Any career options for those learning Japanese?

[Kirisame]

I'm not sure where to post this burning question..but here goes

I have been studying japanese for sometime. Have been thinking about the possible career options where I can make use of what I have learnt.

A visit to the Japanese embassy was helpful. In the sense that I got to know, without company sponsorships and tertiary scholarships, I can go nowhere. Although I have recently obtained JLPT 2, I know it's just the basic step in the strive for language proficiency. Qualifications such as these can't possibly impress the interview panel, right?

Do share with me your thoughts and experiences on suitable career moves regarding language studies.

[GaijinPunch]

I think if you use Japanese as a complementary skill, it will open up many doors (especially in Japan). If it's your only skill, then I think you'll find it a bit constricting. My first two jobs real jobs after college I got b/c of my Japanese, and I had only passed JLPT 2 about 6 months prior. 2 is actually very useable, practical Japanese. Unless you're going for a career in translation or something, you'll probably do fine with just that for a while.

[PaulTB]

Translation 'or something' is perfectly possible - but you will need much more than what you need to get JLPT 2.

Just to be clear - this isn't necessarily about needing JLPT 1, theoretically you could still fail that and be an OK translator because the knowledge and skills you need don't exactly overlap. In translation speed and ability to remember obscure kanji _without_ using a dictionary aren't as important as patience, hard work and knowing the language you're translating to.

*ahem* Not that I'm ready for pro translation myself. :relief:

[Mike Cash]

To expand on what Paul said.....You could pass JLPT1 with flying colors and be a crap translator. Competent language skills in two (or more) languages doesn't automatically mean that a person will be a good translator. More importantly, it doesn't even mean that a person would enjoy doing that sort of work.

[alexriversan]

it depends what you have learned additional to japanese.

whatever this might be- funeral advice, car junk yard work, plastic flower growperson, tarantula reseller or something more serious.

knowing a language is one thing. having something to say is another thing. knowing a language and have something to say in it are two things.
i know myself this sounds arrogant. it is an experience i made myself.

[Kirisame]

I think if you use Japanese as a complementary skill, it will open up many doors (especially in Japan). If it's your only skill, then I think you'll find it a bit constricting. My first two jobs real jobs after college I got b/c of my Japanese, and I had only passed JLPT 2 about 6 months prior. 2 is actually very useable, practical Japanese. Unless you're going for a career in translation or something, you'll probably do fine with just that for a while.

Really, yokatta ne. The good thing is that you have gotten yourself a conducive environment for applying practical japanese. It will be nice if I can hear more about the experiences you gained for the two jobs you mentioned. P.s If you're uncomfortable about saying it, it's ok. (if not maybe pm or something?) Anyway thanks. :-)

[Harvey]

Take a look at these sites to see what type of jobs are available for bilinguals.

http://www.japannewbie.com/employmentlinks.php

I especially recommend looking at the careerforum site and mrjapanese.

One thing to stress that most jobs require some skill, plus bilingual ability. For example even if you want to do translation for a company, and the business the company is doing is IT related... but you don't understand IT, you will be a very ineffective translator. Know what I mean?

But as for jobs that Japanese helps, yeah as from the sites you can see there are plenty!

[Kirisame]

Take a look at these sites to see what type of jobs are available for bilinguals.

http://www.japannewbie.com/employmentlinks.php

I especially recommend looking at the careerforum site and mrjapanese.

One thing to stress that most jobs require some skill, plus bilingual ability. For example even if you want to do translation for a company, and the business the company is doing is IT related... but you don't understand IT, you will be a very ineffective translator. Know what I mean?

But as for jobs that Japanese helps, yeah as from the sites you can see there are plenty!

Yup, japanese language or any other language merely complements the core skill that one should hold for a particular type of job.

Harvey thanks for the links.

[Matadon]

Good thread; I'm not up to ni-kyuu level quite yet, but I plan on being there by the time I graduate college (year and a half before I can rejoin the workforce), and I want to use my Japanese to suppliment all those wonderful technical and management skills I spent years as a UNIX admin attaining.

[Kirisame]

Good thread; I'm not up to ni-kyuu level quite yet, but I plan on being there by the time I graduate college (year and a half before I can rejoin the workforce), and I want to use my Japanese to suppliment all those wonderful technical and management skills I spent years as a UNIX admin attaining.

What I found out is that people with technical and management skills, in addition to a foreign language, is highly regarded and sought after in most industries.

So all the best Matadon. I probably won't be able to achieve my dream, but I wish for all those who pursue japanese related careers to have a dazzling future ahead of them.

頑張れよ、みんなさん！ :-)

[GaijinPunch]

Good thread; I'm not up to ni-kyuu level quite yet, but I plan on being there by the time I graduate college (year and a half before I can rejoin the workforce), and I want to use my Japanese to suppliment all those wonderful technical and management skills I spent years as a UNIX admin attaining.

Get some experience under your belt, move to Japan, and try to get a job in securities. They pay well, give good vacations, and are a somewhat inelastic industry unless you completely suck. In short... Unix and Nihongo are two skills that aren't often shared by the same person.

[Harvey]

Get some experience under your belt, move to Japan, and try to get a job in securities. They pay well, give good vacations, and are a somewhat inelastic industry unless you completely suck.


Hrm... I'm an IT guy, what exactly do people in securities do anyway?

[geist_seig]

hmmm very intesting..

[yukio_michael]

My goal is to take the place of the White guy on Space Shower.