If you are a highly-skilled foreign professional interested in Japanese culture and a desire to further your career in Japan, it’s not always easy to know how to go about it.
To help get you started, the Japan External Trade Organization (JETRO) has set up a portal site to provide advice and assistance to foreign professionals wishing to work in Japan.
The site offers all sorts of useful tips for anyone contemplating a career move to Japan, including topics such as studying and working in Japan, searching for Japanese companies, procedures for entering the country and information on living in Japan.
Many companies in several industries in Japan are currently looking to hire foreign professionals. JETRO has a list of those companies here.
Some professionals have already successfully made a move and enjoy their professional and personal lives in Japan. Let’s meet two of them.
Carla Manantan, Philippines
Carla Manantan works in the global marketing division for the Sato Holdings corporation. It offers comprehensive solutions utilizing barcode, radio frequency identification (RFID) and other technologies to help healthcare providers such as clinics and hospitals operate more efficiently. She says curiosity first brought her to Japan. In the Philippines, she worked in the real estate business and had several Japanese clients.
In 2019, Manantan did an MBA in Japan, a stepping stone for her career. She says she enjoys working with an international team and emphasizes it is all about being open to another person’s perspective — then you can see things from a different vantage point.
Sridhar Babu, India
Sridhar Babu works as an AI engineer at AWL, which develops and offers AI camera solutions to solve issues and enhance value at retail stores.
Babu says he got fascinated by Japan’s lifestyle and culture when he came here on an exchange program. So after completing a master’s degree at Kyoto University, he joined AWL, where he thrives in an intercultural organization with people from around 20 countries.
Babu’s advice to foreigners wanting to work in Japan is that if you are willing to learn and appreciate the lifestyle and culture, you will cherish each and every moment of your life here.
If you’re looking for a new adventure and the next step in your career, Japan is waiting for you.
External link: https://www.jetro.go.jp/en/hrportal/
