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+--- Thread: CIR or MEXT (/thread-12593.html)
CIR or MEXT - Rainichireb - 2015-03-11
Hi everyone,
I'm a third year undergraduate student currently trying to decide my plans for after graduation.
I minor in Japanese in my (relatively unknown) university, am set to graduate with a first, and have passed JLPT 1.
As I live in a small country with few Japanese speakers, I think I have a good chance of qualifying for either MEXT or CIR.
As a career move, I wonder which would be better as a qualification if I want to work in Japan? I'm interested in doing a course in Technology Management in Todai if I go down the MEXT route.
All the best!
CIR or MEXT - vix86 - 2015-03-12
I'm assuming by CIR you mean working on JET? I have no idea how well these positions translate over into a real job, but they don't have many positions for this usually and a lot of people apply for it.
If you can get a MEXT scholarship for graduate school then I think that far outranks anything. Depending on your country as well, its quite likely that they'll just hand you the MEXT scholarship without having to try very hard. The smaller countries which tend not to have a lot of interest in Japan tend to have very few applicants for the program. So those people that do signup, get it without any competition. Industry hiring straight out of graduate school though tends to be a tricky subject and with the degree you want to do, I'm not sure how in demand that is.
CIR or MEXT - Rainichireb - 2015-03-12
Thank you so much for your reply!
Sorry, I should have made that clearer in my original message – yes, it is CIR from JET. There are usually 2-3 of them sent from my country each year, but I know that there was only 1 applicant this year for the position, and have been told that I would have a very good chance of getting the position if I applied.
It seems like quite a prestigious position, working for the Japanese government, and would probably be great for translation and interpretation experience, which is something I currently do part-time. But I also wonder if going to Todai would be better on my CV for getting jobs in Japan and overseas?
CIR or MEXT - vix86 - 2015-03-12
Todai as a "door opener" for jobs in Japan is probably only applicable for people that did their 4 year degree there. Graduate work tends to be a different matter. I've heard that getting a job out of graduate school can depend heavily upon your advisor and his connections (along with how good you are). There isn't really "New Graduation Hiring" for fresh grad-level students, so you'll probably be relying heavily on past experience and the work you did during your masters. A business management degree seems kind of an iffy thing if you are hoping to get a job at company in Japan. Its always seemed that when companies in Japan hire foreigners for management level positions, its usually because they bring some experience with them that Japanese staff can't fill. Their role in the company then usually revolves around some international aspect.
CIRs can usually find work after JET if they are proactive about looking and networking. It also provides some actual job experience which can help, but it all really depends on where you want to work. If your goal is just to "get to Japan" then that's too broad and you might find you hate it because you aren't doing what you really wanted to be doing which might be "work with IT projects, in Japan" or something else like that.
I wish I could give better advice. The only thing I can really say is that experience in the industry you want to really be working in, probably trumps the prestige of a piece of paper or the time spent working through government project. But of the two, CIR might be the better option. If after a few years you can't get a different job then you can try for the MEXT, or simply reconsider your options.
CIR or MEXT - dizmox - 2015-03-22
vix86 Wrote:Todai as a "door opener" for jobs in Japan is probably only applicable for people that did their 4 year degree there. Graduate work tends to be a different matter. I've heard that getting a job out of graduate school can depend heavily upon your advisor and his connections (along with how good you are). There isn't really "New Graduation Hiring" for fresh grad-level students, so you'll probably be relying heavily on past experience and the work you did during your masters.Not true at all, many people go on to do masters degrees after bachelors, with the vast majority of those going onto work at companies. They get treated like any other new grads except with perhaps a marginally higher starting salary. Many people (from China etc.) come here to Masters degrees to get a foot in the door in Japanese companies.
CIR or MEXT - hyvel - 2015-03-22
@dizmox: I think vix86 meant PhDs when writing grad student. As you say, there seem to be few differences between normal graduates and people with a master degree wrt hiring. But there doesnt seem to be a big funnel for PhD hiring. That doesnt really mean much in itself though. Maybe the hiring of PhDs is just hidden from plain sight due to being much lower in absolute numbers.
However, I get the impression that a PhD doesnt seem to be strongly valued by industry.