1) Your background and/or self introduction.
I found myself studying Japanese halfway through my time at the University of Vermont, and it soon became a major focus in my career. I also studied music, business, and have now recently started getting into engineering.
2) Where did you work? How did you find the job?
After being referred by a neighbor of mine, I started work at a bridge inspection and research company from Japan named NEXCO West USA. It was only around 15min away from home (in Washington, DC). You really never know where you will find a job and what exactly you’ll end up doing, so there’s no harm in asking anyone you know, even neighbors!
Job description: It is a unique position at a small bridge inspection company based in Northern, VA. The parent company is originally from Osaka, Japan. The job description entails: Day to day administrative assistance, mild translation (mostly Japanese to English), mild interpretation, communicating with American customers, bridge inspection assistance, and data analysis assistance. A background in engineering and a high level of Japanese proficiency is preferred, but not required.
3) What was the interview process like?
5) What is it like to work for your company in Japan? (working environment, requirements/expectations, language, attire, what is your work week like?, etc.)
Since the company is a spin-off of a corporation in Japan and started up around 6 years (2009) ago, I am the only American who has worked for them. Consequently, they are as fascinated with my lifestyle/workstyle as I am with theirs. We speak almost entirely in Japanese, so walking into the office feels like walking into Japan. Everyone works together in very close communication, and despite workloads which can get complicated or difficult, we all look forward coming in every day. Engineers tend to be casual on attire, but when it comes to hours, expect to stay late sometimes.
6) What is it like to work with the Japanese? (people, culture, language, after-work obligation, etc.)