Moving to Tokyo (possibly)

[City_Ninja]

Hello all. My wife and I are considering moving to Tokyo the middle and next year (June '04) and are looking for some advice. I'm American and my wife is Japanese. She moved here after we were married 3 years ago in Japan. I do not have a college degree but have over 9 years of computer/networking experience (over 5 years with my current company). I have traveled to other parts of the world (South Africa, England, China and Japan) to setup networks, etc. Do you think it will be difficult for me to find work in the Tokyo area since I do not have a degree? Also, how difficult is it finding work in Tokyo while still in the States? Although we will have some savings (about $10K) my wife and I are really nervous about moving to Tokyo without having work lined up.

[AssKissinger]

This subject pops up from time to time and it always amazes me that I seem to be in a minority position when I say, "Line something up before you come to Japan." Japan will eat your money like a pitbull eating sausage. Do you speak Japanese? If you don't speak it well then setting up interviews and taking interviews and everything about the process is going to be mighty intimidating. It sounds like you have some things in your favor but make it as easy as possible on yourself. Know what I mean?

[Big Booger]

Let your wifey go back first. Let her setup shop, then you come over after you have a few more thousand in the bank

Then you can have time to sort out a job, she should already have a place picked out, furnished and so on.

Move in the off season time so that your plane tickets are cheap. Send over your stuff after she returns to Japan, bit by bit, so that your moving expense is spread out over time...

Once you get here, you have some options. Like Assking says, brush up on the Japanese. If you wanted to you could forge a University degree.. but it depends on how ethical you are

You can always teach at home, the english way. If you have experience with networking and computers, you gotta remember that in Japan they use J-OS... you'll need to brush up on computer terminology, know how to read the kanji popups, and so on...

Your chances of finding a job in Tokyo are much higher than out in the boonies like me... but the cost associated with living in Tokyo is much higher than out in the docks

Do you have any certs? MCSE, A+, etc?? If so that should help you land a net admin position... as long as your Jango is up to par.

[City_Ninja]

Hey, thanks for the response. I do speak a little Japanese. I've been studying with a private tutor (reading, writing, speaking) for about 1 1/2 years. The wife helps me as well. Yeah, I really would like to have something lined up before I come...even if it means taking a trip to Japan before making the big move.

[AssKissinger]

I'm gonna go ahead and say it. You might have to do ESL work. I know it sucks. Believe me I know. But a year and half of Japanese is almost nothing (unless you're like ten times smarter than me, not unlikely now that I think of it). First and foremost you gotta be able to do something that they can't find a JPN to do. They don't want any language hassles. Setting up networks sounds like a real skill so you may be on to something. Some of these other guys are gonna pipe in with some better advice about what you can do and maybe I'm too pessimistic. But some people start with ESL study hard, get some steady income and move into other things. Good luck.