(2015-12-24, 2:15 pm)hyvel Wrote: What makes me somewhat hesitant though is that when I was in Japan, I had the impression that there's an almost unsurmountable barrier between people that went to Japan on their own hand, and expats that got sent there by their companies in terms of treatment. Given that, I figured it'd make sense to start at HQ and then get transfered later. Any opinions on that? I'm not overly motivated by money (and am also considering a PhD), but seeing some of the expat packages really makes me think twice.Unless you have some skill specialty that's in high demand (ex: in software dev, machine learning) at an international company, I don't think you'll find a regular job that can trump an expat package. Expat packages are generally attractive because you are carrying over your native salary + a lot more, stuff like, 1-2 free business class trips back home every year, housing allowance, extra bonuses, and other small perks. Regular jobs only grant you salary and in that instance its probably a salary in Yen vs say USD, so there is the exchange rate to think about as well. There are a couple of downsides to the expat route as well. 1) It can take years to reach that point and a certain amount of luck. Transferring internally may not guarantee you get one since my general understanding of expat packages is that they are meant as an incentive to convince someone to go overseas that may not want to. If you are requesting to be moved overseas; that's somethings different. 2) An expat position may not be permanent. They may only put you there for a certain number of years. You could probably work something out to keep your spot but you may lose the package.
While its understandable that money may not be a motivator, I think its important to keep in mind that a lot of fields/professions in Japan tend to make less than other positions elsewhere. If you are supporting a family or plan to, then that's something to keep in mind. Plus, it's nice to feel that people are paying you what you are worth.