If you’re itching to get into IT, fawning over financial services or simply salivating for sales Japan is the right place to be. So say those in the know. Whether breaking into a new industry with a résumé or a business plan, job-market experts say - and show by example - which sectors are truly hot. The wise will take note.
What do they really know? Well, with Japan’s recruitment firms surging from 7,052 to 10,784 in the past two years and temp agencies, or haken firms, up from 2,774 to 3,774 for the same period (according to the Ministry of Health, Labor and Welfare), probably more than players in these highly competitive markets are willing to say. But what they do offer could be crucial to your career or business plans. Read on.
Demand for staff in Japan’s IT industry is growing, “almost at the same pace as the dot-com boom in the 90s,” says Mark Smith, president of Silkhouse Staffing Solutions K.K. “A lot of it has to do with the global and Japanese economy.” It’s especially true, he says, of ongoing support, network administration, applications development and project management. As a specialized temp agency, Smith says Silkhouse derives 80 to 90 percent of its revenues from Japan’s IT industry.
“There are 3.5 open IT positions for every candidate” in Japan, he says. “It’s definitely an opportunity for skilled workers.” He acknowledges, however, with such demand it can also be an opportunity for newcomers. “I’d say that any person with a strong interest in IT at the entry level should consider it.” That’s not all he has noticed. Smith says that in the general market IT is one of two industries that stand out. The other is health care. “Soon 25 percent of the population will be 65 or over, he says, noting that demands for trained orderlies and caregivers are set to explode. Indeed, the Ministry of Labor announced this month it would admit 1,000 Filipino nurses and caregivers starting in fiscal 2007. It’s likely to be the first of many such waves to come.
David Price, director of Robert Half International Inc., has noticed a similar trend and more. He says the candidate demand of this like other local industries, “have a double shortage such as in sales and the medical industry.” The shortage of candidates is compounded by increased competition brought about by more foreign firms entering the Japanese market. “It’s kind of a double whammy, not just in the industry but more of a competitive demand.” The U.S.-based recruitment firm should know. Specializing in placing candidates in the financial services and banking sector, it set up shop in Japan this year to compete where the real lucrative demand is – executive-level placement.
“Finance is in strong demand that’s why we started in this field,” says Price, adding that knowledge of international industry standards is also a boon. “Sales and finance are two top needs by volume but HR and recruitment are also in demand. Then IT and legal are also very hot right now. But Japan is labor short in general.” Other industry experts agree.
“Finance and technology, these days are the key area s that require very specific skills that are not common among Japanese companies,” says Kimiko Suda, a senior manager at James Harvard International Asia K.K. The recruitment firm has specialized in technology, marketing and financial service placements in Japan since 2001. “Also, as these skills are in such short supply a lot of clients may consider people from abroad without Japanese language skills.”
In addition to an overall shortage in key industries, certain changes are also driving demand, according, Kevin Gibson, director of Roger Walters Japan K.K. Sure, there’s a dearth of CPAs, he says, but there’s also a growing need for strong salespeople: “Historically, being a salesperson in Japan was being an order-taker.” It’s something he says has changed since local sales are now as much about getting new customers as maintaining old ones. “Good salespeople are in very huge demand in Japan and can get a very good deal.” Needless to say, he and others offer some sage advice for those approaching such potential employers.
“Two things,” warns Gibson, “some people attempt to leave out embarrassing gaps in their résumés. But more and more companies are getting professional checkers to check backgrounds. He says he knows of one case where a firm rescinded an offer after learning a candidate skipped out on electricity bill as a university student. Other common faux pas, he adds, are, “Many Japanese job seekers need, to be less humble and talk more about their individual accomplishments. On the foreigners side, it’s not being able to demonstrate long-term commitment to working here in Japan.”
Silkhouse’s Smith says that regardless application guidelines non-Japanese would do well to have their résumé translated into Japanese. It goes hand and hand with what he and others say is the necessity to speak the language. Like James Harvard’s Suda says of the financial sector, he admits demand in the IT industry is so great that applicants can often skirt the issue: “We probably have about 50 people (placed in local companies) that don’t speak Japanese. If you focus only on multinational companies you don’t need to speak Japanese. But if you did it would expand your opportunities a thousand fold.”
