What job should I try for in Japan?

[McTojo]

And in addition Sideshow.

Don't take this as me giving you shit, because every month or so someone who wants to come to Japan comes aboard with a similar question, and the best advice is to get a killer education and learn as much Japanese as possible in the US, then explore your options for employment in Japan. Learn the language associated with your field of study. It doesn't matter what your reason for coming here is, even if it's just for the girls, prepare yourself for your life, not just for a potential life in Japan.
As for language skills, I can read biology and pharmatech documents that would make most Japanese people's head spin. I can read the same stuff in English that would make most native speaker's of English's head spin. Could I read a law book in Japanese? A book about computer programming in Japanese? A poem in Japanese? No, no, and no. Can I talk with most Japanese people? Yes. Do I seriously fuck up the language on a daily basis? Yes. Bottom line, for what I do, I know the language in my native language and in Japanese. Do I make a mint? No. Do I hang out in Roppongi? No, I prefer Kabukicho.

you can't read shit!!!!

[Greji]

you can't read shit!!!!

McTball, he's a professional translator. I suggest you go back to buttfucking your bald headed buddies. It's less embarrassing for you...

[Sideshow]

Thanks for more advice. Well, I'm currently enrolled in college. I'm torn between pre-med and English. With pre-med I'd go on to med school. With English I'd choose between med school, law school or the JET program. Any advice? Would med or law get me a job in Japan and if not would a good route be something like Business?

[Yokohammer]

Thanks for more advice. Well, I'm currently enrolled in college. I'm torn between pre-med and English. With pre-med I'd go on to med school. With English I'd choose between med school, law school or the JET program. Any advice? Would med or law get me a job in Japan and if not would a good route be something like Business?

You're going to choose your life work based on whether it'll get you to Japan or not? You're nuts.

[Samurai_Jerk]

Thanks for more advice. Well, I'm currently enrolled in college. I'm torn between pre-med and English. With pre-med I'd go on to med school. With English I'd choose between med school, law school or the JET program. Any advice? Would med or law get me a job in Japan and if not would a good route be something like Business?

Yoko is right. You're nuts.

You don't seem very informed either. Do you really think an undergrad major in English is good prep for med school?

[Iraira]

With English I'd choose between med school, law school or the JET program. Any advice? Would med or law get me a job in Japan and if not would a good route be something like Business?

I suppose that you are going to take (study) all the bio and at least 2 years of chem that you will need for the MCATs, while being an English major? Keep in mind that those taking the MCATs are primarily peeps who have toiled with bio, chem, and physics for their 4-5 years as undergrads. From an English degree, med school is pretty much out of the question, law school is feasible, however. Would med or law get you a job in Japan? Depends on whether you can communicate what you need to communicate in Japanese or not. For business, if your furture company wants to send you over here on an ex-pat package, by all means come over.
Thinking that being a JET will allow you to learn enough of the language to land a lofty position in a good company is not what usually happens.

McTojo: I'll put my reading comprehension skills up against yours any day. A book of literary merit is not manga about moms with big lactating jugs.

[Sideshow]

Yoko is right. You're nuts.

You don't seem very informed either. Do you really think an undergrad major in English is good prep for med school?

I'll give all of you the benefit of the doubt when it comes to Japan issues, but considering I have a friend that left this week for med school with the same English degree from the same college I'm attending, then I wouldn't sneer at my chosen degree. To get into any med school, any degree will do. You just need requirements easily fulfilled by electives and the right choice on optional required classes plus a physics and calculus class. Med school prerequisites are easily obtained through most degrees.

[Iraira]

I'll give all of you the benefit of the doubt when it comes to Japan issues, but considering I have a friend that left this week for med school with the same English degree from the same college I'm attending, then I wouldn't sneer at my chosen degree. To get into any med school, any degree will do. You just need requirements easily fulfilled by electives and the right choice on optional required classes plus a physics and calculus class. Med school prerequisites are easily obtained through most degrees.

You're referring to one of the med schools in Grenada, right? You are also 100% incorrect. You need stellar MCAT scores on top of everything. Your friend's parents wouldn't happen to be doctors also?

[Sideshow]

You're referring to one of the med schools in Grenada, right? You are also 100% incorrect. You need stellar MCAT scores on top of everything. Your friend's parents wouldn't happen to be doctors also?

No, not Grenada. My friend got accepted into Nova in Florida. I don't live in the UK. Also, his parents aren't doctors.

[Samurai_Jerk]

No, not Grenada. My friend got accepted into Nova in Florida. I don't live in the UK. Also, his parents aren't doctors.

WTF does the UK have to do with anything?

[Screwed-down Hairdo]

I didn't know Reagan invaded the UK, either....

[Samurai_Jerk]

I'll give all of you the benefit of the doubt when it comes to Japan issues, but considering I have a friend that left this week for med school with the same English degree from the same college I'm attending, then I wouldn't sneer at my chosen degree. To get into any med school, any degree will do. You just need requirements easily fulfilled by electives and the right choice on optional required classes plus a physics and calculus class. Med school prerequisites are easily obtained through most degrees.

You can do it if you spend an extra year or two in school working on electives. However, that approach would be bass ackwards if you're trying to decide between law and med school. Being pre-med won't hurt a law school application so you're better off doing that and deciding which one you want to pursue later. Also, as pre med is a much more rigorous major, it will better prepare you for the work load you'll face in law school.

[Sideshow]

WTF does the UK have to do with anything?

I was thinking UK for a different reason and typed it instead of the Caribbean.

[Sideshow]

You can do it if you spend an extra year or two in school working on electives. However, that approach would be bass ackwards if you're trying to decide between law and med school. Being pre-med won't hurt a law school application so you're better off doing that and deciding which one you want to pursue later. Also, as pre med is a much more rigorous major, it will better prepare you for the work load you'll face in law school.

But if I decided to head for Japan instead of going for law or med, then an English degree would serve me best. By the way, to sort of stop the debate on med school, here's the requirements for most if not all med schools.

http://www.studentdoc.com/medical-school-requirements.html

[Samurai_Jerk]

But if I decided to head for Japan instead of going for law or med, then an English degree would serve me best.

By the way, to sort of stop the debate on med school, here's the requirements for most if not all med schools.

http://www.studentdoc.com/medical-school-requirements.html

Thanks for backing up what we said. That's about another year's worth of study for someone who's doing a non-science major. Possibly more depending on the major.

[Screwed-down Hairdo]

I was thinking UK for a different reason and typed it instead of the Caribbean.

Common typo...I hope you take a little more care if you do decide to become a doctor, unless, of course, you come from the same place where I do and "med" is what I think Americans call "Tampax," in which case I'm totally out of line here.

[Christoff]

Common typo...I hope you take a little more care if you do decide to become a doctor, unless, of course, you come from the same place where I do and "med" is what I think Americans call "Tampax," in which case I'm totally out of line here.

Yea, I'm not even sure what that means.

[anthans]

Anyway, after a couple of years teaching English you might want to change your career. In most cases you'll end up doing headhunting. That seems to be the natural progression.

I almost got a job with a headhunting firm (recruitment consultant) in Tokyo. They had just flown me in for the final interview and I thought it would go through. Unfortunately I found out last week that they were passing on my candidacy. I was really bummed out about it. I saw my life changing in the next month (as that's when the start date would have been) and was fantasizing about ditching mid-contract from the eikaiwa that I'm currently teaching at.

Can anyone attest to headhunting as a good career? Should I keep looking elsewhere for jobs in Japan?

[Greji]

Can anyone attest to headhunting as a good career?

Should be, there's enough of them around!

Should I keep looking elsewhere for jobs in Japan?

I would say that depends on whether you want to eat while your here!

[anthans]

Teaching English ---> Headhunting ---> ???????

Does anything naturally come after working as a headhunter?

[JLR]

Teaching English ---> Headhunting ---> ???????

Does anything naturally come after working as a headhunter?

Token gaijin on TV ?

[Dreamy_Peach]

I have some friends who took the eikaiwa ---> headhunting route. They're all doing pretty well. Pretty stressful at the start as you learn the ropes, but if you have the balls and aren't lazy then maybe it can turn out alright. They are now traveling around the world as they take on extra responsibilities for different markets.

[anthans]

I definitely have the balls and I'm not lazy (usually).

Which companies are they working with? I'd like to apply to as many reputable recruiting companies as I can. Thanks.