RetireJapan

I realise this is probably a newbie/dummie question but I'm wondering what the work opportunities are for foreigners in Japan?

From most people I've talked to it seems a large proportion are English teachers or translators, and then maybe programmers and working for foreign companies based in Japan?

I've got work experience in project management (construction projects in Australia and New Zealand), estimating and quantity surveying. Also some government admin experience in Australia and Canada. Not really sure how this would be transferable to Japan?

I'm open to being an English teacher just wondering what everyone here on the forums does for work! Would love to know

I've been an English teacher most of my career: https://youtu.be/wTRfUT1QSfE

Now I am semi retired and have a blog

For anything outside of teaching English, Japanese language skills are going to be required.
With your previous experience, and Japanese skills, you should be fine.

Lots of non-Japanese work in IT and finance. Many of them, as you said, for western companies (外資系)

I've been an English teacher most of my career: https://youtu.be/wTRfUT1QSfE

Now I am semi retired and have a blog

What a wonderful career, well done! Sounded like you had some fun side hustles too

For anything outside of teaching English, Japanese language skills are going to be required.
With your previous experience, and Japanese skills, you should be fine.

Thanks for the heads up, working on my Japanese skills is the next challenge for me but is part of the excitement!

Over the last 25 years, I have been posted in Japan for 7 of those years. First as an employee of a foreign government and now as an employee of an international organization in which Japan is an important member (think IMF/World Bank/UN Agencies and the like). The benefit of this route is that you avoid being a tax resident of Japan (Diplomat/Official visa). The downside is that it is a very specialized route, positions are hard to get, and generally not a permanent situation if you want to live here long term. Almost everyone I know in these types of jobs either speaks Japanese well (foreign gov employees/embassy staff) or have PhDs.

May I direct you to the "Occupations: What do you do?" topic?
viewtopic.php?p=15124

First as an employee of a foreign government and now as an employee of an international organization in which Japan is an important member (think IMF/World Bank/UN Agencies and the like)

Wow that's impressive! Surely sounds like you've had an interesting career

May I direct you to the "Occupations: What do you do?" topic?
viewtopic.php?p=15124

Thanks for the link, that was a super helpful thread. Nice to know there are so many career paths

I've spent 27 years here (so far) working in the pharmaceutical industry for a Japan-headquartered company with global operations. The job required some specialist qualifications (I am a physician but there have been other foreign co-workers who were not) and the ability to speak and read (but no real need to write) Japanese. Because that skill set is useful to the company both within and outside Japan my work is international and I have been given senior management roles which would not have come so quickly elsewhere. It does make for very long working hours and late evening teleconferences several times a week.

A number of my non-Japanese friends are in the alcohol business. Either importers or brewers/owners. Restaurants are another (risky) business some foreign residents try.

As you mentioned, software/programming is also common.

So, alcohol/(caffeine) and pharmaceuticals--birds of a feather, or polar opposites?