Here in Japan, a number of private language schools have shut down due to this slowing economy, and others are struggling. The larger companies are starting to offer discounts as high as 40%, and language instructors are beginning to lower their private lesson rates in a bid to stave off their own financial troubles. But how long can a person do this before it’s no longer realistically viable?

This aside; hundreds of thousands of foreigners will be forced to ask one or both of the following questions:

• Is it time to go back?
• Am I prepared to take “living in Japan” to the next level if the current job disappears?

I’ve been thinking about the second question far more than the first, as I have no intentions on leaving Japan. Reiko and I are quite happy here, and we hope to stay for at least another quarter century before considering relocating. But many colleagues and acquaintances have been leaving the country in droves since the fall of Nova. Not only has it become more difficult to find work as a language instructor, but it has become next to impossible for many to secure a nice contract position that offers a healthy completion bonus.

So what options do foreign workers have if they wish to continue to live and work in Japan?

Assessing Our Strengths

One of the first things a person needs to do is assess our strengths. Despite the relative popularity of English in the country, there is still a very small fraction of the population that can get by with anything but a very basic “noun plus verb” based conversation. This leaves a huge window of opportunity for foreigners who can speak both Japanese and at least one more language. There are four key questions to consider when assessing what kind of job we should target:

Can I Drive in Japan?

People who can drive in Japan have far more opportunities available to them than those who cannot. Foreigners with a valid license can usually find work as a delivery driver, factory worker, taxi driver, and tour bus driver. While it might be necessary to take another examination to become certified to drive a public transportation vehicle, there are quite a few opportunities listed in the weekly employment magazines for multi-lingual drivers. Just because the global economy is in a little rut, doesn’t mean that foreigners will avoid coming to Japan for business and pleasure.

How Much Experience Do I Have?

Unlike our Japanese counterparts, many foreign workers have been employed with a number of companies and learned a lot of different ways to accomplish the same tasks. On top of this, working in a foreign environment has taught us (hopefully) business communication skills that would be beneficial to any company that deals internationally. It’s true that many international companies have a staff member or two with a high degree of skill in a foreign language, but a native speaker can often give the organization a more professional appearance in written communication as well as on the phone.

How Well Can I Speak Japanese?

This is perhaps the biggest crutch for English Language teachers in Japan as many cannot speak Japanese beyond a basic level. Other language instructors do not seem to have as much trouble, though, as most (of the one’s I’ve spoken to) tend to learn Japanese before coming to the country. A wise decision and one I wish I had paid more attention to.

That said, there is hope for those of us that are less than fluent in the slightly confusing native language of the land. People with a rudimentary knowledge of Japanese may want to consider working at a gas station, convenience store, or even work in sales at an electronics store. Not only will this offer the perfect opportunity to improve on their language, but it could provide the very motivation required to take learning to the next level. Others who have a higher degree of Japanese skills can apply for the same kind of jobs or, if something a little more challenging is in order, consider a career in security, translation, or even working in a regular office building. Again, the Japanese immersion will be great way to become much more fluent with formal, professional and casual forms of the language.

What is the Status of My Visa?

Finally, the current status of our visa is another important aspect to consider. Do we have the right visa for the type of job we want to pursue? Is it set to expire in the next year? Will we be dependant on an employer to get it renewed? With the amount of hassle an employer might have to go through to help someone secure another work visa, companies might not offer much more than the absolute basic level of assistance.

Also, during these difficult times, the last thing we want weighing on our mind is the unsaid obligation of sticking with an employer because they use Working Visa renewals as methods of ownership. One of the greatest advantages of this economic slow-down is the opportunity foreigners will have to become far more independent while living in Japan. If nobody is going to help us because of the costs, then we’ll just have to learn to do it ourselves. And there’s no greater feeling than accomplishing something in Japanese that we thought was an impossible task weeks or months before.

All of these things can play to our strengths, and we should remember to use them. In times of economic strife, companies want the best people for the best price, and foreigners usually understand that they can be sold on a bargain.

Just remember to not anyone cheat you out of what you deserve.

Assessing Our Weaknesses

Of course, while assessing our strengths, we must also remember our weaknesses. Earlier this week I was asked if I could write something down for someone in Katakana. While this is not particularly difficult anymore, I was immediately struck by the fact that the person who asked me to write the katakana had been living in the country much longer than I have. I immediately resolved to redouble my Japanese efforts because I did not want to be among the foreigners who moved to a country and never learned to effectively communicate in the native language. I was frustrated with the number of people I had worked with in Canada who had minimal language skills after 5+ years in the nation, and I do not want my Japanese colleagues to feel the same way about me.

So what skills should foreigners in Japan possess? The same skills that you’d hope to see in any country of the world: decent reading and writing abilities, basic computer skills, and a desire to learn.

In terms of reading and writing, if you can read and write at an elementary-school level, it should be possible to work part time at a restaurant or convenience store while becoming more familiar with the language. This might not be the “dream job” we envisioned a few years ago, but if it pays the bills then who are we to complain? A second-year high school-level reading and writing ability seems to be the standard in the country, even though Japan has one of the highest rates of Post-Secondary education completion I’ve ever seen. If you can pass the 2-kyu Japanese Language Proficiency Test then, chances are, you can get a decent paying job that will keep you in the upper-lower class or even lower-middle class. Either way, the more literate you are, the better.

But what if, despite our best efforts, we cannot find work and there’s no hope of finding something in the near future?

Contingency Planning

Many years ago, one of my favorite teachers had taught me to “always have a plan ready” in the event something unexpected happens. The wisdom of these words became more apparent over time as the world alternated between the appearance of stability and a maelstrom of chaos. Since moving to this nation I have had no less than four concurrent plans going in the event something like this over-marketed recession came to be.

The Networking Plan

Networking with the right people can open doors we never thought existed. Since landing at Narita airport, I’ve been working hard to communicate with the right people that will get me into the dream job that I want to enjoy by my 35th birthday. While finding the right people is not always an easy task, it’s incredible how many people our friends know, and what they can do to help us in the long run.

The Education Plan

Schoolhouse Rock, the long-running animated segment from 1974 with annoyingly catchy musical numbers, teaches us that knowledge is power. Taken to heart, this is a powerful statement. There are always new things to learn and skills that we can improve, so we should never become too comfortable with whatever knowledge we might have on something. Although my Japanese has been slightly stagnant recently, thanks to a simple comment made by a colleague, I have started attacking my textbooks with a vengeance. I have no intentions of being an English Language Facilitator for the rest of my life, but I do intend to change careers on my terms, not the economy’s.

The Savings Plan

Despite the respectable amount of money people can earn teaching a language, I’m surprised by the number of individuals who live paycheck to paycheck and occasionally asking to borrow some money to make it through the month. While this is to be expected during the first few months after landing in Japan, it’s not something a person should be regularly doing for years on end. It’s long been said that a person should have enough money saved up to survive for six months without work and, while this is not realistically feasible for most of us, we should have some savings prepared in the event something big happens … like being laid off.

If anyone doesn’t yet have a savings plan, they should make one … fast.

The Return Plan

Of course, not everyone intends to stay in Japan forever. The foreign workforce in this country is quite transient, with the average foreigner staying for only two years before returning home. If working at 7-Eleven or Yamada Denki doesn’t appeal do you, will you consider going back to your home country? Is it even a possibility? Air fares are pretty high right now, but they’ll likely come down after a few more airlines go bankrupt. If the opportunities for meaningful work in this country just don’t exist, perhaps it’s time to search elsewhere.

This isn’t something that I’m considering, since there really isn’t anywhere in Canada I want to return to, but this is an option that many will need to consider long and hard if the economic strife in Japan continues to squeeze all the excess out of the mighty nation.

What Goes Up, Must Come Down

This is the first real economic meltdown that many of us have had to face, and it will be interesting to see what happens over the next few years. Several of the economists that have been warning us of the consequences to our high standard of living are now offering insights into how we might weather the storm and maybe even make some money in the short term, but it’s not always enough when living far from friends and family that can help us out.

Luckily, there are many things that language instructors living in Japan can do aside from teaching. It’s just a matter of knowing where to look, and keeping a positive attitude in a sea of negativity. So, when times get tough, just ask yourself this question: Is my situation any worse than for those living in Iraq or Afghanistan?

Are you currently working as a language instructor in Japan? Do you have any plans in place for the coming future?