Finding non-English teaching jobs in Japan

Published on 06.29.2016 A big stereotype in Japan is that all foreigners from western countries, be they English speakers or not, work as English teachers. The reason for this is the huge demand for English education in Japan. Almost everyone in Japan wants to learn, or wishes they knew how to speak English, and one of the best ways to learn is from a native! Many foreigners in Japan are in fact English teachers, but there are also many others who do not teach English. Like Chris from the video, oftentimes people start off teaching English in Japan, simply because it is the best and easiest way to get your foot in the door. There are many companies that recruit English speakers who live overseas, and will sponsor your visa, such as ECC, and Aeon, and for most people, teaching English is inevitable.

So how can you avoid falling into the trap of teaching English? Having a good command of business Japanese is a must. Japan is a society where approximately 99% of the population speaks Japanese as their native language, so needless to say, most companies in Japan operate in Japanese. Many companies will not even consider hiring a foreigner if they do not have at least Japanese Language Proficiency (JLPT) N2 qualification, but just by having this, your options broaden quite a bit.

Another good option is using a recruiter like Chris did in the video. Being a foreigner in Japan, it is often hard to get the information or conenctions that you need to find a job, but a recruiter's job is to gather the information for you. They can also coach you through the daunting process of interviewing in Japanese. This alone can make them almost indispensible, as taking an interview can be difficult even in your native language.

With the amount of foreigners coming to Japan increasing every year, more and more Japanese companies are looking to hire foreign staff. There is no better time to get a job in Japan then now, so take the time to brush up your Japanese and start searching!

Source:Rachel and Jun