Careers/Good jobs

[OkinawaWASsoCOOL]

I visited Okinawa this year and now want to live there.
My question is, does anyone know how to get into a good career or high-paying job without any schooling?

I would like to get into a dealership as a technician but don't know how to contact a dealership as my Japanese isn't good enough to read Japanese websites.

Any information is greatly appreciated.

[DoctorP]

Originally Posted by OkinawaWASsoCOOL

I visited Okinawa this year and now want to live there.
My question is, does anyone know how to get into a good career or high-paying job without any schooling?

Are you serious?

I would like to get into a dealership as a technician but don't know how to contact a dealership as my Japanese isn't good enough to read Japanese websites.

Any information is greatly appreciated.

If your Japanese isn't good enough to get you by the website, how do you expect to earn a living?

[dk]

The english speaking jobs off base are pretty much entry-level and pay worse than entry level in the US unless you get lucky. Your best bet for easy money is probably teaching English...

[DougP]

Originally Posted by dk

The english speaking jobs off base are pretty much entry-level and pay worse than entry level in the US unless you get lucky. Your best bet for easy money is probably teaching English...

Even that isn't easy. Unless you have a 4 year degree. You might not even get hired as an "actual" teacher more like an admin monkey.

Even getting jobs on base isn't as easy as it sounds. If you're not already SOFA or a dependent you're on the bottom of the list when it comes to hiring. You could have all kinds of experience and an active security clearance and it still wouldn't help. Don't ask me how I know

If you're coming here on your own you'll have a tourist visa and unless you can get another type forget about finding "real" work. Basically if you want to do some serious work with "good enough" pay you better have the right visa, and a japanese drivers lisence is a big plus. That's why I'm trying to get one. Not because I want to get back to driving the crowded streets

Now if you still want to live in Japan and make an ok living while beefing up your japanese try moving to a big city like Tokyo or Osaka. There are a lot more jobs available for gaijin up there then here. I don't count base jobs as real available jobs because you have to be in the loop if you're to have a real chance at getting one. The decent ones at least.

[Honduh]

in a nutshell, save your money and continue to visit.

[Muku]

First things first.....visa, who is going to sponsor you? Japanese immigration requires in the majority of cases for unmarried, to a Japanese person that is, foreigners to have at the minimum a bachelors degree to get the work visa.

You need a sponsor for that first. Sure there are ways around it, like being an entertainter or playing some sport here like Sumo or pro baseball, but I think I safely assume that you are neither of those. Plus from the sound of your OP you are not in a technical field that would grant you the right of getting a special visa. Oh you are not a student either right? People on student visa's are not supposed to work more than a certain number of hours or earn a certain amount of money, so that would be out too, as you would need a school to back you for that one.

Mmmm what's next, oh yeah a tourist visa, renewable for up to about 180 days, first one is 90 days at the post of entry, however if you work on it and get caught you would be deported in a flash and wouldnt be able to apply for reentry for 5 years at the minumum so I wouldn suggest that one either.

GS...SOFA work, why not try that?

Oh btw here is the Ministry Of Foreign Affairs website with information about visa requirements for Japan. Hopefully you will take a look at that and see what you need to gain entry to legally work here.

[dk]

Basically, Japan is a pain in the butt.

[okinawapaul]

Probably the easiest way to move to Japan, and yes I am being serious, would be to move to a country like Australia and become a citizen. Then you could come to Japan on a holiday visa.

[Muku]

Originally Posted by okinawapaul

Probably the easiest way to move to Japan, and yes I am being serious, would be to move to a country like Australia and become a citizen. Then you could come to Japan on a holiday visa.

But that only works until the person is like 30 to 35 right?

Canada is another option though.

Basically, Japan is a pain in the butt.

Living in an ethnocentric society has a way of making people paranoid about them damn foreigners

All the damn crime and everything...all because of them damn foreigners

[socalheart]

Job search for military sponsored jobs on Okinawa:
USAJobs
Govt Job search
There are others, but it's easier for you to do a search.

Japanese Visa Requirements
I previously looked into this option. Even with a Bachelor's degree in Communications and a parent with permanent residency here, I couldn't get it.

Good luck.