How to find an actuarial job in Japan?
Before you tried to find an actuarial job in Japan, a few points you need to think about:
1. Working in Japan is not as easy as you think. Long working hour is expecting in Asia and Japan is one of the worst. For most of you reading this post, I don’t expect any of you have overtime allowances. Therefore, for the same amount of monthly salary, your hourly rate is actually reduced by 10% – 20% compare with other countries.
2. The cultural different – things that you think that it should be in your home country doesn’t work in foreign countries. You may need to do things very different to your usual way of doing it. It is not only happen in Japan, it happens from country to country
3. There is no way out for you. If you find that the job is not suitable for you or not what you are expecting, you may find difficult to get out of this. Especially for those who cannot speak Japanese. Of course you can go back to your home country and get another job any time you want. However, you may find difficult for you to find another job within this country within a reasonable short period of time. Do your research and ask more questions during the interview. Nobody trying to hide anything from you, the question is did you ask the right question.
4. If you don’t know any Japanese like me and start learning it after you arrived, your life is tough. The best example is my wife was sick in Japan last week. Also, think about you need to study Japanese and actuarial exam at the same time.
If you really think Japan is the place for your starting point in Asia, you can try the following way:
1. Email me. Actually I am looking for an actuarial manager in my valuation team.
2. Ask your friends who already working in the country. The actuarial circle is small in Asia, they may know some opening that may suitable for you
3. Try to find a headhunter with Asia connection. For other professional, headhunter may be exclusive for very senior position. For actuarial, I do think that anyone with more than 5 years experience should keep good relation with your headhunter, you never know when you need them. Just specify to your headhunter you want a job in Japan. Choice is that they just don’t bother to entertain you if they don’t have anything in their database. On the other hand, if they have vacancy on hand, they will immediately working with you. The reason is that they understand it is difficult to find employer in Japan, however, it is even more difficult to find suitable candidate to come to Japan
4. Don’t just contact one headhunter, each headhunter got different connection. Don’t limit your choice by the headhunter. However, you have to ensure your headhunter will not submit any of your CV before your permission, you don’t want your CV go to the same employer by 2 different headhunters
5. Keep in mind the points above, most of employers will ask questions around that to ensure your suitability to this country. Example of questions
Have you been in Japan before and how many times
Are you learning Japanese now
6. Start learning Japanese now, I was using Pimsleur Japanese. This is more like a survival Japanese for most of us. After you finish the part I, you may able to speak very simple Japanese such as ordering food, asking for direction and etc.
Next time I will talk about common interview question in Asia.
Posted on August 3, 2008 at 8:40 am
I stumbled upon your blog while surfing and I have to say thank you for this post, as I found it really interesting.
I am currently doing my degree in Actuarial Science in the Uk, and I have just completed my second year. I am really interested in working in Japan after I graduate, but I have not been able to find a lot of information on the subject.
Are there entry-level jobs in the actuarial field for international applicants?And if so, what are the language specifications for these?
I do know some basic ’survival’ japanese and if I find that there are good prospects, I am willing learn it more in depth.
Can you recommend any recruiting consultant? Or should I try applying to individual companies.
I also hope that your wife is better now.
Thank you for writing this blog.
Best wishes
Posted on September 17, 2008 at 10:05 am
Thank you for your great article. I will be moving to Japan next month and am interested in the Actuary profession. But I want to make sure that I can get employment, or at least is possible to work in Japan as an Actuary.
Any other information, since I have read only this article on your website?
I haven’t taken any tests yet, but I have a BS in Computer Engineering and an MBA, so I have taken the course work to prep me for the initial exams.
I have provided my email address so that you can contact me directly.
Thank you
Robert Fisher
Posted on November 18, 2008 at 1:27 pm
Hi Allen,
I enjoyed reading about your actuarial experiences in Japan, and particularly enjoyed your actuarial joke!
I am currently working as a pensions actuary for a very large consultancy in England. I have 2 years work experience and have passed the first 9 ‘core technical’ exams that we sit here. Apologies for only using my first name in the post, I wouldn’t want my employer to read this post!
My fiancee is Japanese and has designs to move back to Japan in the near future (next few years anyway) which could force me to relocate to Tokyo. I guess from your post that you are currently a Life insurance actuary (apologies if my guess is incorrect!).
I was wondering if you’d be kind enough to tell me how easy it to get work as a pensions actuary in Japan given the make up of the Japanese pension system. I am also interested in the Life insurance side of actuarial work, and have the option to a secondment to our Life insurnace branch. As such, I have the option to focus more on the Life side which I will have to consider if it would be easier to get a job. Although I do have a decent grasp of conversational Japanese, and have lived in Japan before, my language ability would not pass for ‘business level’.
Any advice or help that you could provide would be greatly appreciated.
Kind regards,
Chris
Posted on January 1, 2009 at 4:05 pm
Hello Allen
I am an actuarial student in the UK, but I am interested in working in Asia and particularly Japan. I speak Japanese (a little – Japanese language proficiency level 3) and I have lived and worked in Japan for about 3 years before (although as a teacher). I would be interested to hear from you if you have any tips about the best way to go about finding the right job and also the right timing to do this. I do not have lengthy experience in my actuarial career, but I have got some exam passes.
Best Regards
David
Posted on June 30, 2009 at 5:12 am
I found http://www.allenlowe.net very informative. The article is professionally written and I feel like the author knows the subject very well. http://www.allenlowe.net keep it that way.
Posted on July 6, 2009 at 10:28 pm
How soon will you update your blog? I’m interested in reading some more information on this issue.
Posted on January 9, 2010 at 11:34 pm
hello Allen,
I know this post is a little old, but I’m still hoping you can provide more information on working in Japan as an actuary.
I am currently doing BSc Actuarial Science in London and will be graduating in June 2010 whilst gaining a few exemptions from the professional exams. I am currently considering finding work in Japan after I graduate, because my boyfriend is in Tokyo and I have already spent 2 summers there, so I know the place quite well.
However, my japanese is just very basic level, will it be hard to find actuarial work in Tokyo because of this? Also, since I am just a fresh graduate with no long-term working experience (I’ve only done internships), will it be impossible to find employment especially under the current economic situation?
Last but not least, if I were to take the professional exams in Japan, will it be in Japanese language?
Thank you so much!
cheers,
andrea
Posted on October 18, 2010 at 8:12 am
Hi Allen,
Thanks for your information about life in Japan. Makes me curious to know it deeply. I plan to move to Japan. I am on the way marriage with a girl who now study post doctoral in Osaka. Now I work for life insurance in Jakarta for 7 years. I don’t have actuarial exam for international except local exam. Is it possible to find actuarial job in Osaka. For now, I just know to work in there instead study.
Thank you so much,
Rosaf
Posted on October 26, 2010 at 2:44 pm
Hi Rosaf,
A bit busy this time. I think your situation depends on a few factor:
1. Is your girl friend a Japanese? If yes, you can get a resident visa and have longer time to search for a job. If not, it means the company need to apply a visa for you. In such case, it is more difficult to get a job.
2. Whether you are working in an Indonesia company or an international company. International companies value your international company’s experience more than local Indonesia company.
3. Whether you are a fellow in Indonesia or not. Although Japan doesn’t recognize your Indonesia qualification, a fellowship certainly better than nothing.
4. Are you going to relocate in Osaka? There is only 1 insurance company with Head quarter in Osaka but there actuarial and other admin departments are in Tokyo. If you are going to stay in Osaka, I don’t really think you can find an actuarial job.
5. If you are working in an International company, you can ask your company whether their Japan office got a vacancy. Usually your company will help you if your cause of quitting is due to relocation.
Hope these help you a little bit. Please free feel to drop me another comment if you got more questions or you want to share some information.
Cheers,
Allen
Posted on November 9, 2010 at 10:44 am
Hello Allen,
I will be in Japan this next year. I am an actuarial student and I want to find an internship with an actuary. Do Japanese companies offer internships? How do people become actuaries in Japan?
Do you know of any companies around Tokyo (I will be living just south of Tokyo) that might be willing to have a student around?
Thank you,
Rachel
Posted on November 12, 2010 at 9:09 am
Hi Rachel,
As far as I know, there is no formal internship in Japan. However, I can’t see any reason you cannot ask for it. From time to time, insurance company has project that require less experience such as data checking, system documentation. I suggest you can email to actuarial heads of insurance companies your target period in Japan, your background and expectation.
Make sure you check whether your country has working holiday visa for you to work in Japan. No company will apply working visa for internship. Also need to emphasis you don’t need them to apply a visa for you.
Good luck
Allen
Posted on January 16, 2011 at 1:22 pm
Hello Allen,
I am an American University student and I am very interested in working as an actuary in Japan. I was wondering if it is very hard to get hired for an entry level position if I am able to pass the Japanese actuary exams and to have passed the highest Japanese language proficiency test. I am just wondering if its feasible to do this or should I get a job in the states for a while and then try to transfer or find a position in Japan later
Thanks
Nick
Posted on February 17, 2011 at 9:03 am
Hi!Allen,
Really, the article is very useful, in special because I visited Japan last year and I guess that there are not many foreign people over there. I am an Venezuelan Actuary, but If I choose Japan for a short time, I prefer to work as an Spanish or English Teacher meanwhile learn Japanese Language and more about Japanese culture.
I have lived in three countries, and I think that it is not easy in special if we do not speak the language and the culture is very different from our. I had a similar experience in two English Islands, it was hard, after two years I felt a lillte part of the Island, however I prefered to come back home as soon my contract expired. In fact, I was also in Panama, in spite of it is also a latinoamerican country, all was very different!.
However, at this time, if I find a job abroad – in Japan inclusive – I will leave my country inmediately..ja,ja,ja!
Thanks for your information, I am going to Japan n ext month in order to see the Cherry trees!
Many thanks
Posted on May 14, 2012 at 9:50 pm
Hi Allen, I am a Kenyan living i Kenya. I applied for the japanese government scholarships 2012 to do Bsc Actuarial science in japan. My knowledge of japanese language is very basic but what the scholarship is saying is that the 1st year of the scholarship will be used to learn the japanese language while in japan. However am abit worried, is 1 year enough to learn the language especially the writing and be able to learn and write actuarial exams using it? Are there universities that teach in english?
Posted on May 31, 2012 at 2:11 pm
Hi Bryan,
As far as I know, the University are not really teach in English. Just like when I was in Hong Kong. Of course all the foriegn tutor are teach in English. All the local tutor teach in a combination of Cantonese and English. I believe the case is even worse in Japan.
Is it 1 year enough for Japanese learning? It depends, even the highest level of Japanese language exam only expecting a total of study time 900 hours. If you can study 4 hours per day for a year, I believe there is no difficulty to pass the level 1 exam.
Posted on July 26, 2008 at 11:28 am
Allen,
I am an MBA student from the University of South Carolina’s Moore School of Business.
(Go to my website to see a link to the school’s site if you have time.)
My wife is Japanese, and she works here in Tokyo as an Accountant.
Right now, I am studying Japanese as part of the MBA program.
I will studying Japanese here in Tokyo in August of 2009 and then I will return to South Carolina to complete the MBA program.
Lately, I have been thinking about taking the Actuarial tests and then returning to Japan to work as one. I hear there is a lot of demand for these jobs right now, through some head-hunters.
Since you ARE an actuary, perhaps we could meet for coffee or something sometime? I would like to meet you and talk shop if possible.
Just send me an email and let me know if that is o.k. My schedule is extremely flexible, and I am a nice guy. If you email me sometime, I will email you back with my cell number here and all.
Hope your wife is feeling better.
Very Respectfully,
Jon Twiford
IMBA – Student
University of South Carolina
Darla Moore School of Business