Moving to Japan as a foreigner has always been tricky and daunting. Most people opt to become an English teacher as that guarantees them a working visa and a job that doesn’t really require Japanese. In fact, that’s how a lot of working foreigners start in Japan: they become ALT, conversation partners or English teachers before they transition to other careers.
If teaching is your passion and a job you genuinely enjoy, good for you. But if the teaching life isn’t for you, then it’s time to quit your job and find the next opportunity. We’ve compiled some great job sites that will help your Japanese job search be easier. These job sites usually specify the requirements of your Japanese level too, which can be incredibly helpful in finding the right job.
Learn more about: How to Apply for a Permanent Resident Visa in Japan
Jump Ahead!
Curiously enough, there aren’t that many Japanese companies that use LinkedIn. While the site is incredibly useful and has good features, most Japanese companies prefer Facebook or other social media sites for their business. While this may be true, it’s not as if there aren’t any jobs offered there.
What jobs are on offer are typically not from Japanese companies, but rather from foreign companies that established themselves in Japan. Because of a low Japanese user base, the jobs on offer are largely targeted toward foreigners, with low Japanese requirements to boot. If you’re okay with a job with a non-Japanese company, you should consider checking the listings on LinkedIn.
Website: jp.linkedin.com/
Looking to get into the tech industry? Check out: Best IT Job Sites in Japan
GaijinPotJobs
Gaijinpot is a great spot for finding jobs regardless of whether you’re outside or inside Japan. Some of the jobs on offer do require you to be residing in Japan, but there are still enough offers that are available to people outside of Japan. As the largest recruitment site in Japan, there are a huge offering of jobs on the website, so you’re sure to find something that suits you.
The layout of the website is very readable and clear. On each job listing the salary is put up alongside any requirements, language or otherwise. This is a great site especially if you are currently in Japan and on the hunt for a new job.
Website: jobs.gaijinpot.com
Career Engine
Career Engine is an English and Japanese bilingual job site for international companies and candidates in Japan. The key feature of this job hunting website is its filter. Besides categorizing new openings based on job functions and industries, you can check out jobs based on the language requirement. Jobs in Japanese language are divided into: non (Japanese language skill), conversational, fluent, business level and native level.
Unsurprisingly, the most available jobs need applicants to have at least business Japanese level, but that doesn’t mean you won’t find any with lower proficiency requirement.
You can also look for jobs where knowing another language is a plus point, which is even more convenient if you’re actually a native speaker of said language. Currently, there are openings for Thai, Chinese, French, Korean, German and Spanish-speaking individuals.
You can also register for an account and add your resume. By signing up, you can gain direct contact with hiring manager, be alerted for jobs in your area and receive job offers from hiring companies.
Website: careerengine.org
Daijob
Daijob is geared towards providing an excellent job search site for bilingual talent who want to sign on to global companies. If you have a good grasp on Japanese and want to find a job that does use it, try Daijob. There are a lot of listings from Japanese companies that are looking for foreign talents, most requiring Japanese proficiency. That’s not to say the site is useless for those who are still learning or have yet to learn Japanese.
Website: www.daijob.com
The site has incredibly useful filters that can help anyone, letting you filter by jobs that are fully in English and by jobs that offer visa support.
Career Cross
Career Cross specializes in foreign-owned and Global companies. It’s got mainly jobs for those proficient in Japanese, with a few listings for non-speakers. While the layout may not specify the Japanese level requirements, they do let you sort and filter by Japanese (and English) level, as well as the work style. The site itself also has guides for job hunters. Guides on how to improve your resume and interviews, as well as how well you should be paid depending on your job. Career Cross’ jobs on offer also have notably high salaries compared to other sites. If you’re a bilingual professional looking for a good, well-paying job, this is the site for you.
Website: careercross.com
MyNavi (Japanese)
Mynavi’s site is mainly in Japanese. While there are some parts of the page in English, the translation is a little awkward. It’s probably best if you don’t use the site if you can’t read Japanese. Which is a shame, because the site is incredibly helpful. The site is mainly geared towards younger people, and on top of helping find jobs, is very good at enabling career changes. It’s especially helpful for students, helping you job hunt while navigating your busy schedule. It also has a lot of exclusive job offers that you aren’t going to find anywhere else.
Website: ag.global.mynavi.jp
Wantedly (Japanese)
Wantedly is Japan’s top “social recruiter” site. Social recruiting is recruiting via social media. They have multiple apps like Wantedly VISIT and PEOPLE, and also use your Facebook as your login information. With Wantedly, you’re going to be meeting a lot of people, mainly entrepreneurs with small startups. This site is more suited to those currently living in Japan, as a lot of the meetups can be face to face. Wantedly places great emphasis on the value of connections at work, so if you share their ideals, this is a great site for you.
Website: wantedlyinc.com
NINJA (Japanese)
NINJA (Next IN JApan) is a site that focuses on providing jobs to foreign personnel that have high Japanese proficiency and live in Japan. The site is great at connecting foreigners with companies and smoothing out the interview and hiring process. They have good guides on how to change careers, resume writing and interview questions. Additionally, they have good filters that can easily help you find what you’re looking for.
Website: nextinjapan.com
The site is very easy to use and very helpful but is entirely in Japanese. The site is meant for those with a business level in Japanese (N2), so if you’re currently living in Japan and looking for a job, this can be a great site for you.
en world
en world is great at finding you the right job. They work with some of the best companies in their respective fields, and focus on providing long-term career plans to those that sign on. As a Japanese company, they have an intimate knowledge of the expectations and culture of Japanese companies. They are also an international company, spread out across APAC, and are well suited for a lot of different languages. As part of your job search with them, you will be offered consultations with specialists in their respective fields, who will be sure to figure out the right job that suits you, as well as provide you with good knowledge and insight that comes with experience from their field. If you’re looking to grow your career and want some help in your search, you can’t go wrong here.
Website: www.enworld.com
Indeed (Japanese)
Indeed is more for those currently living in Japan. A great job search site with a wide variety of jobs and companies, if you’re looking for a good place to job search, try Indeed! It has a very simple and easy-to-use interface, lots of job offers, and ways to search and filter based on job type or location. It doesn’t come with language requirements though, as the site is geared toward those living in Japan.
The most unique parts of Indeed are the company reviews and the salary guide. The salary guide is great at showing you what similar positions’ average salaries are, so you can know whether the job offers are reasonable. The company reviews to are great ways to equip yourself with knowledge about the company you might want to sign on to. It can be a good insight into company culture and how they treat their employees, which can be vital information. The reviews also let you know the location the reviewer worked at, and whether or not they are a current or former employee. Overall, an incredibly helpful feature that can help you make a more informed decision.
Website: jp.indeed.com/
Check out: How to Get a Job in Japan From Overseas