I'm working as a Sales Engineer in the Railway Vehicle Systems Engineering Department (Overseas Team). Our department supplies train equipment (traction motors, auxiliary power systems, train monitoring systems, etc.) to the overseas market. Our technology is widely-used all over the world, in projects such as the LRT line 2 in the Philippines, the Taiwan Shinkansen, and many others.
As a Sales Engineer, I get to enjoy the best of both worlds - engineering and sales. I serve as the middle person between Japanese engineers who design and manufacture our products and the overseas customers. I love my job because I get to use both my technical skills and interpersonal skills. I get to travel around the world and meet new people.
My supervisor and co-workers are all global-minded people. They have helped me adjust to the work despite the language barrier. They have also been my lifestyle and culture teachers, helping me adapt to the Japanese way of life.
One of my main difficulties was adjusting to the language. It took me a while to adjust my ears to the speaking pace of a native Japanese. I also found reading and writing kanji (Chinese characters) frustrating, being a Filipino without a Chinese education background. I also found the prices of goods to be frighteningly high! I used to be reluctant to spend money, always converting the prices to Philippine peso and thinking how much it would cost if bought in the Philippines. I can say that I consider Japan as my home now! Before, I used to be homesick for the Philippines. Now, whenever I go back to Manila to take a vacation, I can say that I've started to miss Japan and started to have feelings of wanting to go back to Japan.
I think I'm more fluent in Japanese now. I have also adjusted to the prices of the goods here! I can now buy stuff without feeling guilty or worrying too much about the price.
I made the most out of the 6-month intensive language training provided by the company. I also watch a lot of Japanese TV shows, especially J-drama and comedy shows. I read manga and lifestyle magazines. The best among all of these is interaction with the Japanese. Nothing beats the experience of actually communicating with a native Japanese speaker. I make time to join drinking parties and get-togethers with my Japanese friends and colleagues.
As you start your new life in Japan, you are probably nervous and apprehensive. Don't worry, it's normal! All of us went through the same phase. I'm sure you can get over this phase as you slowly adjust to the new environment. To help you adjust, the HR team, with the help of your senior global recruits, came up with the "Toshiba Global Recruits' Lifestyle Guide" which features useful information starting the day of your arrival in Japan to the day when you are so adjusted to the life here that you can make your own guidebook. :) This guide features information from the basics which will help you jumpstart your life in Japan such as opening a bank account and applying for a re-entry permit, to culture-related information that caters to your personal needs and tastes such as places of worship and foreign restaurants.
Please consult this guide as you consult your Japanese dictionaries, but don't limit yourself to just this guide! Explore Japan! I dare you to make your own lifestyle guides in the years to come.
Are you looking for..
..an engineering job that makes the most out of your skill and trains you to be an expert?
..a job that rewards well financially and enables you to serve your country as an overseas worker?
..a chance to grow more as an individual by immersing yourself in a new environment?
..an opportunity to make your country, family, and friends proud of you?
Toshiba is offering all these and a lot more!
When I was starting here, it was excruciatingly difficult to live a life different from what I was used to, but with time comes adjustment and the realization that I made the right choice. I hope to see you making that right choice too!
