - Email: kano at kano.org.uk - Phone: Yeah right.