Re: [tlug] PHP in Japan.

[Mark Makdad <mark@example.com>]

Darren Cook wrote:
> There are plenty of PHP-backed web sites, and also plenty of 
> enthusiasm for open source (though, like others on this list, that 
> could just be the company I keep ;-).
> I'd recommend you to concentrate on Japanese skills initially; if not
> you restrict yourself to a much smaller set of potential employers (i.e.
> large foreign companies, mostly in the finance industry) and it is my
> impression Java and Visual Basic dominate there.
>   
I searched for PHP jobs when I came to Japan, too.  I speak some 
Japanese (I believe enough to get by in business); I still found 
difficulty finding one.  The one job I did find in a Japanese company 
would have had me developing in Java and C++.

So I joined IT recruitment instead...  This does enable me, though, to 
strengthen Darren's comment about IT jobs in finance.

If you don't speak much Japanese, it's probably your best bet.  Most of 
the banks use VB, Java, C++, C#, .NET; of course it depends on the 
institution.  My recommendation is to talk to recruiters about 
positions.  They'll do the job of selling you to the companies -- you 
just have to sell yourself to them first.  Lastly, there's always the 
catch-22 of the finance industry: you have to have the industry 
experience to get in, but no one wants to give you the chance.

If you have strong database (preferably Sybase, but MS SQL or Oracle 
will do) or UNIX/Linux SA skills, then that may be sufficient along with 
programming.  After all, it is a good time to be an IT candidate 
searching for jobs in Tokyo.

Just start studying Japanese as soon as you can!

Mark