I’m 34 years old, with 14 years of experience in international trade and supply chain. I have a university degree, hold JLPT N1 certification (although my speaking level is closer to N3), and have around USD 60,000 in savings. I’m also actively working on additional professional certifications to make my profile more competitive in the Japanese job market.
I’m considering whether, instead of applying for jobs in Japan from my home country (where response rates are usually very low), it makes sense to move to Japan on a student visa through a Japanese language school and use that time to job hunt while being physically in Japan.
The plan would be to:
- Improve spoken Japanese in a real environment
- Attend business networking events, professional meetups, and job fairs
- Apply locally while studying
- Leverage my degree and professional background while continuing certifications
- Partially support myself through arubaito within student visa limits
If I don’t secure a job during the language school period, my backup plan would be to transition to a part-time/night MBA and continue job hunting during the day.
One concern I have is how recruiters perceive candidates on a student visa. Do recruiters usually reject candidates upfront when they see a student visa, or is it commonly considered acceptable as long as the candidate can switch to a work visa?
Has anyone here taken a similar mid-career approach?
by TottreJP