Too Old?/Too well off? To quit it all...

[Overthehillwantobefucked]

Hi all - could use some advice. 3 years ago I finished my MBA at a top school in the US and now make good money at a bank. Now in my early 30's -- so hitting my 2nd quarter life crisis... while things are great in many ways...given the economy, etc... I still dream of moving to Japan. ;P Even thought I think I would probably leave a bitter gaijin... but I just want to be able to experience that...So..I daydream about just quiting my job one day..

Of course, I lack a few key things.. 1) although I have a "good" job, I don't have the type of job that people would bend over backwards to hire me from the US... and 2) I am struggling to learn a little Japanese part time.

Is it worth giving it up to go to Japan -- to either take a "sabatical" teaching english/taking japanese lessons or really focusing on learning the language for a year in order to get a "real job"? Will this kill my career if the former?

Would appreciate some thoughts..

[Samurai_Jerk]

Is it worth giving it up to go to Japan

No.

[Ganma]

Is it worth giving it up to go to Japan -- to either take a "sabatical" teaching english/taking japanese lessons or really focusing on learning the language for a year in order to get a "real job"? Will this kill my career if the former?

Would appreciate some thoughts..

I don't see anything wrong with taking a sabbatical. Why would that possibly kill your career? I used to work in a bank 20 years ago and knew some guys who used to take year long breaks and then come back. I guess it just depends on your bank.
The job market is not good here. It is possible to work in banking as a foreigner here, I know one guy who does just that, but his Japanese is spot on ... and he picked up that job back during the bubble.
My advise would be to take the sabbatical and see how it goes...

[BigInJapan]

2) I am struggling to learn a little Japanese part time.
...or really focusing on learning the language for a year in order to get a "real job"?

Even with some basic Japanese learned as an adult, one year is nowhere near enough time to get your Japanese to the level required by a "real job".

I did however meet a couple of investment bankers a few years ago that spoke no Japanese, but were sent to the Japan branch of their respective banks.
Even if your current bank does not have that kind of option, perhaps some other banks over there do.

BTW - the latter half of your user name wouldn't have anything to do with YBF would it? Guys that come over here solely due to YBF don't usually do that well...

[Taro Toporific]

... I still dream of moving to Japan

Nooooooooooo.

[Samurai_Jerk]

I don't see anything wrong with taking a sabbatical. Why would that possibly kill your career? I used to work in a bank 20 years ago and knew some guys who used to take year long breaks and then come back. I guess it just depends on your bank.
The job market is not good here. It is possible to work in banking as a foreigner here, I know one guy who does just that, but his Japanese is spot on ... and he picked up that job back during the bubble.
My advise would be to take the sabbatical and see how it goes...

Times have changed. It isn't good for your career ... period.

Taking time off from a good job in the current economic client is just about the worst idea ever.

[Samurai_Jerk]

I did however meet a couple of investment bankers a few years ago that spoke no Japanese, but were sent to the Japan branch of their respective banks.
Even if your current bank does not have that kind of option, perhaps some other banks over there do.

More than 4000 jobs at foreing i-banks in Tokyo were lost during this last crash. Only about half are expected to return. Banks are moving a lot of their operations staff out of Tokyo to Singapore and Hong Kong along with a lot of their expats. Even Japanese guys are being transferred abroad. They've pretty much decided Japan is a bad investment. Plus there are a shit load of candidates on the market who even if they don't speak Japanese have years of experience working here which is important.

[CrankyBastard]

[quote="Overthehillwantobefucked"]
now make good money at a bank.
things are great in many ways...
I still dream of moving to Japan. ]

In my honest opinion you lack more than just a few key things, common sense being uppermost on the list.
But having said that, if it's YBF that's drawing you to these shores and you're willing to accept the consequences, then ...............................................................................................................................come on in, the water's fine.

[hairygateau]

Unless you work in japanese equities, credit or M&A don't bother coming here. Most non-yen and non-japan roles are gradually moving to HK and Singapore as a poster above said. 15% income tax vs 45% (and probably moving higher) is enough to motivate most guys to relocate unless they are forced to.

There are always jobs around that break this rule, but I can say with personal experience that this is the current trend.

Good luck.

[Bucky]

All the above being said, Bucky Jr. did land a job with Morgan Stanley in Tokyo as local hire in March. Of course he has dual citizenship (shhh) [US & Japan] and is totally bilingual. He graduated from a US University in the spring of '08.

[FG Lurker]

Hi all - could use some advice.

[...]

Is it worth giving it up to go to Japan -- to either take a "sabatical" teaching english/taking japanese lessons or really focusing on learning the language for a year in order to get a "real job"? Will this kill my career if the former?

Would appreciate some thoughts..

Thoughts? You're insane if you quit your current job to come here and teach English.

If you really desperately want to come here try to work yourself into a position where you can come on an expat package.

You'd be much better off going to HK or Singapore on an expat package and just taking holidays in Japan.

[Mike Oxlong]

They didn't cover dumping your job to go chasing birds in foreign country in a long economic depression in grad school?

[Greji]

They didn't cover dumping your job to go chasing birds in foreign country in a long economic depression in grad school?

Ya got no wife, or kids, go for it. Just remember you may never be able to get another real job again in your life. But if you come of here with a pouch of dust to spread around and follow the 4F rule, your YBF will be completely under control in no time.

[Overthehillwantobefucked]

This week has been a long one at work and yesterday night, instead of going to bed early as I should have, I wrote that post... Maybe that is were my common sense went! Anyway thanks for the candid advice.. I am starting to agree with the idea of aiming for Hong Kong - at least as an interim step -- or maybe to get that YBF satiated:) And of course things are much more dynamic there.

I should clarify that what I meant by getting real job after learning Japanese for one year, was a job in a western company. I am sure that one year is not enough to even attain close to functional fluency, but it would be more to convince prospective employers that I am serious about staying in Japan and have enough of a basic understanding of the language and culture to survive so-to-speak.

I have a Taiwanese friend who got her mba in the US and she was able to get a professional job in a western multinational. her Japanese is not that great from what I can tell...

It is a little depressing to think that the choices you make - such as not learning the damn language in college when I had the time - really impact your choices later on...

While taking a sabbatical may be foolish now given the economy, when things better, I hope I still have th guts to do so!

[Samurai_Jerk]

I should clarify that what I meant by getting real job after learning Japanese for one year, was a job in a western company. I am sure that one year is not enough to even attain close to functional fluency, but it would be more to convince prospective employers that I am serious about staying in Japan and have enough of a basic understanding of the language and culture to survive so-to-speak.

Here's the thing with Japanese language ability. For most jobs you either have to be fluent or it isn't required. If your Japanese is so-so it may be a plus but it won't get you a job here except maybe teaching kindergarten. Without fluent Japanese ability most employers care about work experience in Japan and not whether or not you went to Japanese school.

[AssKissinger]

after learning Japanese for one year

If you're in your 30's, your Japanese will suck after a year. And it will still be pretty lousy after ten years. If you want to have experiences and shit then travel. If you want to make money, piss your life away working all the time.

[Overthehillwantobefucked]

Ok I get it - maybe come on a sabbatical just for kicks

[Ganma]

If you want to have experiences and shit then travel. If you want to make money, piss your life away working all the time.

Good one. There's more to life than work.
...And to quote the Beatles:

Although your mind's opaque
Try thinking more if just for your own sake
The future still looks good
And you've got time to rectify
All the things that you should

Do what you want to do
And go where you're going to
Think for yourself
'Cause I won't be there with you

[wuchan]

I should clarify that what I meant by getting real job after learning Japanese for one year, was a job in a western company. I am sure that one year is not enough to even attain close to functional fluency, but it would be more to convince prospective employers that I am serious about staying in Japan and have enough of a basic understanding of the language and culture to survive so-to-speak.

I have a Taiwanese friend who got her mba in the US and she was able to get a professional job in a western multinational. her Japanese is not that great from what I can tell...

western company......

Ms. Wu works for an american company. She is native J and fluent in E to the point that she can understand ebonics. No one, NOT ONE, westerner in her office was hired in japan. They were sent here from other offices, usually as a punishment. 90% of the companies here, even western ones, want native J or minimum JLPT1. I had to buy a farm to get around teaching.


Bottom line: don't do it.

[TennoChinko]

I'll disagree with most of the others on this thread and say "go for it". If you have the savings/budget for about a year of serious language studies and are willing & able to spend some time using your personal, professional & alumni network to gather information on opportunities (eg. only consider recruiters as a tertiary resource), it might not be a bad plan.

T[color="Blue"]he Inter-Culture Center in Yokohama[/color] which is administered by Stanford is not a bad choice for Japanese language studies. They offer both a summer and 10 month program. I've met some who have gone to Yamasa Institute in Okazaki Aichi which is in the middle of nowhere but if given a choice, I would definitely opt for Yokohama where you'd be able to concurrently participate in any professional networking events or opportunities in Tokyo.

If you want to take a look at what jobs might be out there in institutional finance in Tokyo, try fiddling around with the search function on Job Bind ... all of the postings have direct links to the corporate homepages of firms like UBS, Barclays Capital, JP Morgan Chase, Morgan Stanley, etc...(eg. no recruiters or agents) here is a screenshot of the firms with positions for Tokyo:


You'll be able to see for yourself which requisitions demand Japanese language fluency and at what level etc...

[Overthehillwantobefucked]

Thanks for the tips! I was shut out from the site and unable to respond earlier. I will definitely check out those resources..

In the meantime, next year I plan to visit Japan twice -- maybe that will "get it out of me" for a little bit...

[GomiGirl]

Mate, you were not shut out of the site, there was some downtime this week for FG. Check the site information threads for details.

[McTojo]

....Is it worth giving it up to go to Japan -- to either take a "sabatical" teaching english/taking japanese lessons or really focusing on learning the language for a year in order to get a "real job"? Will this kill my career if the former?
Would appreciate some thoughts..

You can start off learning basic English grammar like capitalizing the "E" on English.

[Samurai_Jerk]

You can start off learning basic English grammar like capitalizing the "E" on English.

This from a guy who wrote I'm loving it in the iPhone 4 thread. By the way, that would be the E in English.

[Christoff]

Thanks for the tips! I was shut out from the site and unable to respond earlier. I will definitely check out those resources..

In the meantime, next year I plan to visit Japan twice -- maybe that will "get it out of me" for a little bit...

Yes, the admins conspired to lock you out for a week as a form of punishment

[rooboy]

You can start off learning basic English grammar like capitalizing the "E" on English.

It's obvious we're all writing on a fucking forum and do it quickly. If you're writing mistakes in your Engrish job or on a blogspot that's another thing.\\

How about your Soul of Japan blog? "How I would entertain guest in Japan",

"I am also a cultural immersions instructor by trade and a life transitions counselor that oversees and ASSIST people with life overseas.":rolleyes: