Jobs on a working holiday visa?

[newsense]

Hey everyone,

I am a UK citizen looking to work out in Asia, and I have recently discovered that I may be able to apply for a 12-month working holiday visa in Japan. Can anyone tell me what sort of work I am likely to get with this visa? I am a finance professional, and ideally I would like to find something in that area, with the possiblity of subsequently being sponsored to stay on a full work visa. Do you think it would be possible to find a job in this area with only a temporary visa?

Thanks all!!

[MMM]

Originally Posted by newsense

Hey everyone,

I am a UK citizen looking to work out in Asia, and I have recently discovered that I may be able to apply for a 12-month working holiday visa in Japan. Can anyone tell me what sort of work I am likely to get with this visa? I am a finance professional, and ideally I would like to find something in that area, with the possiblity of subsequently being sponsored to stay on a full work visa. Do you think it would be possible to find a job in this area with only a temporary visa?

Thanks all!!

From my limited understanding, you will be hired to a temporary position. Generally that is at at a hotel or other English-speaker needed service industry position.

Though I hope that is wrong.

[Nyororin]

I don`t believe there is any sort of limit on the hours you can work...

However, the big question is; Do you speak Japanese?

If you do not, the chances of finding any position short of English teaching or the like are pretty close to none. Companies who need professionals and do not care if they can speak Japanese generally hire them abroad and bring them to Japan. Unless you are also fluent in Japanese, the chance of being picked up on a temporary visa is almost 0.

[newsense]

Unfortunately I don't speak Japanese, although I'm not sure that it's strictly true that all non-speaking positions are hires from outside of Japan. There are a lot of English speaking roles in the financial services sector and it is certainly possible to apply for them directly with recruitment agencies in Japan. I know as I am currently in Hong Kong and recently spoke to an agent here (as I am looking for work here initially) who said they also have offices in Tokyo and asked if I'd be interested in positions there.

But I agree it may be difficult to find temporary roles in that area. I'm sure not impossible though - if it's an English speaking temporary role, I don't see any reason why I couldn't apply for it?

Thanks for the replies anyway!

[Firebird]

I did the WHV and as stated above:
Most people will get a job in a restaurant/Bar or as English teacher. There are some people who did other Jobs, however they spoke Japanese. I dont say that it is impossible to get a job in your field, but its generally gonna be difficult. Here, as said in numerous other Threads: Why should they hire a foreigner if a Japanese can do the Job as well? Of course if you speak Japanese, English and maybe a 3rd language that might be a good reason, but otherwise its gonna be problematic.

The Working Holiday Visa is meant to help you to live and travel in Japan for a year, and not to find a longterm work. However your chances in getting somewhere are better than all the other people without this Visa.
You can stay in Japan legally for 1 year, you can get a small job to supply yourself while searching for a "real job",....... and you are allowed to do nearly any kind of work, so you could talk a interested company into a trial-period because they wouldent have to bother with a Visa. And after they know that you are such a good worker they will hire you for sure

Anyway, good luck with that!

Oh, and there might be the chance for you to get a Visa for South Korea and Singapore as well (as German citicen i can)

[spicytuna]

Originally Posted by newsense

But I agree it may be difficult to find temporary roles in that area. I'm sure not impossible though - if it's an English speaking temporary role, I don't see any reason why I couldn't apply for it?

Thanks for the replies anyway!

Is there any reason you want to go with the working holiday visa? If you're qualified, you can apply for a work visa which would give you a better chance at being hired.

[Sangetsu]

There are many non-Japanese speakers working at financial institutions in Tokyo, but all of these are foreign companies. Most are traders and analysts, and are living and working in Tokyo on assignment. They tend to spend 1-3 years here, and then return to their home countries.

Working holiday visa holders work part-time as a rule, even if they are at their place of employment 40 or more hours a week. Full-time workers would have to be paid full-time benefits, and even Japanese themselves find it hard now to get full-time, permanent positions.

Your best bet to get a finance job in Japan is to apply to the large investment banks and insurance companies which have offices in Japan; JP Morgan, Goldman Sachs, Lloyds, AIG, etc. My GF works for one of these companies, and they are considering adding staff in 2010.

Good luck,

[ozkai]

Originally Posted by newsense

Unfortunately I don't speak Japanese, although I'm not sure that it's strictly true that all non-speaking positions are hires from outside of Japan. There are a lot of English speaking roles in the financial services sector and it is certainly possible to apply for them directly with recruitment agencies in Japan. I know as I am currently in Hong Kong and recently spoke to an agent here (as I am looking for work here initially) who said they also have offices in Tokyo and asked if I'd be interested in positions there.

But I agree it may be difficult to find temporary roles in that area. I'm sure not impossible though - if it's an English speaking temporary role, I don't see any reason why I couldn't apply for it?

Thanks for the replies anyway!

I agree with Nyorin as without Nihongo, your chocie would be small.

I am very much out of touch with Japan now, but I can say five years abck and beyond, the market was incredibly easy for me to get work.

I felt confident that I could quit any job at anytime, and immediately find another.

In thsoe days, you didn't need any degree.

[newsense]

Originally Posted by spicytuna

Is there any reason you want to go with the working holiday visa? If you're qualified, you can apply for a work visa which would give you a better chance at being hired.

Thanks for all the replies. Spicytuna, the main reason I was looking at a WHV is that I am currently in Hong Kong looking for work (my girlfriend is HK citizen, so we are looking here prior to Japan, if we decide to go there), and a lot of the companies, particularly the smaller ones, will not look at someone who requires visa sponsorship because of the additional costs and paperwork involved. This is less of a problem with the multi-nationals, but the main thing I was trying to gauge is if I do have a work visa, albeit a temporary WHV, would these companies be more prepared to consider me as opposed to having no visa at all?