Xpats in Tokyo

[Anonymous]

hey guys!
does anyone know how to get in touch with foreigners working in Tokyo, how to get their names and work phone numbers. i came here to work for a big company, but i can't disclose its name for reasons xyz, and then found myself without work because of a big argument with the CEO. now, i found myself looking for work, but most employers find that i'm over qualified, so i have to find a job that will let me utilise my skills, knowledge and expertise fully. the best way to achieve this is to cold call expats and speak to them personally, cause i'm a bit of a smooth-talker. can anyone help???
thank you in advance.

[trip_hop]

There is no foreigners' telephone directory with personal listings. The only way to meet them is through business associations, socialising, personal introductions or chance. You have lost a job through an argument with the CEO, ( which raises a warning light) and while you may think you are over qualified, you should consider the other qualities of getting on with people, and working with others in a totally different environment. A less capable person with those attributes might be more appealing to a company.

Cold-calling expats probably won't achieve much unless you can speak to those who can authorise employment, and you will still have to satisfy HR staff. And they will be interested in why you lost your job.

Unless you indicate your field of work or interest, you won't get much from here.

[J.]

A lot of expats over here have their expat job because of a certain skill, knowledge or expertise in their company. That does not automatically empower them to hire additional staff. Even if you do find expats in Tokyo, then you still might have to get yourself hired by a Japanese manager.

[Anonymous]

I heard NOVA is hiring, plenty of jobs for CRACKPOTS like you !!

Also I ran into an American pimp in Kabukicho the other day , you might want to give that a try!!

[Glenski]

does anyone know how to get in touch with foreigners working in Tokyo, how to get their names and work phone numbers.

i'm a bit of a smooth-talker.

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You sound like every bloody headhunter I ever met. Even if I knew how to contact foreigners in Tokyo, I wouldn't tell you.

And, just what type of "skills, knowledge and expertise" are you talking about?

[Anonymous]

Sounds to me like a typical "no japanese ability" american who deserves a decent expat assignment.

[Anonymous]

"no Japanese ability" is right! they took away my private lessons after i lost my job.
i've given up on trying to make it up here. i think i'm gonna head back home next week. what i meant by "skill, knowledge and expertise" is: Phd in Biochemistry, 8 years working experience for Bayer Canada, and Two at Baush & Lomb. i can get a much better deal back in Canada. thanks to all the ones who tried to help, and a big, enornous, gigantic, gargantuan @!#$ YOU, to all the ones who tried to kick me when i'm down, reality check for calling me a crackpot, and a pimp, and glenski for calling me headhunter. i hate headhunters. they've been circling around me since i lost my job, and never provided something half as good as what i had.

[trip_hop]

You may have reasonable skills, knowledge and expertise, for working in Canada, but not for Japan. Without the language, it is hard to talk to fellow employees, esp. if you are on the marketing or research side, and most of your customers will not be able to speak much English. The impact of executive management is lost when all communications are through interpreters and translators. Most people here do not have private lessons, they have to fund their own language training, in their own time. Good that your previous employer provided them.

But probably the biggest issue is not being able to get on with people, an ability that Japanese prize above all. It almost sounds as if your initial appointment was a mistake, you would not enjoy working here, and you will probably appreciate returning back. Japan, and indeed expatriate work, is not for everyone.

Throughout Asia and Japan, international companies are looking less and less at expensive, short-term, expatriate employment contracts, and employing capable local staff and locally hired foreigners, who are capable of working across cultures and languages, and providing a good return on their investment.

[Anonymous]

Steve

You don't belong here because these forums are NOT for "decent" people. Only losers come here and I know you are not. You can make a decent living back in your hometown. THAT is what makes you different from others.

Good luck!

[Glenski]

How can your company stop your private lessons? If they are private, I assume they were scrounged by you? Or were these private only because they were formed within the company?

I never called you a headhunter. I said you SOUND like one. There's a difference.

If you have that PhD and such experience as you stated, I'm amazed that you don't have a great job back home. I know the field and wonder what you had here that was so good, and why you can't get something back home. What are you looking for?

[Anonymous]

Steve, if you are looking for 'a better deal' why even bother staying and searching in japan. japan is satured with Phd, MBA graduates and most of them speak japanese. I don't know exactly which field you're in, but if you are looking for a good job along with a good salary; japan isn't exactly the place to be.
You'll get so much more reward back home.
The point that a lot of foreigners are missing is, these days, people go to japan for two reason:
- experiencing life overseas (teaching jobs are reasonably easy to get in japan)
- truly love japan (these people aren't the majority)
"Japan isn't a gold mine"

[Anonymous]

Rina: in Japan, on this forum; self-confessed loser and not a decent person. Extreme insight. How do you know Steve is not a loser? He is certainly arrogant, inflexible, socially inept, not overqualified, and as TH said, his posting to Japan was probably a mistake.

You are generalising as usual, and writing your usual garbage. Or maybe you flatter Steve to get him to take you back to Canada?

[Anonymous]

just wondering?...
Rina, do you identify yourself as a loser too?
If you are a "decent person", what are you doing here?

[trip_hop]

Glenski - I think Steve meant his private Japanese lessons, provided by the company. Common practice in the corporate world.
th

[Jackie Treehorn]

Good Lord! By an odd stroke of luck I saw an "expat phonebook" the other day while cruising around Tokyo. As I have a job (and people skills) I had no need for the book and simply passed by without a second glance. Anyhow, if I remember correctly, the phone book was black and had "expat phonebook" written in gold across the cover.....as for the location, it seems as if someone dropped it onto the tracks of the Yamanote-Sen (Shibuya station, north end), so its going to be a bit risky to retrieve....however, the Yamanote-Sen doesn't come around that often so you should have plenty of time to hop down onto the tracks and check out the expat phonebook!

[Kent Brockman]

Sorry Steve, too late, I have it but feel free to get your bid in for it on ebay.

Steve, Jackie`s phone number is 011-623-05552. "Jackie" is not his real name. Ask for "Eunice". "Jackie" too is a bit of a smooth-talker so you`ll need to utilise all your skills, knowledge and expertise fully. Aaah, maybe you`re over qualified.

[Anonymous]

Ok, now your talking would of helped if you provided a bit of info on what type of work you were after in your first post.

If it is a scientific job your after I really think Tokyo is not the place to look try Tsukuba a little north of Tokyo heres some links you might want to look at.

Alien Times
www.alientimes.org [E]

Hitchhiker's Guide to Tsukuba
ccwww.kek.jp/iad/fink [E]

i-tsukuba.com
www.i-tsukuba.com [J]

LiveTalk Tsukuba
www.livetalktsukuba.org [E]

Newcomers' Guide to Tsukuba City
www.human.tsukuba.ac.jp/~eleanorb/newcomers.html [E]

Open Directory Project - Tsukuba
http://www.dmoz.org/Regional/Asia/Ja...ities/Tsukuba/ [E]

Rainbow Club's Tsukuba City Guide
www.rainbowclub.org [E]

Traditional Events around Tsukuba
www.nibh.go.jp/~takahashi/tradevents [E/J]

Tsukuba Information Center
www.info-tsukuba.org [E/J]

Tsukuba Insight Forum Links
groups.yahoo.com/group/Tsukuba_insight/links [E]

Tsukuba Piazza
www.tsukuba.com [J]

[J]

brilliant........great reading this.............hang on I must be a loser for reading it??bugger.

[Anonymous]

Hey, I clicked on here by mistake - but it is facinating reading. I didn`t think of headhunter straight off the bat, I thought more of financial adviser at first looking to flog long term contractual savings plans to anyone and everyone before fleeing the country with a bag full of commission.

Sorry - I got ripped off by one of these once and still hold a grudge and I still get called a couple of time a week just because I appear in a chamber of commerce directory.

So Steve - what do you want to sell me, the red brochure, the green brochure or the blue one.