Well, I didn't get the job at Citibank (sigh).
For the whole story... I had been put forward by Skillhouse (a recruiter) for a position at Nikkociti (Citibank). While I didn't know what to expect, I had a good feeling about the position. The job description describes me pretty much to a tee (except for the part about being significantly overweight yet somehow amazingly handsome) ^_^
Desktop support, some Japanese skill required, Windows 2000, XP, etc, and a chance to use Japanese on the job. The salary is >50% more than what I was making at Torstar Digital, and taxes in Tokyo are way lower than Toronto on top of that. So, since the job is so fantastic, it was natural for me to get excited when I found out Nikkociti wants to contact me for a phone interview. I set a time with Skillhouse and then they e-mailed me the day before to let me know about it.
And in the e-mail, in a "by the way" kind of fashion, they mentioned that the interview would be in Japanese, and that the hiring manager I'd be speaking to was from India.
So let's just think about that for a second. I know many of you back home think I'm some kind of Japanese-speaking genius, but the truth is that my Japanese is rudimentary at best (although it's improved a lot over the past few weeks). Like I mentioned in a previous blog, sometimes even ordering in a restaurant is a challenge. And now I have an important job interview in this very same language.
This problem is exasperated by the fact that I'm conducting the interview on the phone. Facial expressions and hand gestures can go a long way to assist when speaking a foreign language, but over the phone those tools are not available to me.
And of course, the next problem is that the person is from India. I've spoken to Japanese speakers from Canada, France, Hong Kong, mainland China, and other places. And in every case, except for maybe Japanese speakers from Korea, I've had trouble understanding them due to their accent.
So of course, I was deathly worried that I wouldn't be able to understand this manager. But oh well, this is the shitty hand I've been dealt, so I'll just play it best I can. And that night I called my friend Yumichan, who patiently helped me prepare for the interview and get some notes down of things I want to say (ユミちゃん本当にありがとうね！）
And then I had the phone interview. Actually the manager's accent wasn't noticeable at all. She spoke a bit more slowly, but I'm not sure if that's just because Japanese isn't her first language, or because she wants me to understand her (I'm guessing the latter). So I answered her as best I could, but after the interview was over I had a bad feeling. I felt like they wanted someone who has a stronger Japanese skill to do the position.
So, my spirit sank and I took a walk around Kichijoji to get some shoelaces and some other stuff I needed, when I noticed I had a phone message. It was Skillhouse.
They said that they had "very positive" feedback from the phone interview and that Nikkociti wants me to come down for a face-to-face interview.
Now I'm on Cloud 9. Suddenly everything is right in the world, and my dream of my own apartment with a kotatsu, a Japanese kettle, and a shower toilet is well within my grasp.
But that night, I had a hard reality pill to swallow. It seems that due to some kind of breakdown in communication between Skillhouse and Nikkociti, the manager was unaware that I require visa sponsorship to work in Japan. And since that takes time to happen (a month at least), and since Nikkociti wants someone who can start right away, they are not going to interview me.
Sigh... so close, yet so far. The business of chasing dreams sounds so wonderful but ultimately I've found it to be a bit of an emotional roller coaster.
And now the chips are down, and it's gut check time. Do I quit and give up, or do I keep looking?
I choose to keep looking.
6 件のコメント:
Tough break. This is why previous comments about looking for work abroad are totally wrong.
Worse comes to worse, get a job at an eikaiwa to tide you over if you're up for it. They'll have to process the paperwork, and once you get the visa, jump ship if you can.
Alas, things are not that simple. I can't get a job at an eikaiwa because I only have two college diplomas, not a degree. I'm only qualified for an Engineer visa due to my ten years' relevant work experience.
So, it's either IT job or bust!
"Tough break. This is why previous comments about looking for work abroad are totally wrong. "
Or why previous comments were exactly right. Because then you have departments of companies looking for foreign talent who understand and are prepared for the visa process. Doing it from inside Japan is a crap shoot.
Companies hiring from within Japan are looking for the easy hire. Someone reasonably qualified but usually time is a factor. They aren't going to want to wait around 3 months while your visa application is sitting in limbo, with a possibility of it ending up being up being declined in the end (a bigger possibility for you since you have no degree) when they can find someone with perminant residence or a pre-existing work visa.
Meanwhile you have companies who are looking for experienced foreign talent abroad. They are the ones who are going to hire you with no degree because you have 10 years experience. They know or are prepared for the visa prospect, and are more often than not, ready to "entice" you to come to Japan. This means more money and better bonuses like relocation bonuses.
I know you want to be in Japan now now now, but if it really is your dream, you owe it to yourself to do it the proper way. Rather than burn up your savings chasing the dream for months or years. Go back to Canada or to America or even Austrailia and hit those Japanese career forums. It's mostly college students so someone with 10 years experience is going to be a hot item, degree or not.
flinchfire -> I understand what you're saying, but my experience searching from Canada led me to a completely different experience. Most job postings say right in the description "applicant must be living in Japan and be available for an interview." And some websites even block non-Japanese IPs from applying! (I know I found this the hard way).
I came here prepared to accept the possibility that ultimately I'll be unsuccessful in my job hunt, and I'll be forced to turn around and come home, but I'm not ready to give up just yet. I've only been here a month so far. The list of recruiters in Tokyo is a long one, and I have enough to float me at least for a couple more months, so hopefully something will turn up.
If worst comes to worst and I can't get a job here, then I'll go back to Canada before my savings is completely gone, get a job in Toronto and rethink my strategy.
I don't know what kind of salary I'll get if I go back, but maybe if I can afford it I'll try to get MSCA or MCSE certification, and also try to improve my Japanese to JLPT2. Perhaps then I could be hired, even from abroad.
flinchfire: are you the authority on how one goes about looking for a job in Japan? Someone come down from the heavens after the clouds parted and anoint you token Master?
It depends on the kind of job. 85% of language jobs in Japan looked for candidates who were already installed in Japan, one way or another.
I came to Japan, stayed at a friend's for 2 months, applied in person, got hired and got a working visa. The company was a local one, the pay pretty good and the overall experience excellent. The number of jobs available locally and not online is high, and the amount of information you can get if you network among people once in Japan is not comparable to sitting at home. Had I followed your advice, I would have ended up working for companies like NOVA which ensure a mediocre experience by preying on people's fears and advice like yours saying only to stay at home. There is risk in going to Japan with savings, but the risks can pay off if you hustle.
"Most job postings say right in the description "applicant must be living in Japan and be available for an interview. And some websites even block non-Japanese IPs from applying!"
Exactly. Again, I'll restate what most people find out: being in Japan, looking for a job has its definite advantages. MANY employers are still leery of hiring people without seeing them in person. I am convinced if you have similar credentials, you can do a lot in person. Plus if you're in Japan with savings, hit the recruitment companies and headhunters, give a clean, professional look and image, and I'm sure you'll find something eventually. It beats hiding at home.
ジョナ さん - didn't know about your diploma situation. Yes, that might complicate things. Good luck with that!
Shitty.
Fingers crossed for the next one.
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