Recently, after a television program popular across all of Japan did a segment on a Japanese woman who transferred jobs within the food and beverage industry to Malaysia, portraying the lovely lifestyle she has there, a "boom" of Japanese people hoping to transfer jobs abroad has resounded. Even in our short time since establishment, we've received many inquiries regarding how to successfully transfer jobs to Malaysia^^;

Perhaps because of the low-birth/high-death rates in Japan, or because of the harsh competitiveness of the food and beverage industry, there has been a large wave of people interested in taking their Japanese culinary professions and skills abroad.

But unfortunately, transferring jobs abroad isn't as easy as it one might hope. ※For your reference→　→→https://washokujob.com/post/30

Then what exactly is important for successfully changing jobs abroad?

To answer that, we will take a look at some ☆success stories☆and★misfortunes★ that we've experienced here at Washokujob.

【Skills】

Working in a Japanese restaurant "abroad" can mean a lot of things. Some restaurants offer high-class kaiseki and sushi experiences, or strongly adhere to traditional Washoku, while others appeal to the tastes of the general public. Some will have Japanese owners, and some may have local owners. And of course, the flavor of the restaurants' dishes will depend on where the restaurant is located and the preferences of the people who live there. But all employers seek one thing in common: a certain number of years of experience. At the very least, 1 year, but most restaurant owners will seek 3-10 years of culinary experience (or service/managerial experience). There are, of course, employers who welcome candidates with no experience, but that will narrow down your options, so we recommend trying to garner some experience domestically before hoping over to working abroad. There are also some employers who just seek "many years of experience" or "experience at a fine dining restaurant." It is also critical that candidates can be flexible, and capable of communicating smoothly with the local staff.

【Age】

A "working visa" will be required for working abroad, and many countries' visa requirements have an age-cut off. It varies from country to country, so we recommend researching the various rules and conditions in advance. If you're unable to find an answer, please reach out to any of our career advisors here at Washokujob.

【Education】

Sometimes your educational background can influence hiring decisions. Of course, it will be helpful in the visa application process, and many companies will also require "high school education or greater" on their job descriptions. However, some restaurants will say that even if your education background ends with middle school, it's okay as long as you have a chef's license. Or if you have a certain number of years of experience in kaiseki, sushi, etc!

【License】

Certain areas in certain countries will require a "chef's license" in order to obtain a visa, so having a chef's license will truly expand your options. But of course, many employers and countries don't require one at all, so please feel free to get started by contacting one of our career advisors.

【Language】

Many countries do not have language requirements, but countries such as England, Canada, and Australia have designated levels of English speaking ability that are required for obtaining a visa. The greater your English speaking abilities are, the more opportunities you will have.

【After the Employer's Decision】

Within Japan, once you've been hired, it feels like smooth sailing... but for traveling abroad, that's not necessarily the last step. Here are some examples of how the transferring abroad process didn't go as planned even after receiving an offer of employment.

１ Insufficient passport validity period for relocating abroad

２ Could not provide sufficient proof of employment history

３ Bringing prohibited goods/contraband when traveling abroad for an interview and being denied entry

４ Being denied entry upon providing an immigrations officer with an improper answer

５ Having employment retracted after discovery of false information on a resume

６ Failing to travel abroad in time for the pre-arranged employment start date

It's important to stay prepared ahead of time, each step of the way.

【Traveling with Family】

Many employers abroad assume the candidate will be relocating as an individual. This is because it is much easier to provide a visa for one employee, as opposed to the employee and his/her family. Most of our candidates who have families will first travel abroad alone, and then after having time to achieve a stable life abroad, they will work on receiving visas for their family members to travel abroad as well.

【Goals】

Can you answer what your goals are in transferring jobs abroad? Because many interviewers will ask you this question.

It s critical that you are able to articulate your thoughts and goals clearly for this career move. We recommend that our candidates truly take a moment to reaffirm the reasons they wish to do so.