The Job Search

Whew! It's been a while since I last posted up on here. I have much to discuss, but we'll keep this post relatively short. It's already been 2 years since I started living in Tokyo. The time has flown by. In that time, I started a new job straight out of school here, moved into a new apartment twice, and traveled around to Kyoto, Nikko, and random onsen. I'll post up on here how to find an apartment if anyone is ever looking, some of the great hot spots in the area, and general life updates. For now, I am just going to provide a brief explanation of the current situation.

I had a great experience under my previous company, where I worked for two years as a marketing assistant. I had the chance to meet some wonderful people, gain some great marketing experience, and get a bit of an introduction to the sales environment here in Japan. I've decided to pursue my dreams of finding a way that I can use both my English and Japanese skills and try to work/support companies globally, so I recently decided to resign in search of something new. For those who do not know the job market here, or are wondering about my situation from this point forward, no worries. Job hunting is much the same everywhere, you search online and contact recruiters to find jobs that interest you and then you send out a number of resumes.

Japan requires you to fill out what is called a Rirekisho and a Shokumu-keirekisho.

What's a Rirekisho?

This is basically your personal information and educational history starting from high school. I found this interesting as we try to avoid mentioning our high school at all costs once you graduate college in the States. You also include a short reason for applying and any qualifications you may have. Finally, you have to attach a picture of yourself. Normally you handwrite this. As my Japanese handwriting has been called "cute" for its perfect bookish-looking nature, I elected to handwrite mine. (We both know my handwriting in English doesn't leave much to be desired either. ;))

What is a Shokumu-keirekisho?

This is what we would consider a resume in the English sense. This includes all of your work history. Though it can also include short essays about your skills and what you can contribute to the company.

Is the situation any different for non-Japanese?

The short answer is "no." You still have to take all of the character, reading, logic, and mathematical tests that any Japanese person has to. These are all written in Japanese. Without a doubt, this is the biggest hurdle for non-native speakers of the language. I took a test the other day that was 40 extremely difficult to read words that would stump even native college-level speakers of the language followed by 40 famous Japanese historical figures, and then 3 essays in 30 minutes. Needless to say, I didn't score well. Hopefully, the company will throw these out if you do well enough in the interview, though there is no guarantee.

Does this affect your visa?

Yes, and no. Officially, my visa is tied to employment. I sponsored myself last time, but as long as I find employment in 3 months, I get to keep my 3-year visa. If I don't, I have to go talk with the government and see what they say. This is a new change implemented by the June 2012 residency system. It used to be that once a permanent resident got a visa, it didn't matter what happened to your employment status during the time, but now we are required to report everything. The Immigration Office was very understanding when I went to speak with them. They just asked me to sign a paper and wished me luck.

What happens after 3 months?

It used to be that you would get told to return to your country for a period of time (e.g. 1 month), and then return on a tourist visa. However, the government is trying to increase the number of foreign workers in Japan and with the 2012 law, no one is really sure what happens yet.

In short, that's the situation. I'm looking for something new, visiting new companies and meeting new people. It's a great experience, but I certainly would like to find something soon.  I have the funds to stay here long-term. To those that may ask for me to return to the States, keep in mind that I still have friends who graduated college 2 years ago and have yet to find full-time positions. The job market is difficult everywhere, but the opportunity to work overseas directly out of college and gain experience is a great chance that I can't pass up.

The world is globalizing rapidly and we can't afford to only remain within our comfort zone. I really love living here, learning new things, and making a career for myself that I can be proud of. Everyone goes through this stage in their life at some point, some earlier than others. We all may take different paths, but the end is the same. I'm searching for happiness not just in my career but my community as well. I'm hoping to build something here. Let's explore it together.

Snow Day in Tokyo

It snowed in Tokyo yesterday. I woke up to find myself in a winter wonderland, and it snowed all day. This was pretty good timing because yesterday was Seijin no Hi (成人の日). Essentially, this is a day for all those that have turned, or are about to turn 20 years old within the past year. Each ward/city puts on a celebration where the governor and other important officials speak. The new adults wear traditional clothing. Unfortunately, due to some drinking issues after the ceremonies, attendance has been declining.

Tokyo got about 7 cm of snow over the course of the day, and some places got as much as 13 cm. (For reference, 7 cm is about the height of your hand if you are of average height.) I spent the day hanging out watching my favorite show Aibou - a detective drama - with Tai. We did clear the snow from the trees and sidewalk though. We didn't want his or his grandmother's trees to break. I also didn't want to break our necks when everything turned to ice - which was about 2 hours later. I'm really glad we cleared a path because when we went out for dinner, the streets were a mess. Slush was all over the streets, and I managed to step in more than one puddle. By the end, my boots held more water than the road. When we got back to his house, I ended up borrowing some of his boots so that I could walk home in dry shoes. Although his feet aren't that much bigger than mine, his boots are mysteriously huge. I looked like a strange rendition of Popeye in these giant brown work boots clunking up the streets of Tokyo. Over all, it was a lot of fun, and I'm glad we got to enjoy the snow on our day off.

The streets were still a bit icy on my way to work today, but it was all in good fun. Ice-skating in heels is an interesting but thrilling challenge. By the time I returned home, the roads were fairly clear. Surprisingly, no station in Tokyo predicted this huge snow storm. They were all saying that we would just have rain, so no one was prepared. The non-essential trains halted service, and the core trains continued but with delayed service. There were no high-speed trains like normal. The roads went to ice, and the sidewalks were pretty dangerous. Thankfully, the police were patrolling to help out anyone who got stuck and everyone pitched in to help clear the streets to make things safer. Overall, it was a lot of fun, and Tokyo was exceptionally beautiful covered in snow. Children made snow men, which are made up 2 balls instead of 3 like the American version). Others went sledding. I even saw a girl carrying a snowboard on the bus home. It was nice to see people slow down and enjoy the day.