Japan is a market that has great opportunities for foreigners with the necessary qualifications
The IT (Information Technology) market is constantly growing, and each year the need for qualified professionals increases, but the number of professionals with the necessary training in the market is still not enough to meet this demand. Japan is one of the most technological countries in the world, and has been suffering from this shortage of skilled labor for some time. As a result, the country has been opening its doors to foreigners to work in these areas.
Although the country highly values tradition, Japanese ancestry has become an increasingly less important factor for those who want to work with technology in the country. According to a survey carried out by the Japanese portal TimeJP, some of the professions most performed by foreigners were listed, including language teachers, translators, interpreters and IT professionals.
Still according to the survey, 16% of foreigners work in the IT area, 19% in the teaching area, 16% in the sales area, and the rest in office work, translator, interpreter, marketing, designer and art. The number of foreigners living in Japan exceeds 1 million.
Japan is one of the most developed countries in the world and with an above average quality of life, and can offer many opportunities for foreigners with the necessary knowledge and who want to start a career in the country.
Índice de Conteúdo
What knowledge is needed to work with IT in Japan?
Japan is a country well known for its discipline and the quality of everything it does. Therefore, the requirements for people who want to enter the IT area are not few. It is essential that candidates have complete digital literacy, in addition to being a technologist or bachelor in courses focused on technological areas, programming, software engineering, among others.
It is also necessary to have specific knowledge in areas such as JavaScript and HTML/CSS, basic or advanced, programming embedded systems "embedded programming" with the C++ language, PL SQL, Excel, in addition to the ability to develop web applications with integration plans to mobile systems, as this knowledge makes the curriculum more robust and with a greater impact on hiring.
In addition to technical knowledge, other factors can greatly help people who want to immigrate to Japan with the intention of working and have experience in the technology market, have a level of intimacy with Japanese and English sufficient to communicate, be willing to change between Japanese cities, ability to work in teams, creativity, ability to innovate and know how to deal with criticism. Another very common factor in Japanese companies is staying in a company for long periods, as job rotation is not common among Japanese people.
IT Passport Certification
The IT Passport certification is a national certification that proves that the person has the necessary requirements to work in the Japanese industry. It is a great differential when looking for a job in the country, as it guarantees companies that you are qualified to perform your function.
This certificate is very common in Japan, and can only be withdrawn on Japanese soil, so it is very important for people who intend to move to Japan, to start studying in advance, so that when they move, they can get their certification as soon as possible. as soon as possible.
Japanese Language Proficiency Test (JLPT)
Not all companies require applicants to speak fluent Japanese, but this can be another big plus. This certification measures your fluency in the native language of the country and has 5 levels, ranging from N1 to N5, with N1 being the highest.
Many companies have programs to qualify foreigners, teaching the language, or even have translators so that foreigners can communicate, but those who already have a certain fluency will always be one step ahead when hiring.
Another important point in learning the native language of the country are personal issues, or even potential freelance opportunities, as many clients do not speak languages other than Japanese.
Look for jobs in big cities
Vacancies and jobs for professionals in the IT area, as in Brazil, are concentrated in large Japanese urban centers. The bigger and more developed the city, the more companies and opportunities it has. Cities like Tokyo, Yokohama, Osaka, Nagoya, Sapporo and Kobe are great technological hubs.
It is very common in big cities to find foreigners occupying positions they held in their home countries. In smaller cities, on the other hand, the absolute majority of foreign labor performs operational services in factories, and the few positions in technology areas are occupied by Japanese.
Benefits and salaries of a programmer in Japan
As mentioned earlier, the IT market in Japan is very hot and offers many opportunities. It is important to remember that the amounts paid for professionals in any area may vary according to position, function, company, city, among other factors, as well as anywhere else in the world.
Programmer, analyst, systems engineer, and specialist developer jobs average ￥350,000 (yen), which is approximately US$ 3,189 (dollars).
Regarding the benefits offered by companies, they usually offer employees:
- Health insurance: Usually the plans offered are very complete and comprehensive;
- pension plan: Most companies offer this benefit;
- Career path: Most companies focus on the professional development of employees;
- Trainings: It is very common for companies to offer internal and external training for adapting employees;
- Minimum working hours: Although it is common for the Japanese to work longer hours, the workload in the country is 8 hours a day and 40 hours a week.
- paid time off: Most Japanese companies offer around 10 to 11 paid days off per year;
- standard working time: The country's standard is to work from Monday to Friday, with holidays off.
Knowing how to deal with impacts and risks is essential when moving to a new country. The adaptation process may be slower for some people, as it is a culture totally different from ours, but this is momentary.
