Changing Jobs or Going Home

[inflames]

I'm debating what I should do and could use some advice.

I had pretty much planned on going home next year in February/March and already gave notice to my work of that. I'm kind of tired of Japan and basically have been treading water career-wise for the past few years. Brother is fairly high up in his organization, knows that I want to go home, and has been using his connections to help me. (I finished my second degree last year - same field as his work). I saw one job ad I liked in October (before I decided to go back) basically do my old job in IT, except for the contractor and not the customer. And I got hired.

I had kind of sold myself on going home. My brother says part of the issue with finding me a job is simply being away from the US (so people are hesitant to even offer an interview) and that getting a job where he works (an Ivy League school with more than 20k employees) would happen in a month or so. I'd get an extra 8% contributed to an IRA (not a match, simply as a bonus), 22 days of paid holiday in my first year, and free tuition at the school. I feel like I would be kind of stupid to say no to that and people have told me if I worked there for a few years it would be really helpful if I wanted to come back.

At the same time, this IT job sounds reasonable. Working as seishain (but no transfers) for a publicly traded company (big company in pharmaceuticals and banking here - I'd initially be dealing with pharmaceuticals). The starting pay is reasonable (320k a month, plus bonuses and allowances) and the place just seemed nice (not overly uptight, and I wouldn't be the only foreigner there). I've done the same work before though as the customer not the contractor. They said they would need me to learn IT skills, but they have in-house courses for it (I know they have in-house English classes; ironically I am friends with the teacher). I figure if I get annoyed I could switch jobs to a consultant or business analyst after a few years.

Any thoughts?

[wagyl]

I suppose it depends how tired you are of Japan.

Another factor is that if you do go home, it is a big effort to come back here and try to get a job. You have that same problem you are already experiencing with not being in the country for interviews, on top of being a foreigner, even if you do have previous experience here.

[kurogane]

Yeah, that old one, eh!? It's always a tough decision. Anyways, a few questions that might help us help you better:

How old are you now?

What is your educational background?

What are you doing right now (your current job)?

Are there any family issues or considerations that would draw you back home?

Are you homesick? (not joking or teasing here)

As a lifetime migratory bird (28 years back and forth) I would say if you feel like you are sick of Japan or just plain homesick then go home. They have aeroplanes and airfields now (;)), so you can always come back. For the past few years I have been half and halfing it, based in the Vancouver area and coming to Japan for a few months for work and to goof around in Okinawa. Being a tourist again (which I never really was ever) is a bit weird, but other than the no cellphone for you rule and constant short term accommodation it's fine. Also, I work remotely as a subcontractor so that gives me that freedom, FYI. I quit and moved home for surgery, then Dad got ill so I ended up back there for longer than was initially planned. Because of the family thing I am glad I did, but life at home isn't all proper sized cheeseburgers and milkshakes.

In short, though, if you are in a dead end job here, or even just feel you are in a dead end job here, then make the jump. Boredumb will do far worse to your soul than the logistics of moving ever could. I started as a professional ski clown and ended up as a working anthropologist courtesy of the Jpn taxpayer, so one can forge a new groove contrary to what the sad sack \Eikaiwa-ites will tell you, though that was 20 years ago before the Great Malaise set in. One warning, though: home is fucking boring as hell. Nice people, astoundingly provincial and pedestrian clods that think they are global sophisticates because they have heard of Bulgokee and Umami (which I never had). That university setting might help with that, but I wouldn't bet on it. For North Americans Japan is about Sooshi, anime, manga and easy women. Full stop. It can be very hard to find enough common ground with those you left behind to make for an enjoyable life. That is a very individual thing, though, obviously, but lots do comment on it.

Anyways................

[wagyl]

Home might be boring, but in many ways so might be life working for the man in Japan. I get the feeling that I would have the same existential crises wherever I was in the cosmos.

One thing I will say is that being an expat I feel almost obliged to skew my overseas travel towards going home. There is a whole world of travel opportunities out there, but so long as I am in Japan and have, lets face it, probably more fingers on my hands than number of times I will see certain family members again, those exotic travel opportunities will end up being lower in priority.

Another factor: if you have been here long enough, you are not the same person who left your home country, and your home country is not the same place you left. Both will have grown in different directions, and that can be a shock to both.

[inflames]

I think me being tired of Japan just has to do with me being tired of my job. Granted, going out to the same places with the same people is a bit boring. Another part of it is just that I am annoyed with Japanese women - all of the ones I have dated for the past 3 or 4 years have just had terrible personalities or were crazy or argumentative. That, plus apparently wanting someone with a university degree who doesn't want to become a housewife and isn't crazy results in people saying 「理想が高い」.

I'm in my early 30s and finished my master's last year, so I apparently have something of a "new graduate" shine for people back home. Mom has been sick for a few years but my dad is fine and they're talking about moving to be near my brother. Whenever I talk to my mom I always get asked about coming home and assured that if I need money it is there (which actually is even more annoying - I have tons of money). I didn't go home for 4 or 5 years, but now I do every year as we don't know how long my mom will be around.

Not really homesick, just not overly happy in Japan now. Do IT work (building websites mostly) and teach at 3 unis now and one of the unis is absolutely terrible and the other 2 are okay.

Fortunately I'd pretty much be going back to NYC, so I don't think it would be too boring, nor would I have to worry about driving right away (haven't driven in a decade or so). There is stuff like safety to worry about - protests and stuff. For example, my dad works at a Macy's in Chicago, and they had protests (over a cop shooting some kid 16 times) and nobody could enter or leave the store. Insurance at my brother's work is $11 per month as well.

I could always come back, especially if I get a teaching degree as well.

[kurogane]

Wagyl,
Nice points, but I will object slightly to the last one: you make it sound as though the people at home have grown as well, instead of just turning into stultified bovines fascinated by shiny trinkets, but I suppose it's peevish to judge what sort of growth people choose.

On that second point, now that you mention it, I have been meaning to go to Uruguay for years now, but it's in the wrong direction. I find as I get older there's way less places I feel I the need to see, though the potential for getting exploded while doing so doesn't help to be sure.

Good points there.

[kurogane]

I could always come back, especially if I get a teaching degree as well.

Slow down there youngster!!!!!!!!!!

Okay, there it is. I had assumed you were teaching, and even at a better gig like at a university it's still pretty dull from what everybody says. So there's that. If you actually are a natural teacher with that passion for it, then yes, a teaching ticket could be a good plan, as could getting paid by Japan to get a PhD (Monbusho) and become an actual working academic like some of us. You have until age 35 to get in. I always found teaching my least favourite part of academic work but because it was about my subject in Japanese it was an enjoyable challenge.

NY does sound kind of cool, too, BTW.

As for the romantic travails, welcome to the New World Order. We are off the menu for the nicer normal women it seems, or just can't find the places to find them. And the ones left over really are leftovers, as you said. I wish I had some fine advice to give, but I don't. Obviously, try not to let it prejudice you against women in general, or even Japanese women. It's not their fault, it's not our fault, it's the way things are these days. Also, people rave about online dating sites (not Fuck Me Now sites, mind), but that is a bridge too far for me.I still need to smell them to know.
Yup.

[Grumpy Gramps]

Is "move back" the only option or would you consider "move on" to new horizons, like elsewhere in Asia or Europe or anywhere for a while?

For me, going back to where I was feels a little like going back to an ex-girlfriend, moving backwards instead of forwards... ~OK if it's unavoidable but other daughters also have pretty mothers

[kurogane]

Is "move back" the only option or would you consider "move on" to new horizons, .....

Good point gramps. Very good point.

[Samurai_Jerk]

Forget about everything else, ask yourself what will be best for your career, and give yourself an honest answer. That's the choice you should make.

[Taro Toporific]

If you got the chance, GO HOME!

[Russell]

If you got the chance, GO HOME!

I second that.

You have the opportunities lined up for you in your home country, you have no family connections to Japan, and the future potential of your country is likely higher than that of Japan.

Just ask yourself: do I prefer to be stuck in Japan or stuck in the U.S.?

[wagyl]

Now that is interesting: the last two posts are by people with family ties which keep them here (and I think Taro has other reasons to be here) and both show that they feel that if they had the chance they would not be here. I don't have family ties here, and I enjoy being here, but I still maintain ties to my home country, and I would be disappointed if circumstances meant that I had to choose one or the other. I had a stage of being unhappy with my work situation, but I was determined that that never become a reason I gave up Japan, as I knew I would never forgive myself. So, I put a lot of effort into creating a work environment and lifestyle that suits me, which is an important part of why I am enjoying my time here. That said, I have already made the decision that I do not want to be old here, and can see a situation where circumstances either here or there or both force me to make a choice. I will say that early thirties means that you still have the chance to make it in a third country if that is of interest to you.

[Russell]

That said, I have already made the decision that I do not want to be old here, and can see a situation where circumstances either here or there or both force me to make a choice.

Yes, that is a very important consideration.

I will say that early thirties means that you still have the chance to make it in a third country if that is of interest to you.

That is another possibility I forgot to mention.

And I think especially about Oz or Kiwi.

[inflames]

Thanks for the replies.

Going to a third country is pretty much precluded by my mom's condition. My parents have a bit of money and moving anywhere but the US without a pretty good reason means I'm kissing that money goodbye. The one annoying thing is that I've been here 9 years 6 months but my visa expires in July.

I actually liked doing the IT work before, but a lot depends on the company and environment and I know that most Japanese firms have IT that is around 10 years behind the rest of the world. Moving to NYC would almost certainly result in me working in the finance department (at least that's what my brother said, despite my thesis focusing on other parts of a hospital). The free tuition is definitely attractive to me as well.

[Yokohammer]

I agree with most of the above.

If there's an opening for you to start on a decent career path back in the US, take it! You'll have greater opportunities for advancement there than here. There's really not much here anymore. Just the usual dead-end stuff, and the longer you're here the harder it becomes to make it anywhere else.

Us entrenched old farts have run out of choices and have to make the most of what we have. If you have a viable choice outside of Japan, take it. Unless you really want to join the entrenched old fart club.

[Taro Toporific]

...join the entrenched old fart club.

Hey, EntrenchedOldFartClub.com ought to be fuckedgaijin.com's alternative (non-fucked) domain name.

As I said before, leaving Japan is always a good idea career-wise after getting the full experience (2+ years). Japan is gracefully fading-away society---Not a place have a long vibrant career.
___________________

Now that is interesting: the last two posts are by people with family ties which keep them here (and I think Taro has other reasons to be here)

Standard Japanese Question: Why did you come to Japan?
Standard Answer: I came to Japan by mistake.
. . . . . . . (I studied Chinese in the university in the States.)
Real Answer 1: I have lived in Japan as an exile---a national healthcare exile.
(Until recently, I was denied health coverage in the US because my "preexisting conditions" as a paraplegic. )
Real Answer 2: It's a job. (Hitachi headhunted me and paid me ungodly amounts 円高 to stay.)
Real Answer 3: I came during Japan's brief moment in the sun--the beginning of The Bubble.

Question: Why have you remained in Japan for 30 years?
Standard Answer: I love endless gray concrete scenery.

Real Answer 1: My freelance job as a patent editor here in Japan is lucrative (if sporadic).
Real Answer 2: My wife owns a condo here that she's still paying off.
Real Answer 3: All the fees, deductibles and copays of Obamacare and huge gaps in Medicare coverage make Japanese national insurance seem almost free for gimp like me (a registered 1級 handicapped person). A working-but-semi-retired paraplegic friend in the States who is the same age and handicap as myself pays an average of $600-800 per month for Obamacare, copays, medicine and all the other medical etc. I pay about $25USD (3000yen) per month Japan.

[Russell]

Standard Japanese Question: Why did you come to Japan?
Standard Answer: I came to Japan by mistake.
. . . . . . . (I studied Chinese in the university in the States.)

LOL, I would like to see the face of the person who asked that question.

[Takechanpoo]

as long as babyboomer geration jiji and baba are alive, there is no possibility to improve in every single fields of j-society.
until those jijis and babas get extinct, the more you work the more you just are exploited by them.
and it will at least take 20 years for them to get extinct. so gather your belongings and fuck off from this island as soon as possible without thinking about something uncalled for and delete all of your memories about japan from your brain.
adios dude

[Coligny]

as long as babyboomer geration jiji and baba are alive, there is no possibility to improve in every single fields of j-society.
until those jijis and babas get extinct, the more you work the more you just are exploited by them.
and it will at least take 20 years for them to get extinct. so gather your belongings and fuck off from this island as soon as possible without thinking about something uncalled for and delete all of your memories about japan from your brain.
adios dude

Not sure replacing entitled morons with braindead morons will improve anything for this shithole...

[Grumpy Gramps]

Now that is interesting: the last two posts are by people with family ties which keep them here (and I think Taro has other reasons to be here) and both show that they feel that if they had the chance they would not be here.

May be a natural reaction for humans; if you feel locked in somewhere/something, then all you want is to get out. I can very much relate to that, likely called my place a prison more often than anyone around me would have wanted to hear

[Wage Slave]

as long as babyboomer geration jiji and baba are alive, there is no possibility to improve in every single fields of j-society.
until those jijis and babas get extinct, the more you work the more you just are exploited by them.
and it will at least take 20 years for them to get extinct.

There is Some truth in that especially with the demographics as they are. However, just waiting them out isn't the answer - Young people really have to get angry enough to force some root and branch changes. Salariman orthodoxy and culture needs to go. The subsidy money that goes to the tired old corporations needs to be redirected to young people to be supported and facilitated to set up new businesses. The restrictive practices and protections from newcomers need to go to - There are plenty of very good people but they are being muzzled, gagged and caged. And marginalised.

But there will need to be some fighting for it and regrettably there is little to no sign of that happening - far too many are content to stay single, serve time and just live at home. The ultimate just wait them out strategy.

So there you are Tacky. There won't be change unless people start demanding it and refuse to take no for an answer. It happened in the west some time ago. The results haven't been an unalloyed success - And there have been losers - but there isn't really an alternative.

[Russell]

as long as babyboomer geration jiji and baba are alive, there is no possibility to improve in every single fields of j-society.
until those jijis and babas get extinct, the more you work the more you just are exploited by them.
and it will at least take 20 years for them to get extinct.

There is Some truth in that especially with the demographics as they are. However, just waiting them out isn't the answer - Young people really have to get angry enough to force some root and branch changes. Salariman orthodoxy and culture needs to go. The subsidy money that goes to the tired old corporations needs to be redirected to young people to be supported and facilitated to set up new businesses. The restrictive practices and protections from newcomers need to go to - There are plenty of very good people but they are being muzzled, gagged and caged. And marginalised.

But there will need to be some fighting for it and regrettably there is little to no sign of that happening - far too many are content to stay single, serve time and just live at home. The ultimate just wait them out strategy.

So there you are Tacky. There won't be change unless people start demanding it and refuse to take no for an answer. It happened in the west some time ago. The results haven't been an unalloyed success - And there have been losers - but there isn't really an alternative.

Good post!

[Wage Slave]

as long as babyboomer geration jiji and baba are alive, there is no possibility to improve in every single fields of j-society.
until those jijis and babas get extinct, the more you work the more you just are exploited by them.
and it will at least take 20 years for them to get extinct.

There is Some truth in that especially with the demographics as they are. However, just waiting them out isn't the answer - Young people really have to get angry enough to force some root and branch changes. Salariman orthodoxy and culture needs to go. The subsidy money that goes to the tired old corporations needs to be redirected to young people to be supported and facilitated to set up new businesses. The restrictive practices and protections from newcomers need to go to - There are plenty of very good people but they are being muzzled, gagged and caged. And marginalised.

But there will need to be some fighting for it and regrettably there is little to no sign of that happening - far too many are content to stay single, serve time and just live at home. The ultimate just wait them out strategy.

So there you are Tacky. There won't be change unless people start demanding it and refuse to take no for an answer. It happened in the west some time ago. The results haven't been an unalloyed success - And there have been losers - but there isn't really an alternative.

Good post!

Thank you.

[Grumpy Gramps]

Been looking to buy a cosy place somewhere in the mountainous wilderness earlier this year. Lots of villages full of empty houses, the few people that still live there are old.

The agent told us that he would have no problem at all to find young people who would want to start a farm, but "JA-law" makes it almost impossible to buy/sell agricultural land freely. OK, he is an agent, but I think there is still a bit of truth in what he said.

And I think that nowadays young peeps here don't fight for their dreams...

[Russell]

Been looking to buy a cosy place somewhere in the mountainous wilderness earlier this year. Lots of villages full of empty houses, the few people that still live there are old.

The agent told us that he would have no problem at all to find young people who would want to start a farm, but "JA-law" makes it almost impossible to buy/sell agricultural land freely. OK, he is an agent, but I think there is still a bit of truth in what he said.

And I think that nowadays young peeps here don't fight for their dreams...

In order to buy agricultural land, you first need to do agriculture.

Kind of a chicken and egg problem.

[wagyl]

In order to buy agricultural land, you first need to do agriculture.

Kind of a chicken and egg problem.

Well, strictly speaking you need the approval of the Agricultural Committee for that municipality. Proving a track record in agriculture is not an express requirement. Naturally, some committees will be more hard headed than others, and it certainly helps to have some existing presence. Not all committees are headed in the direction of strangling their own necks, but that is not to say that there aren't certainly some committees which are.

[Coligny]

as long as babyboomer geration jiji and baba are alive, there is no possibility to improve in every single fields of j-society.
until those jijis and babas get extinct, the more you work the more you just are exploited by them.
and it will at least take 20 years for them to get extinct.

There is Some truth in that especially with the demographics as they are. However, just waiting them out isn't the answer - Young people really have to get angry enough to force some root and branch changes. Salariman orthodoxy and culture needs to go. The subsidy money that goes to the tired old corporations needs to be redirected to young people to be supported and facilitated to set up new businesses. The restrictive practices and protections from newcomers need to go to - There are plenty of very good people but they are being muzzled, gagged and caged. And marginalised.

But there will need to be some fighting for it and regrettably there is little to no sign of that happening - far too many are content to stay single, serve time and just live at home. The ultimate just wait them out strategy.

So there you are Tacky. There won't be change unless people start demanding it and refuse to take no for an answer. It happened in the west some time ago. The results haven't been an unalloyed success - And there have been losers - but there isn't really an alternative.

Good post!

Thank you.

get a room...

(in the wilderness...)
(and call it a dungeon, not a prison...)

[Takechanpoo]

well right about passiveness of j-youngers but didnt you see the previous osaka governers election? however yourgers make efforts, overwhelming elders number and economic power easily ruthlessly squashes youners hope.

[Russell]

well right about passiveness of j-youngers but didnt you see the previous osaka governers election? however yourgers make efforts, overwhelming elders number and economic power easily ruthlessly squashes youners hope.

Because the young ones don't go to the ballot box.