If you’re considering going to a Japanese language school, you’re currently enrolled in one or you’ve already graduated, you may be wondering what your options are moving forward.
Graduating from a Japanese language academy opens numerous doors of possibility as many countries and companies prioritize bilingualism. Those with proficiency in the language could pursue exciting career paths such as becoming a translator, an interpreter or even teaching the language themselves. At larger corporations, people graduating from a Japanese academy could find work in areas such as human resources, international sales and marketing, product design and quality control for imports and exports; the list is virtually endless.
In this article, we’ll shed some light on what you can do with your newly-earned Japanese language skills in tow. Keep reading to learn more!
Continuing Your Japanese Studies in Japan
After graduating from a Japanese language academy, one thing you could do is delve deeper into the language and continue to grow your understanding of it. You could enroll in high-level courses in which the objective is not teaching the language, but actually learning the language.
This would include something like earning a graduate degree or applying for an undergraduate program at a Japanese university (taking your courses in Japanese, of course). We’ve known people who went on to study and master very niche areas at places like jewelry school, kimono school or tea ceremony school in Japan.
Also, if you need to make some cash while studying, knowing Japanese makes it easier for you to get hired for part-time work as a cashier, server/waiter, or shop attendant to name a few.
However, let’s say you’re not interested in sitting in a classroom or receiving more formal education for the time being. After all, Japanese language schools are very intensive. Exploring Japan would be an exciting way to give yourself a break from school, see areas you’ve dreamed of seeing and learn more about the culture.
Exploring Japan
Sometimes, low proficiency in Japanese hinders people from traveling or discovering lesser-known areas such as countryside towns and villages. Every single interaction with locals can be stressful and unpredictable.
But after graduating from Japanese language school, rest assured you are equipped with the skills—and subsequently, the confidence—to successfully navigate by yourself and for others, expanding your domestic travel options and making any trip much more enjoyable. You can better connect with Japanese people and engage in cultural activities more profoundly. Should you choose to discover Japan with family and friends, they will be thankful and proud of your Japanese language skills. You could also team up with a travel agency or tour company and lead tours for visitors, help create itineraries or make reservations within Japan for visitors.
Moreover, in a few countries, Japanese can prove more useful than English while traveling. I was recently in Korea and found that many shop owners and street merchants could communicate a bit better in Japanese due to the fact that they interact with more Japanese tourists on the whole rather than English-speaking ones. That makes sense when you consider Korea is just a two-hour flight away from Japan. While I can’t be sure, I wouldn’t be surprised if this is also the case in a few other countries in Asia.
But what if you are not in a position to travel or that was never your plan? Maybe you wanted to gain the language skills necessary to join the Japanese workforce! Many people achieve this after gaining language proficiency, and so can you.
Professional Career Opportunities IN japan
Translation and Interpretation
When graduating from a Japanese language academy, you have the opportunity to take advantage of finding a job in Japan where knowledge of the language is a must. Two of the more obvious ones are becoming a translator of Japanese text or an interpreter of spoken language. Interpretation is certainly more demanding and may require some formal training, but that’s not always the case. Both interpreters and translators are highly sought after for short-term contracts and permanent work.
Some good places to start looking for these positions are job boards of sites like Gaijin Pots, Daijob and Biz Reach. We’ve compiled a list of trusted job-hunting websites in Japan here.
While short-term projects may not offer reliable, consistent income, they can be varied, rare chances (think interpreting services for high profile/famous visitors to Japan) and flexible.
During the 2020 Olympics, translators and interpreters scored contract work left and right. Recently, the Golden State Warriors (a professional basketball team from the U.S.) played a friendly game in Tokyo and of course, interpreters were needed to ensure a smooth trip for the players. When Bruno Mars came to perform a few months back, he and his team needed an interpreter, too. These are just three examples of how your Japanese language skills can land you some once-in-a-lifetime, short-term gigs working with cool people.
On the other hand, long-term employment would be something like in-house interpreting or translating for a company. While this wouldn’t offer much flexibility, you would get the benefits and reliable salary of a full-time job. If you find work in a sector that interests you, this could be a great job. You could also more easily negotiate salary raises as time goes on with a full-time job.
Employment Besides Translation and Interpretation
Besides translation and interpretation, so many other positions in various industries rely on bilingual communications with employees, global partners and audiences. Top companies like Nike, Adidas, LVMH and Schick, to name a few, are always in need of bilingual digital and product marketers. Rakuten Mobile, one of the largest telecommunications companies in Japan, accepts applications on a rolling basis for IT professionals, quality assurance, human resources and quite a few other positions. Anime start-ups are also in need of digital marketers, UX/UI designers and the like. Ad agencies like Wieden + Kennedy look to hire bilingual copywriters at intervals. Simply find the job postings for these companies under their “Careers” page.
Perhaps you went to a Japanese language school for social purposes like making friends with Japanese people, communicating with your Japanese partner and/or their family better, or handling life situations such as purchasing a car or property smoothly. So you still don’t necessarily want to be obligated to use a lot of Japanese at work. If that’s the case, consider teaching English, and recruiting or software engineer/developer jobs in Japan. Teaching English in Japan usually doesn’t require any Japanese proficiency, but the compensation can be on the lower side. I would recommend looking into work at international schools, as the pay and work-life balance may be slightly better than eikawa/English conversation companies. Recruiting offers the hope of a higher salary after the commission is paid on top of your base salary. IT jobs would probably offer the most handsome base salary, but might also require you to pick up new skills. However, in an increasingly technological/digital world, educational resources to gain IT skills quickly and economically are also becoming increasingly accessible.
The last job I thought to mention is a job as a flight attendant with a Japanese airline such as JAL or ANA. This could be a great option if you’d like to travel to different places on someone else’s dime while also interacting with different types of people and ensuring they have a positive experience flying.
Working at Embassies in Japan
Within Japan, some other employment opportunities that often go overlooked are jobs at embassies! A Google search of your country’s embassy in Japan might provide some hits. I am from the United States, and my country’s embassy constantly has positions posted that require at least JLPT N2/business-level Japanese.
As far as jobs related to politics abroad, your home country might be looking for Foreign Service Officers, diplomats or the equivalent. For US Foreign Service Officer applicants, there’s a point system, and you get more points for each foreign language you pass a proficiency test for. So knowing a foreign language or two could make you a more competitive applicant for a position like this. It may be the same in your country if you are not from the US.
Using your Japanese Language Skills Outside of Japan
That brings me to my next section—if you want to return to your home country and pursue work instead of staying in Japan after language school, that’s another wonderful option. An understanding of the language can open the doors to exciting business opportunities around the world. Not only will your Japanese proficiency come in handy for presenting yourself as an international professional, but also it might just give you that extra edge over other job applicants. Japanese is not so commonly spoken by non-Japanese people outside of Japan. This is especially true coming on the heels of travel restrictions being lifted. A lot of people could not study abroad, but if you happened to already be in Japan when the pandemic struck, you may have stayed and finished your language studies. Think about how living abroad during the pandemic gave you both the hard and soft skills that you can use to sell yourself in your next interview.
Jobs that require Japanese outside of Japan could include roles with companies that are invested in Japan or often work with Japanese business partners, subsidiaries or branches of Japanese companies, and even work with educational institutions that are partnered with Japanese institutions (i.e. study abroad or host family programs).
Now one big question is: Are you nervous about applying for these positions? I’ve got you covered with some advice below that might help.
Tips for Applying for New Jobs
- Use sites like japan-guide.com and Reddit to find useful information about a company, industry or position and even interview tips!
- Use Glassdoor to find reviews from current and past employees. This could help you determine if the company is right for you. But beware—if a company has a lot of 5-star reviews, they may be pushing current employees to write them (or they might actually be a great company, you just have to discern as best as possible).
- Use LinkedIn to find people who work at that company. If you’re not too afraid, you could even message them to ask about the company and work environment. In my experience, people don’t mind being approached this way as long as you’re polite.
- Find YouTube videos about interview questions (especially in Japanese) and have your answers prepared/well-organized, but not necessarily rehearsed, if that makes sense.
- In interviews with Japanese companies, one of the most important things they’re checking for is how long you’ll be able to work for the company. They don’t want a “job-hopper”. Therefore, if you’re applying for a job you really want or need in Japan, emphasize that you intend to be in Japan and stay with the company for a while. If you’re asked about how your family feels about you living abroad (assuming you’re not married and don’t have children), say your family is happy and proud that you are successfully navigating life in a foreign country.
Conclusion
Studying in Japan at a language school can seem overwhelming not just because of the application process, but also because of the what-ifs after you graduate. From going to university, and entering vocational schools to finding a job immediately, there are many opportunities.
If you are interested in going to Japan as a student, Coto School Finder offers free study abroad support. We partner with almost 20 schools across Japan and help you find the right one. Contact us today for a free consultation!
With your language skills and certification to prove it, you’re qualified for a variety of exciting jobs in Japan and abroad.No matter what job you pursue, we guarantee your adventures will be interesting and filled with growth opportunities. Don’t hesitate to jump into the unknown in the Land of the Rising Sun.
