Working Holiday Visa to Working Visa

[djohnnie4208]

Hello Everyone!
I am very new to this site, and I am floored by how much content is available, its insane!

Anywho my name is Darren, I have been to japan before (52 days in April 2010) I learned some japanese but I wound up knowing less coming back then I knew going into japan lol. (I was in Tokyo, kyoto, Osaka, Miyajima) and most of those places its easy to get by with basic english instead of japanese.

It was amazing and now I want to work there on the Working Holiday Visa with a friend to see if it is the kind of thing I wish to do permanently. I do not have a bachelors, I would like to work in IT (I have my A+, customer service certificate and a number of others related to IT).

So my question is, (keep in mind I will hopefully have enough money to not need a job during my working holiday visa) if I volunteer at IT related businesses with computer repair or even networking. #1 is it possible to volunteer at such places? or do Japanese IT business not like volunteers as there may be confidential data etc. #2. If I do not have a bachelors but an employer loves having me around, is it possible to get sponsored and get a work visa without the years of experience or a bachelors degree?

Also on a side note, does anyone know if volunteering at Square Enix is a possibility? I love that company and would love to help out those who make amazing games!

[community.japanese]

Darren-san,
kon'nichiwa!
Wow, I envy you; I'm like from the Stone Age, so I'm not internet savvy or computer literate at all

I can't say for sure, but getting jobs is very difficult here in Japan too, and companies always want someone who
can start working without training. In this sense, experiences would speak much more than university degree.
IT industry might deal with a lot of highly confidential documents, but so does any industry. So, even if you
get volunteer position, you just might need to sign NDA. I don't see any reason why IT indutry avoids volunteer
for such reasons.

I think good relationship with your boss would boost your chance, regardless of academic background, again.
So taking internships and/or volunteer would be great for you to build the foundation.
I myself experienced a lot of different (and difficult) job huntings, so I know how little academic background
means unless you're newly graduated. If a company is wise enough, they'll hire someone with volunteer experiences
than trophy backgrounds without experiences.

Oh, also, billingual is another advantage for you, so don't forget about it! Proving your proficiency in Japanese
would be an asset! And, that's where we can actually help!!!
Good luck!

Natsuko(奈津子),
Team JapanesePod101.com

[saishowaguu21540]

Hello Darren,

I've been in Japan 6 years now and moved from a student visa to a working visa in the IT field.
As Natsuko-san said in her e-mail below, it is difficult to get a job here too, but not impossible.
I think it might be easier for you to apply at places that have a multi-national base.

In my personal experience, I found it hard to apply to game companies (like Square Enix) unless you have had the experience or a certain level of Japanese language ability.

Since you have a few certificates in the IT field, it might be a bit easier to find a job with a multlingual IT company (there are quite a few). I had one or 2 interns at the company I was working at before, so it is possible.

Or you could come to Japan as a student and try to find an internship while you are there learning the language. (I think students can work up to 30 hours per week once permission is granted.) And I'm sure that if an employer gets to know you, they will move to sponsor a working visa for you.

There are a few options for you to take.

PS. Some of the phrases I used from Japanesepod in interviews helped me to get the job.

[community.japanese]

saishowaguu21540-san,
thank you very much for sharing your experience and opinion!!

We're also glad to know that some phrases from our lessons were usuful at your interview

Natsuko(奈津子),
Team JapanesePod101.com

[Jaseysmail3934]

One of the challenges are that I've found within the IT industry in Japan, is that you must have at least business level English. You are competing against people with university degrees, diplomas and masters degrees and can also speak business level Japanese. This is one thing that I don't have and I found myself limited to options for what jobs could be offered to me. I have been contacted by multiple recruitment agencies looking for work for me, however they are unable to help me as most of the contracts offered require fluent Japanese (or additionally fluent English).

Moral of the story: If you have the degree, study Japanese hard.

If you are over 30, it is also sometimes difficult to get into a company. From what I've heard amongst other working foreigners here is that, by the age of 30 you should have an established work network to be able to help you move into companies and move up. If you don't have that, then it could prove difficult.

From a recruitment perspective, this may be great for you - Hit up all of the recruitment agencies you can find. Build a good relationship with them and keep them on their toes. They are pretty busy, so don't expect any immediate results as I hear the process of managing the relationships and the contracts can take a while.

[community.japanese]

Jaseysmail3934-san,
thank you very much for insights!!
You're so right about all those what you wrote.

If you are over 30, it is also sometimes difficult to get into a company. From what I've heard amongst other working foreigners here is that, by the age of 30 you should have an established work network to be able to help you move into companies and move up. If you don't have that, then it could prove difficult.

tell ME about it....
You're again very correct; by the age of 30, we're supposed to have "good experiences".
Job opportunities might be out there, but only if you have experiences and actual results in your past job(s).

Business world is not a joke; this is true in anywhere in the world, right?

Natsuko (奈津子),
Team JapanesePod101.com