Do you need 1-kyuu?

The following scenario seems to be happening quite a bit lately. I get in touch with someone at a recruiter's office and they seem interested. "Strong programming skills," I feel IT Technician float about in their head . The words "creative, designer and strategy" seem to bounce off as if somehow of a different polarity. When I seem reluctanct or unskilled compared to other IT engineers (because I am not one), language is brought up. "We really have only been seeing 1-kyuu level Japanese positions."

Can this be? Japan now needs 1-kyuu!

Yes, working in Japan requires Japanese. I've noticed this even while interviewing candidates for an English teaching position. Candidates who have been happy to speak only in English and refused to speak Japanese just can't connect with the owner of my company to the extent that those who try do. The big schools (NOVA ECC etc.) have their own culture within which English speakers survive, which explains their "NO Japanese" attitude. Not the small schools.

Companies, like the small Eikaiwa, want the best of both languages. I once read an article on how participating in water-cooler discussions increases happiness in the workplace. Of course, not only on the social level, but business itself becomes seamless with proper communication. So, Japanese is necessary but do companies mandate 1-kyuu or someone with serious intention to interact, learn, and enjoy working in their company? I think it is likely the second case, and this may be why I have become skeptical of recruiters who may unwittingly use this phrase to truncate conversations. Let's be honest, 2-kyuu Japanese is sufficient (if not preferable) and anyone who would pursue Japanese to that length and then choose to work in Japan, is going to make it to 1-kyuu. So, why do recruiters seem so focused on high-level language abilities?

Recruiters

Recruiters have it bad. When I talk to one I get the sense that there is a hamster wheel they must keep spinning in order to use the computer and talk on the phone at the same time. Their life seems hectic and even worse, every placement needs to be top-notch. That is why companies pay these guys. Considering the competition for jobs in any market, this is bad news for those of us in training either concernign our language, skills, or both.

So that is the down side, here is the up. Recruiters need strong candidates willing to work hard. They also need to meet deadlines. If you define yourself, then they will keep you in mind when a position comes in that is in-line with your self-definition. Also, they have access to jobs that are not necessarily posted anywhere else. If you can establish a relationship with one, really connect, then you have many more options than finding leads on your own. My third point is that recruiters look at your skillset and personality with different eyes. They may see a position in which you may find enjoyment and success that you might miss.

So, cheers to the guys and girls who find jobs for others. If I get a group of readers going, maybe we should organize a "beers on us" night in Tokyo for a few of them and speak in Japanese only.