I can't be a exchange student...

[tongue_of_colicab]

For as long as I want I'm studying Japanese language and I went there last summer for a summer course for one month and I really, really liked it. Before going there I was not sure what to think of it but it turned out to be a very positive experience. It's the only time in my life I really felt sad and bad about having to leave.

So I want to go back. Next year I will be going back for 6 months in a exchange program which my uni has with with our japanese teachers (basically, that japanese uni sends over 4 japanese language teachers (they are students too, so all in our age group, 18 to 25 or so) each year as part of their education) and we send 8 back. Yes 8. The japense people get send over here for 1 year but because our uni isn't capable of securing enough spots at japanese uni's we get send over 6 months so our uni can send double the students.

But I want to go a year because 6 months is short. Basically private schools are the only alternative that my uni will accept but I can't afford it. The 6 months, well actually 5 but after that is summer vacation so I will stay a month longer, will cost 5000 euro's according to uni so I already managed to set aside 7000 euro's because I plan to do more than walk everywhere and live on water and bread. But private schools are freakin' expensive! around 10k is what I will need for a 6 month term and that is the minimum recommended. I can only manage to put together around 7500 euro by that time so I'm 3 to 4k short

I feel double bad because it also means the chance that I can find a internship in Japan for the year after next year will be even smaller than it already is because I will have even less time to make connections. Uni has a few spots available but I can probably not apply for them so I have to find something myself which is somewhere between very damn hard and next to impossible. Certainly if you don't know anybody to help you.

There is always the possiblity of finding a job after that because by then I will have finished uni but judging from how graduate students I know have tried and failed that will be very hard too. Though my case might be a little bit different as most students come straight from high school but I already finished a 4 year IT course at a different uni and got experience working in IT...

Long story short me wants to go to Japan, but has no monies Maybe somebody on B3D got lucky during the new year lottery and doesn't mind doing some sponsoring for a good cause?

 

[Silent_Buddha]

Something's you can try to do to increases your chances.

First make sure you learn Japanese well. Being able to read and write adequately is a big bonus. But this all goes without saying.

Secondly, make connections with people. Friends your age may not help much, but if you can get on good terms with their parents or business owners that'll be big. What you're looking for here is someone that can vouch for you. Smooch with business owners if you can. Oddly enough manual labor jobs are the easiest with this regards. Owners of those generally tend to be very talkative and friendly. They also like cheap labor and manual labor jobs tend to have less prejudices against foreign workers.

If you can get in good with one of those, you'll get a sponsorship for a job, that would virtually guarantee being able to get a work/resident VISA.

Third is being able to show that not only are you interested in their culture (learning to read/write their language), are willing to work (getting sponsored by a Japanese business/owner), and that you don't NEED or plan to stay in Japan forever as a freeloader. IE - you aren't poor in the country you are coming from, which leads to...

Lastly, and this is out of your control, what country you are coming from will greatly influence your chances of a work/resident VISA. Coming from a poor country will be a negative. Coming from other Asian countries can be a big negative. But again, sponsorship by a Japanese business/owner can mostly override that.

Can't stress enough how incredibly helpful it is if you can get a business/owner to like you enough that they want you to come back. In some cases, enough that they'll vouch for you for a work VISA even if you aren't actually going to work for them.

Oh, and almost forgot, I think they still make exceptions for people that will be teaching English and probably also French and Russian.

Regards,
SB

 

[tongue_of_colicab]

I will try. Maybe getting to know business owners will be somewhat hard. I will probably mostly have contact with students so it will probably be up to a bit of luck meeting the right person(s) that do know the right people. That is why I think 6 months is such a short time to really meet much people and make connections. A friend who graduated last year spend 3 months sending almost 200 letters looking for a job and got only 20 responses all telling him ''no''. OTOH a girl in her final year managed to get a internship in Japan. Though being half japanese and rather good looking might have helped a bit...

I thought about maybe looking for a part time job but I dont think my visa will allow me to work even if its just a few hours a week.

I doubt my country will be a problem. I can't think of anything why coming from Holland would be considerd bad and there is a large historical link between to 2 countries. For whatever that might be worth. Not much I think but still.

Ofcourse I wont have any money, but that is because i'm a student. I already graduated in IT and later hopefully in Japanese ofcourse so money shouldnt be a issue as soon as I get a job.

Certainly i'm no freeloader or planning to live off the gouvernment. If I wanted that I'd stay in Holland. That will be a lot easier not to mention you can get a ton of money from our government without much problems. Actually for some people not working earns them more money than working. Go figure.

 

[Silent_Buddha]

It's kind of tough to just give general advice on making it easier to get a work/resident VISA.

You know you could always meet the woman of your dreams and marry a Japanese woman. That would solve your problem right there.

But I can't stress how important it is to get some good contacts. Getting to know someone who knows someone who knows someone. Getting an introduction and making a good impression.

The Japanese love hard work but they also love to have fun. If you have the opportunity to go to a social type thing with someone that owns a business (say a friend knows/works at a job and they are having a night at a Karaoke bar) and you open up and have fun (drinking and especially singing Karaoke). It's always a good step. Maybe show interest in their work. Maybe see if you can go and work there a day for free just to see what it's like, etc...

It's all about getting someone in a respected position to like you without being an idiot. Good ones to hit up are Japanese guys that like to talk. I dunno, it's weird trying to put into words how to get accepted.

Many countries, like the US, for example, is all about showing a company you're a value to their company. Japan, a lot of it is all about getting them to like and accept you. If they like you and you're willing to work your butt off without complaining about what they ask you to do...you can make it fairly far.

Regards,
SB

 

[Davros]

Long story short, would you like to pay for my holiday

I wish you luck with that one

 

[tongue_of_colicab]

I wish you luck with that one

I must score all my point for the different subjects I have when I am there so it won't be only fun, I actually need to study.

It's kind of tough to just give general advice on making it easier to get a work/resident VISA.

You know you could always meet the woman of your dreams and marry a Japanese woman. That would solve your problem right there.

I suppose it would. But than i'd have to marry one after just 6 months

I think I will just have to wait and see. I could always ask my teachers if they could help. I think all of them will get a job after this year. Atleast one of them said she really wanted to start working and the other ones will probably need too as they will be graduated. As long as they didnt got the wrong impression of me after last night... It's not weird to say that if somebody tells you he/she is going to the toilet to say: well, I cant help you with that but apperantly they got the idea of going to the toilet together but interpreted in a bad way. I explained but Dutch humor really doesn't work with Japanese people it seemed.

 

[Cheezdoodles]

Um. Let me get this right, you are studying japanese litterature? And you want a job in japan?

This doesn't exactly sound like a easy task. Getting a meaningful job after a litterature major is hard enough, getting a meaningful job as a foreigner with a japanese litterature major must be extremely hard.

You should check what kind of grants and loans you can get. In many countries the state educational fund (or whatever its called in your country), often have credit facilities that can give you very good loans, or loans that convert to grants if you pass. These can also, in many cases, be used by foreign students. Some of these grants are stuff that everybody can get, like if you finish your studies, 35% of your student loan is turned into a grant" and stuff like that. No need to be academically brilliant to get them . Also check with the uni, most decent universities these days have financing options

 

[MrGaribaldi]

You might also want to try to join a student organisation, preferably one connected with the local community. This shouldn't be a problem with your VISA, and will make it a lot easier to either get acquainted with the relevant people or meet people with the contacts you want.

An organisation, though not specifically for students, that can be interesting is Rotaract, if you're in the age group between 18 and 30. It might be hard to join a Japanese club/chapter directly, but you could try to join a local one before you leave, and be a guest of the Japanese club.