1) Your background and/or self introduction (including how many years of Japanese study, where, why you are interested in Japanese, study abroad experience, which year you graduated, your major/minor, etc.)
I am originally from Brazil but moved to the U.S. as a child for my father’s job (he is a medical researcher and currently works at UVM). We first lived in university housing, which was an extremely international environment with many researchers and families from around the world. One of my closest friends at the time was from Japan, and he and his family became my first real exposure to Japanese culture. They eventually returned to Japan, though, and over time we lost touch.
Years later, as a high school freshman, I decided to try to reconnect with them, but quickly realized that without learning some Japanese I wouldn’t get very far. This was when we reached out to Corson- and Suzuki-sensei, who kindly allowed me to sit in on introductory Japanese classes at UVM!
After those classes, I continued studying Japanese on my own until enrolling at UVM in 2009, when I resumed formal study and eventually double-majored in Japanese and Psychology. During college, I also spent a year studying abroad at Aoyama Gakuin University in Tokyo, and that proved to be a life-changing experience. Not only did I reunite with my childhood friend, I also made many new connections, and was determined to find my way back to Japan after college.
In my final year at UVM in 2014, I was awarded the Princeton in Asia Fellowship and spent over two years in rural Okayama teaching English and serving as a Coordinator for International Relations.
2) Where do you work? How did you find the job?
I currently work in the U.S. as an analyst for a company specializing in internet monitoring and compliance. Although based in the U.S., the company has a strong international presence, and I contribute to several contracts for Japanese clients.
Before this role (and immediately after my time in Okayama), I was employed by a metal manufacturing company based in Saitama. I was part of the marketing and sales department, serving as a liaison between the Japanese headquarters and international clients. A friend from Okayama (a former JET) had been recently hired there and told me the company was actively looking to employ more foreigners. I believe she originally discovered the company at a JET-sponsored job fair.
3) What was the interview process like? (Please describe in detail. Everyone will be very curious here!) What were the questions?
My friend recommended me to the company, and I was invited to a week-long, on-site job-shadowing internship with a couple of other candidates. We each spent full workdays touring facilities, learning about the manufacturing process, and meeting different teams. Every day, I submitted written notes in both English and Japanese. Apparently, I made a good impression, because I was offered a position soon after the internship ended!
4) What was the placement/moving process like? (Did company pay any? or you paid everything)
I was given a few months to prepare before starting. Although I arranged the actual move myself, the company helped with apartment hunting and served as a co-signer.
5) What is it like to work for a Japanese company/school? (working environment, requirements/expectations, language, attire, what is your
work week like?, what did you do?, etc.)
For my first six months, I trained full-time at the factory. This included job-shadowing and eventually doing manual labor in the Q&A and R&D departments. The standard schedule was 8:00–16:30, but I later added 1–2 hours of overtime each day to match non-trainee employees.
After entering the marketing and sales department, I became a salaried employee. The salary was higher, but overtime was no longer paid. My typical day ended around 19:30, with occasional nights extending past 22:00. The company also had a policy of occasionally working on Saturdays, around once per month. Attire was business-casual (button-up shirt, no tie).
I worked almost entirely with Europe-based clients, responding to price quote requests, reviewing and documenting new orders, checking order statuses, dealing with claims, etc. I also frequently traveled to Europe with senpai to visit clients and participate in conventions and trade fairs, and often hosted client visits in Japan.
6) What is it like to work with the Japanese? (people, culture, language, after-work obligation, etc.)
The company had fewer than 150 employees, intentionally preserving a traditional “family company” atmosphere. The president knew every employee on a first-name basis, and even though very few people spoke English, I felt welcomed and part of the group. However, that familial environment also blurred boundaries between personal and professional life, and work–life balance was not ideal.
There was definitely a rigid employee hierarchy typical of traditional Japanese companies, but because of the familial company culture it never felt overbearing. Still, there were some unspoken expectations to attend meetings and other activities not directly related to one’s work duties, including after-hour dinners with clients and guests. We’d also occasionally have department-wide after-work nomikais (about once a quarter), and once a year a company-wide trip over a long weekend.
Regarding the marketing and sales department specifically, client relationship-building was a large part of the job, and obviously you were expected to be a gracious and polished host the entire time.
7) PLEASE share any tips for those who are going to teach in Japan or have Japan-related jobs after graduating from UVM?
For English teaching jobs through programs like JET: daily life varies dramatically depending on placement. Rural posts may give you full control of lesson planning and integrate you into the community, while urban placements can often have you serve mainly as a native-speaking aid to the homeroom teacher. If you hope to transition into a different job eventually (especially one outside teaching), proximity to a major city can make job-hunting much easier. Think carefully about what you want out of the experience before choosing a placement.
For work in general: Japan has a very strong cultural identity, full of unspoken societal rules and expectations. As a foreigner, you are not really expected to abide by a lot of these rules, but making an effort to assimilate and act like a local will earn you the respect of your coworkers and peers. Resist the temptation to only spend time with other foreigners and “gaijin smash” your way through your life there, and I promise you will stand out.
Work–life balance in many traditional Japanese companies can be extremely demanding. I was fine with it at the time since I always intended this to be a temporary romp in Japan and knew I’d be back in the U.S. before long, but just be aware that it can be really, really challenging. I am very grateful for the experience and don’t regret it one bit, but would think long and hard about ever returning to that lifestyle.
8) Please share any recommendation you would like to give to faculty/staff for career advising.
Encourage students who are serious about building a career in Japan to study abroad there, especially if they’ve never been before. I find it essential. It is one of the most effective ways to improve language proficiency and develop a realistic sense of life and work there.
Also, sign up for the JLPT early and often. Not only does it give students motivation with a tangible goal to work towards and study for, it is also helpful for tracking and gauging one’s language proficiency.
9) Please share any recommendation you would like to give to UVM students as career advising.?
In my experience, going the traditional job hunting route like most Japanese recent grads do is pretty challenging for foreigners. It is a very defined process with specific stages and obligations, and Japanese students will literally attend seminars for months in preparation. Career fairs for Japanese companies and institutions aimed specifically at foreigners are probably the best way to find full-time company or research jobs. These types of events are more common in Japan, but there are occasionally some held in the U.S. as well. Having JLPT certification regardless of the job will be seen an asset, and I would aim for at least N2 (business-level proficiency).
I would imagine Japanese branches of multinational companies may offer better work-life balance compared to traditional Japanese companies, but you may need more relevant work experience to have a chance at these jobs. By contrast, Japanese companies are often more willing to hire people completely new to their industry since they typically train new employees from the ground up.
Teaching English as a career is also always an option. There is no lack of postings for English teaching jobs, and it can be a ton of fun. But know that they don’t pay a whole lot and there is little opportunity for job growth or mobility if you do it for too long.
Working in academia may also be an option, but I don’t know enough about that route to give any detailed advice.
10) Anything else you want to share!
Put yourself out there and be diligent with maintaining connections. I think those are two keys to a successful career, in Japan or anywhere else!
