Help finding entry level Japanese jobs that will sponsor visa - career advice
Thread poster: Alex Stratikis
Alex Stratikis
Alex Stratikis
United States
Local time: 05:57
Japanese to English
Sep 29, 2019

Dear all,

I am a recent graduate with an BA Degree in Japanese, who has several years studying/volunteering both in Japan and abroad. I am now looking to secure a full-time opportunity with a company in Japanese to English Translation/Localization.
Despite this, I am currently having a difficult time securing any entry level Japanese to English translation opportunities. The majority of relevant jobs are in Japan/US. Either of which I would consider, but securing a visa is p
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Dear all,

I am a recent graduate with an BA Degree in Japanese, who has several years studying/volunteering both in Japan and abroad. I am now looking to secure a full-time opportunity with a company in Japanese to English Translation/Localization.
Despite this, I am currently having a difficult time securing any entry level Japanese to English translation opportunities. The majority of relevant jobs are in Japan/US. Either of which I would consider, but securing a visa is proving near impossible. The second issue being relevant experience. These two factors combined are proving to be a real headache.

I was offered several entry jobs in California, but they wouldn't take things further once they found out they would have to sponsor me. As for Japan, it seems like the majority of applications won't even consider you if you aren't already residing in Japan/possess a work visa.
The catch-22 with relevant experience is that most companies expect however many years of experience in order to be considered for the role, but I don't see how I can overcome this until I find somewhere that is actually willing to hire me as a graduate.
I'm trying to stay positive here, but I'm not sure where to turn to at the moment. I do realize there will be suitable opportunities out there for me, but it can extremely difficult to find relevant sites/jobs in the vast sea of information online.
There is a high standard expected with translation, so I am really eager to start gaining some relevant experience in the field in order to become the best that I can be.

If anyone is aware of any specific companies (anywhere) that are currently offering Japanese translation opportunities to graduates, or any general tips/advice, then please let me know. I would appreciate any useful information at this point.

Thank you all in advance.
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Katalin Horváth McClure
Katalin Horváth McClure  Identity Verified
United States
Local time: 05:57
Member (2002)
English to Hungarian
+ ...
Specialization Sep 29, 2019

Hi Alex,
Your profile says you are in the US, but given your story, it doesn't seem possible that you could be legally working here. I am assuming the project management job in Boston that you mentioned on your profile page is a remote job, and you are actually in the UK. I would imagine there are many translation agencies in the UK who handle JP->EN jobs, but I am not sure what the situation is in terms of full time translator positions. Many agencies have very "lean" in-house staff thes
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Hi Alex,
Your profile says you are in the US, but given your story, it doesn't seem possible that you could be legally working here. I am assuming the project management job in Boston that you mentioned on your profile page is a remote job, and you are actually in the UK. I would imagine there are many translation agencies in the UK who handle JP->EN jobs, but I am not sure what the situation is in terms of full time translator positions. Many agencies have very "lean" in-house staff these days, and instead they rely on freelancers when they are needed.
Here are my thoughts on your situation:
It seems to me that besides a BA in Japanese studies, you don't have any other "official" qualifications, and that makes things more difficult. From the visa point of view, in both countries you mentioned (USA and Japan), in order for a company to sponsor a working visa, they essentially have to prove to their own government that they cannot find a local resident who can fulfill the job. If you don't have any specialization, it is very difficult, and companies know it. That's why they stopped the discussions once they realized you can't legally work there.
It may take years for you to become a full time translator, and in the meantime you may need to make compromises. For example, you may need to stay in the UK (if that's where you have residency) and take another type of job as an employee (so you are able to pay the bills) and start translating on the side, as a freelancer. That way you can gain experience, and slowly build up a clientele. A the same time, your employment may help you get subject expertise in a specific area, that you can later focus on as a translator.
Many of us came to translation from other professional fields (engineering, medical professions, etc.) where we used our multiple languages for field work, so we learned the specific terminology and technologies. That is a huge advantage when clients need specialized texts translated. (In my experience, specialized texts are a major part of the market.) If you have an interest in some topics, try to find a job with a company in that field that also has a Japanese subsidiary or business partners so that you could use Japanese at work.
These are just my ideas - good luck!
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Dan Lucas
 
Kevin Fulton
Kevin Fulton  Identity Verified
United States
Local time: 05:57
German to English
Little chance of sponsorship Sep 30, 2019

Companies, if they're willing to sponsor someone at all, are looking for a critical skill (specialized engineering, medical research, etc.). Sadly, in the United States, translation skills aren't highly regarded or even understood, given the number of requests I've received over the years to "type a document into German." I don't want to say you have no chance at all, but I suggest that you consider other residence opportunities before Brexit becomes an utter calamity.

 


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Help finding entry level Japanese jobs that will sponsor visa - career advice







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