Getting employed by smaller Japanese companies can sometimes be more than just mere culture shock. Such companies are typically run top-down, and the patriarchal atmosphere is very evident. This often means that you need to deal with the CEO directly to understand what is going on in the organization, and if you don't have that access, then you need to be like one of the family – trusting that things will work out. Further, to plan a career, you need to understand the "family" relationships and figure out who besides the CEO is important. Usually this will be a couple of his/her key managers.

I get lots of email about visa and immigration questions. Unfortunately, apart from the general visa definitions at the Ministry of Foreign Affairs website (http://www.mofa.go.jp/j_info/visit/visa/appendix1.html#5)and a book on the subject I recommended some years ago, called A Japanese Visa Handbook: From Tourist to Permanent Resident by Motoko Kuroda, there is little else that could be considered reliable information on how to get a Japanese work visa.

In a recession there is one job that is never in short supply – sales. No company is getting enough sales, and for those that are hurting due to the economy, sales is the primary point of attention. Managers are putting pressure on low performers, and firing or reassigning those who are unable to contribute. This level of attention may make some people feel like sales is a high-pressure and ultimately undesirable job. But in fact, a sales role can be very fulfilling and liberating if you are good at it – i.e., if you understand what drives successful sales.

I'll talk about what these drivers are in a future article, but right now, let's discuss the high end of sales – which is business development.

How successful is the working holiday visa program?