Hmmm.... Kinda stuck...
In case you dont know, I'm hoping to work in Japan as a Graphic Designer or Artworker in the future. Its why I quit my decent job and took up a BA degree course. I hope to gain JLPT level 2 next year (thats 2008...) and I have 3 years commercial experience as an Artworker in London(In Japan, an Artworker is simply called 'Designer'). Thing is, Design jobs arent really advertised in Japan. Ive heard its more a 'word-of-mouth' thing, and as I'm a gaijin outside of the circle, with nobody on the inside, things dont look good.
I know I've got ages to go before I graduate , but I've been looking at job ads. Mainly, people want native Japanese speakers with business level English, even the ones on the English language websites, supposedly for foreigners looking for work. I knew this before I took up the degree. Japanese companies prefer Japanese people. I have to be extra special for them to bother with the 'hassle' a gaijin can bring...
I was wondering about summer courses for 2008. (I'm a forward thinker) In particular, a Design course at Temple University. It costs a bomb and the course itself isnt all that, but if it opens doors or gets me into a world where I want to be, I'd seriously consider it. But the problem is, I dont know anybody reliable in order to ask.
I can do a semester abroad at a Japanese University with my course, but when I asked the 'organiser' about it, he treated me like dirt and just kept repeating that I'd have to be Japanese in order to be accepted. Is it really that narrow? I dont believe it and I doubt JLPT 2 is high enough and I doubt my Japanese is up to it, but, I just dont like being told 'no' without any hope.
I was also wondering about internships, but I cant find anything design related. IT, business and hospitality internships galore. Surely Design isnt all word-and-mouth? I'd do volunteering or work-experience for the summer if I could. I just havent a clue where to look.
Maybe I should just jump back onto the teaching game and give up any aspirations of Design.
...help!?!!!!
7 件のコメント:
Hello, Karen. Long time. It seems that you are seriously thinking of working in Japan as a Graphic Designer. I would introduce to you if I had close associates regarding graphic art. But,,,
I think anything's possible in Japan. A lot of people say you can't get anything but teaching jobs but I was writing storybooks for kids - and I didn't get that using my Japanese. Theories abound about what the Japanese want, but as you know it's the kind of place where really interesting things can happen for foreigners in many different fields...
My Japanese friend is actually a designer so I'll ask him what he reckons.
i certainly hope its possible to do jobs other than teaching in Japan, otherwise that's my dream down the drain too! :-(
Nick
@Taka! Hope you are well! No worries, thanks for your comment. If you do meet any Designers... :-) Introduce them to me!! :-)
@PA - :-) Thank you so much!!! I'll keep my fingers crossed. Let me know what he/she says, even if its bad news. :) Any info is good info right now as I'm stuck...
@Nick - I'm sure you will be fine getting a job in Japan because of the degree you are doing. And plus you'll do a year abroad in Japan, so you'll meet lots of contacts then.
I've also been adviced to contact the Japan Foundation... apparantley they have information on internships/scholarships/summer placements etc... I'll call them tomorrow and let you know what they say... fingers crossed...
Fear not, 外国人女。
神は全てをみる。
因果、ね。
あなたの生きがいは日本です。行きます。明日ハッピーいる。
(^_^)b
・宇宙の猿・
So this is what my Japanese mate said:
1) Make it clear why it has to be Japan.
2) How about getting into a design company in the UK that has an office in Japan?
3) Become as fluent as you can in Japanese as communication in the arts is very important - it'll be really stressful otherwise.
4) Get a 'normal' job teaching or whatever in Japan and do your arts on the side - make fliers for mates' music or music venues etc. Then get into it that way. (My mate does fliers for a big bookshop in Ikebukuro for his mate, does CD covers for his mates' band, whilst working a simple design job.)
He knew one Australian guy who works for Perks and Mini who often went to Japan to organize exhibitions etc.
So that was his basic idea - get into a company here that has shops/offices in Japan or go to Japan and just do your own stuff and make connections that way - at venues and clubs.
Hope this helps a little~
Hey Karen, I've found the same thing so many times. "It's not what you know, it's who you know" is cheesy but it seems so true.
Anyway, my two-cents is that while I don't have many connections, the ones that I've found are through the internet. Joining Mixi communities, hanging around in IRC rooms, just sort of spreading yourself around a bit. It might not be as great for graphic design as it is for programming/nerdy stuff like mine, and it's not very efficient but it requires pretty minimal effort, and you can be surprisingly lucky sometimes :)
Good luck with it, and don't be afraid of posting "looking for work" or "looking for information" type stuff on relevant Mixi communities (in Japanese of course). People are quite friendly and at worst you'll just lose 5 minutes of your time writing the post :)
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