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30-07-2016 01:04 AM
Unregistered
Quote:
Originally Posted by Unregistered View Post
While your financial situation is good, I suspect your success is more because you probably had some strong & advantageous capabilities and your Japan adventure likely had very little to do with where you are now.

The OP is kind of different. His career so far has been mediocre below average and he is actively trying to pursue careers in retail shops that have opportunity to talk to Japanese customers. That means so far he hasn't been that great from a career perspective and secondly he is pitching himself too low in a low paying industry with jobs that are more catered for non-tertiary workers.

If he is really serious about wanting to make 3k in his next job, he will need to rethink and re-position this whole Japan love affair. I doubt there are many good companies that will be impressed with the 'bravery' of a FASS grad with a poor career record just because he went on a 1 year Japan learning adventure.
^ Agree

Not impossible if really good luck, but after so many interviews exp, I dun think interviewers take into acc. such things. Its always the branding of your previous company or exp or cert most important.
28-07-2016 09:59 PM
Unregistered
Quote:
Originally Posted by Unregistered View Post
There's a lot of well-meaning advice, though I'm not sure they are useful.

I spent a year in Japan myself - really just learning Japanese and teaching English while I was at it . When I turned 30 and was just looking for some adventure.

I came back and got into a non-related job. Am 43 now and have done decently.

My MNC bosses tell me that it was precisely because of my stint abroad that I caught their eye. It's about a sense of being able to take risk, being immersed in a foreign culture, learning traits like cultural competency as well. So even if it is a non- Japan/Japanese related job, the doors opened.

I hope this helps you, OP. Like you, when I left, many people, including my parents, gave me 'pragmatic', go the 'usual trodden path' type of advice, which ultimately I am so glad I didn't listen to.
While your financial situation is good, I suspect your success is more because you probably had some strong & advantageous capabilities and your Japan adventure likely had very little to do with where you are now.

The OP is kind of different. His career so far has been mediocre below average and he is actively trying to pursue careers in retail shops that have opportunity to talk to Japanese customers. That means so far he hasn't been that great from a career perspective and secondly he is pitching himself too low in a low paying industry with jobs that are more catered for non-tertiary workers.

If he is really serious about wanting to make 3k in his next job, he will need to rethink and re-position this whole Japan love affair. I doubt there are many good companies that will be impressed with the 'bravery' of a FASS grad with a poor career record just because he went on a 1 year Japan learning adventure.
27-07-2016 05:17 PM
Unregistered There's a lot of well-meaning advice, though I'm not sure they are useful.

I spent a year in Japan myself - really just learning Japanese and teaching English while I was at it . When I turned 30 and was just looking for some adventure.

I came back and got into a non-related job. Am 43 now and have done decently.

My MNC bosses tell me that it was precisely because of my stint abroad that I caught their eye. It's about a sense of being able to take risk, being immersed in a foreign culture, learning traits like cultural competency as well. So even if it is a non- Japan/Japanese related job, the doors opened.

I hope this helps you, OP. Like you, when I left, many people, including my parents, gave me 'pragmatic', go the 'usual trodden path' type of advice, which ultimately I am so glad I didn't listen to.
25-07-2016 11:01 PM
Unregistered
Quote:
Originally Posted by Unregistered View Post
The YOLO strawberry generation... just want to prolong studying as long as possible so that don't have to enter the work force.. next will be wanting to take an MBA when it seriously does not help a freshie. Just like my sis in law, simi go to Korea to study Korean. Good thing she woke up after that and settled down to a proper job.
To be fair OP has been working few years and not prolong study. Main problem is his work attitude like playing CCA. Instead of trying to stay competitive, he wanna waste time hanging around in uniqlo or isetan outlet doing retail sales so that he can 'talk to japanese'. Like that might as well dun study, stop at N level can already.
25-07-2016 09:39 PM
Unregistered The YOLO strawberry generation... just want to prolong studying as long as possible so that don't have to enter the work force.. next will be wanting to take an MBA when it seriously does not help a freshie. Just like my sis in law, simi go to Korea to study Korean. Good thing she woke up after that and settled down to a proper job.
25-07-2016 09:23 PM
Unregistered In summary, stop monkeying around and start looking for jobs that pay well. The average career lifespan in Sg is very short 15-20 years.

I know of a few friends do similar funky things when young when mid 30s then start to panic and want to get a proper career, by then unless one is very smart and good luck, its very hard to recover career wise.
25-07-2016 07:42 PM
Unregistered
Quote:
Originally Posted by Unregistered View Post
Felt compelled to chip in my advice as i have done exactly the same thing as you...nice memories

If you are a lady, i will suggest you try RM role with banks which deal with Japanese clients. Japanese recruiting agencies might be able to link you up if you specifically request to join "banking sector", no guarantees but i was offer a chance to be interviewed for a RM role but i am not keen.
Sorry just have to correct this advice on top, I work in a Japanese bank before and lady or not you will not get to be a Japanese serving RM just because you studied basic Japanese for 1 year. The RMs that serve Japanese speaking customers are almost all true blue Japanese or a minority PRC that have studied and worked in Japan for many years before being transferred to Singapore branch.
25-07-2016 06:52 PM
Unregistered
I have been through the same route..

Felt compelled to chip in my advice as i have done exactly the same thing as you...nice memories

If you are a lady, i will suggest you try RM role with banks which deal with Japanese clients. Japanese recruiting agencies might be able to link you up if you specifically request to join "banking sector", no guarantees but i was offer a chance to be interviewed for a RM role but i am not keen.

If you are a "bloke", good luck to you.. forget about your JLPT N2, your 1 year holiday break in Japan and focus on getting a job that pays.

You will still be able to get into a Japanese firm, through those Japanese recruiting agencies, and work from the bottom. It will be tough as progression will be real slow.
If you have JLPT level 1, that might help a bit. Even then, its a fact that Japanese firm doesn't pay top dollar for someone with linguistic abilities alone without professional skill sets.
You will just be another sub-par "Japanese" freshie to them, but not one of them... if you get what i mean?

Depend on what's your career goal and your ambition though. If its $$ you are looking for in the long run, join a profession that pays well.
23-07-2016 11:58 PM
Unregistered Your best bet is to continue at call centre or switch to a sales & marketing exec jobs. If you start off from scratch in f&b or hotels, I think the max they will offer is 2 to 2.4k.

With your weak academics and experience, no serious management trainee program will recruit you. And forget about the Japanese rah rah stuff, employers are not interested.

Start moving now, you have already wasted a lot of time on various non value adding part time jobs and 'learning in Japan'. Once you get older, it will be harder to get back to a proper PME track.
23-07-2016 11:30 PM
Unregistered Exactly - no job in Singapore requires you to speak Japanese. Or at least, 99.99% of jobs.

I am not sure what you're thinking doing a 1 year sabbatical in Japan...
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