Hi there,
I don’t expect much of this post but I am currently in a dilemma about my future. For context, I am a recently college graduate (M22) and am looking to start a future in Japan. I have been studying Japanese for about 4 years now, and I did one year of Study Abroad at a University in Japan last year. (I am not fluent. I can speak and have causal conversations no problem, but I cannot do Keigo or Business Japanese, and my reading and writing skills are definitely behind my speaking skills.) I fell in love with the country, the culture, the people, everything, and I would like to move there to start my career/professional life. The problem is i’m not exactly sure what I would like to do as a job. I am very open minded and would be willing to try a lot of things hoping something clicks and I become passionate about it. (I know someone should figure out what they want to do in life before considering moving to another country, but it’s not like that for me😅)
After a lot of thinking and research, I have narrowed down 3 ways for me to get back to Japan in order to start my professional life. Each option has its own pros and cons, and I would just like some unbiased opinions on what I should do.
Option 1: I keep blindly applying to jobs on different forums hoping one sticks. Also I would try to apply to the JET Program and use that as a way to get back.
Pros: I get back to Japan | I have a job and can make money | Potential career development.
Cons: No guarantees | Difficult to find Entry-Level jobs for foreign new-grads | JET Program is difficult to get accepted into | I don’t gain any professional benefits from the JET Program. Once it’s over I don’t have anything to use to further my career unless I want to be teacher (which I don’t think I do)
Option 2: I go to a graduate school in Japan, and receive a Masters Degree.
Pros: I get to live in Japan for longer | Obtain a Master’s making job hunting easier (hopefully)
Cons: As I don’t think my Japanese is good enough to obtain a Masters Degree through Japanese Instruction, I would have to find a Graduate school offering English courses, severely limiting my options. | I don’t know what I would even study in the first place, making the search even more difficult.
Option 3: I would go to Language School for 1-2 years while working a part-time job with the goal of getting to N2-N1. This could open many more job opportunities for the jobs that require this certification (which is a lot of them)
Pros: I would have a Student Visa in Japan for at least a year | would be able to improve language skills immensely | Max level of immersion for learning.
Cons: Most expensive option. Most schools are located in big cities like Tokyo, Osaka, Kyoto, etc where cost of living can be high | Accommodation is something to be considered because every school is different. | Many options making difficult to choose school.
These are the 3 options that I have come up with and am currently trying to decide on. I should mention that I am currently leaning towards Option 3 the Language school because it makes the most sense in my head. Please leave some comments and options, and I will try my best to reply to whatever I can. Also I apologize if the format is weird. I typed everything on my phone so not sure how it will turn out.
Thanks
by Anonymous7369