ご無沙汰しております。
In the past two years, I have graduated from college, achieved my dream of getting a job at a huge corporation in Tokyo, and... quit.
As you can tell by this single sentence, my life has been hit by yet another whirlwind of challenges, all revolving around my pursuit of an identity as an Asian-American woman.
Today, I will continue with the second chapter of my story about working in Japan.
In the past two years, I have graduated from college, achieved my dream of getting a job at a huge corporation in Tokyo, and... quit.
As you can tell by this single sentence, my life has been hit by yet another whirlwind of challenges, all revolving around my pursuit of an identity as an Asian-American woman.
Today, I will continue with the second chapter of my story about working in Japan.
chapter two
buying and crying
In January 2017, I was one of the five global employees hired for a large Japanese corporation.
To this day, I cannot feel more lucky to have experienced such an incredible opportunity. I got to move to Tokyo, one of the most exciting cities in the world. I saw Japanese business culture right up close, with a magnifying glass. I got some serious IRL training in the Japanese language. I had job security, good benefits, and a huge plus on my resume, all with the dedicated support of a Human Resources that placed great value on international employees.
And in December of 2017, I handed in my one month's notice, and left the company.
Okay, let's lay the first big thing right out on the table: I did not quit my job because I hate Japanese culture. I quit my job because I want to pursue a specific field of work, and I felt the best way to do that was to leave. In fact, I would recommend working in Japan to anybody. Facing the challenges of a culturally different workplace has given me a strength and confidence beyond what I could have ever imagined for myself. It was this job that cleared the way for me to do what I truly want to do in life.
Now, let's move on to the real topic of conversation - being a foreigner working in Japan.
I will do a whole different post on Japanese business culture itself,. For now, I want to recognize one thing about working in Japan, especially right out of college, especially when Japanese is not your native language. It. Is. HARD.
No matter who you are, or how qualified you are, trying to kick off your career in a different country is a battle. Applause, snaps, or any form of respectful praise preferred to all of the people who are doing so, and thriving.
I cannot deny how difficult it was for myself. Overcoming language and cultural barriers in addition to being a corporate employee for the first time was exhausting.
The mental fatigue was indescribable. I faced rejection from myself and others on a daily basis. I couldn't shake the constant feeling of incompetence. I felt trapped by all of the rules that I didn't understand. The stress reached my body, giving me migraines and severe back pain. I stopped leaving the house on weekends just to recuperate.
When I reached out to others, desperate to get out of the cycle of tiring days and sleepless nights, many encouraged me to consume. Go get your nails done. Go get a nice meal. Go see a movie. Go buy some chu-hai (canned alcohol) and a snack and relax. You've earned some money, now go spend it!
I tried it. Hmmmm... didn't work for me. All those things were great, don't get me wrong! And it's true. Money is meant to be spent. It's also true that money doesn't buy purpose, belonging, and fulfillment in life. I was sad to admit that when I took a second, stepped back, and looked at my situation, the incredible opportunity to live and work in Japan didn't give me any of those things either. I was just buying, and crying about it. If that's not a waste of time, I don't know what is.
So I started searching. I looked for my passion, and what gets me motivated. I asked myself the same questions interviewers asked me during recruitment. Why did I come to Japan in the first place? What did I want to do here?
I want to offer a different perspective to incite change.
Change doesn't come easily, or quickly. I knew that. I also knew that I wanted a job where I could be a part of it.
At the time, I was working at the department that the company assigned me to. That's right. At domestic Japanese companies, you do not get to choose your job. Your job is chosen for you. Want to change departments? Of course, you have to ask. If your HR and department head decide they don't want you to move? Then you don't move. Plain and simple.
So I asked. And asked. And ASKED. I was told a year, or two. But maybe three. And perhaps, after switching, you will be switched again. And again. Why? Because that's the system.
So I asked different questions. Why am I in this department now, then? So you can do something different than your skill set. What is my purpose here? So you can grow, and challenge yourself. Where is it taking me? Well, perhaps here. Perhaps there. Can't tell you now. Wait. Wait.
It was at that point I threw my hands up in the air in the face of the biggest cultural challenge I experienced in Japan. How am I supposed to forge a solid career when the mold itself is liquid? The only answer I could find was this: find a more solid mold.
I'd love to hear if you agree, disagree, or comment. Tell me what you think!
Stay tuned for the next post, where I talk about my observations of Japanese Business Culture.
See you soon,
justajae
To this day, I cannot feel more lucky to have experienced such an incredible opportunity. I got to move to Tokyo, one of the most exciting cities in the world. I saw Japanese business culture right up close, with a magnifying glass. I got some serious IRL training in the Japanese language. I had job security, good benefits, and a huge plus on my resume, all with the dedicated support of a Human Resources that placed great value on international employees.
And in December of 2017, I handed in my one month's notice, and left the company.
Okay, let's lay the first big thing right out on the table: I did not quit my job because I hate Japanese culture. I quit my job because I want to pursue a specific field of work, and I felt the best way to do that was to leave. In fact, I would recommend working in Japan to anybody. Facing the challenges of a culturally different workplace has given me a strength and confidence beyond what I could have ever imagined for myself. It was this job that cleared the way for me to do what I truly want to do in life.
Now, let's move on to the real topic of conversation - being a foreigner working in Japan.
I will do a whole different post on Japanese business culture itself,. For now, I want to recognize one thing about working in Japan, especially right out of college, especially when Japanese is not your native language. It. Is. HARD.
No matter who you are, or how qualified you are, trying to kick off your career in a different country is a battle. Applause, snaps, or any form of respectful praise preferred to all of the people who are doing so, and thriving.
I cannot deny how difficult it was for myself. Overcoming language and cultural barriers in addition to being a corporate employee for the first time was exhausting.
The mental fatigue was indescribable. I faced rejection from myself and others on a daily basis. I couldn't shake the constant feeling of incompetence. I felt trapped by all of the rules that I didn't understand. The stress reached my body, giving me migraines and severe back pain. I stopped leaving the house on weekends just to recuperate.
When I reached out to others, desperate to get out of the cycle of tiring days and sleepless nights, many encouraged me to consume. Go get your nails done. Go get a nice meal. Go see a movie. Go buy some chu-hai (canned alcohol) and a snack and relax. You've earned some money, now go spend it!
I tried it. Hmmmm... didn't work for me. All those things were great, don't get me wrong! And it's true. Money is meant to be spent. It's also true that money doesn't buy purpose, belonging, and fulfillment in life. I was sad to admit that when I took a second, stepped back, and looked at my situation, the incredible opportunity to live and work in Japan didn't give me any of those things either. I was just buying, and crying about it. If that's not a waste of time, I don't know what is.
So I started searching. I looked for my passion, and what gets me motivated. I asked myself the same questions interviewers asked me during recruitment. Why did I come to Japan in the first place? What did I want to do here?
I want to offer a different perspective to incite change.
Change doesn't come easily, or quickly. I knew that. I also knew that I wanted a job where I could be a part of it.
At the time, I was working at the department that the company assigned me to. That's right. At domestic Japanese companies, you do not get to choose your job. Your job is chosen for you. Want to change departments? Of course, you have to ask. If your HR and department head decide they don't want you to move? Then you don't move. Plain and simple.
So I asked. And asked. And ASKED. I was told a year, or two. But maybe three. And perhaps, after switching, you will be switched again. And again. Why? Because that's the system.
So I asked different questions. Why am I in this department now, then? So you can do something different than your skill set. What is my purpose here? So you can grow, and challenge yourself. Where is it taking me? Well, perhaps here. Perhaps there. Can't tell you now. Wait. Wait.
It was at that point I threw my hands up in the air in the face of the biggest cultural challenge I experienced in Japan. How am I supposed to forge a solid career when the mold itself is liquid? The only answer I could find was this: find a more solid mold.
I'd love to hear if you agree, disagree, or comment. Tell me what you think!
Stay tuned for the next post, where I talk about my observations of Japanese Business Culture.
See you soon,
justajae