Hiring the right CEO (Advice for foreign companies starting up or restructuring in Japan)

"Probably no other new hire in a company is as important as the CEO..." Yes, I know that is an obvious and common sense statement to make, but it surprises me how often foreign senior managers - those assigned by their overseas board of directors to find such a person - don't use common sense in this decision. Often, they fulfill their...

Newsletter:

Email conversations with talent

I'm always amazed at the high level of qualifications of many foreigners living and studying here in Japan. These people are gifted with excellent Japanese, and are eager to get into the workforce - they are a wasted resource that needs to be valued better. The following is an email conversation I had with one...

Newsletter:

Finding the Perfect Candidate

What is the "perfect" candidate for a foreign company? Clearly different companies have different values. For some it is experience, compliancy and ability to follow orders. For others it is the exact opposite, and is flexibility, independent thinking, and a self-starter attitude. Which ever it may be, in this time of financial stringency, there is no...

Newsletter:

Visa Information Resource

A few weeks ago, I wrote that I'm not an expert on Japanese visas and was writing from the point of view of personal experience. As soon as I had submitted that article to the editors, I stumbled across an excellent book called, most appropriately...

Newsletter:

Know Your Target Company - Part Two

In researching the details of a potential employer, the depth that you need to go to is clearly related to the type of job you're applying for. Entry-level candidates probably need only be interested in a high-level overview of the company and how it treats its new employees. Managers, on the other hand, need to demonstrate awareness and problem-solving...

Newsletter:

Know Your Target Company - Part One

In the past I have talked about the importance of preparing for an interview, particular in terms of dress code and presentation. But I failed to mention the most important point of preparation of all - researching the company you are applying to and the industry that it is active in. With the current slow economy, companies are becoming meticulous about checking what makes a...

Newsletter:

Working as a Recruitment Consultant

One job sector where foreigners, even those without much Japanese ability, can do well in is bilingual recruiting. The industry mainly operates in Tokyo and is dominated by 10 or so large firms which employ in excess of 50 consultants each. I would estimate that in the industry overall...

Newsletter:

Henry

The most common reason I see for people wanting to come to Japan is that they have had a girlfriend or boyfriend who is Japanese and they want to find out more about the person they fell in love with, and their country. There's nothing wrong with this, but it usually means that...

Newsletter:

Some Cool Technology Jobs

The Tech Economy may be in a meltdown shambles, but there are still some pretty cool opportunities out there for the more adventurous and tech-savvy of us. All these jobs are available through the DaiJob.com web site or through DaiJob's Ambition Consulting team. Take for example the Designer/Web Master position for a major bank. The position is for...

Newsletter:

Staying in the Limelight

In conservative Japan, senior managers love doing deals and wielding power, but only if they can do so without fanfare or attention of the press. To garner press attention in the business world is setting yourself up for others to take potshots at you if you fail, and for...

Newsletter:

Pages