Life After Graduation (end of 2011-2012)

Life after graduation is a funny thing.

Many of my previous blog posts have revolved around my ongoing fight of finding a job of my liking.  Perhaps I've put too much thought into it, but hell, an experience is an experience, right?

In my previous blog, I explained my situation at and after Boston Career Forum in 2011.  Long story short, I wasn't able to get the position at Konami or DeNA, however, after sending a letter to Konami expressing my regret, sorrow, and dedication towards their company, I was given a second chance.  The only catch was I had to go to Tokyo for the interview.

What was originally planned as a post-graduation present to myself - a vacation in Japan - quickly became a stressball of asshairs.  I was given a second chance at Konami, and had to prove to them I was the one to hire.  After tons of preparation, I went to Konami HQ, passed the written exam, and advanced to the final interview.  The final interview, entirely in Japanese, was tougher than expected.  I ended up failing the interview. Physically and mentally drained, I exited Konami HQ, wondering where the hell I would be in the next year.

I came back to America with very low spirits.  I honestly thought that my life was about to begin working as a zombie salary man in Tokyo.  My mind was already there.  So it felt very strange being back.

That's when it hit me.  The sudden realization that all the money I had borrowed to obtain that little piece of shit paper with fancy typeface on it had to be paid back.  Damn, a decent job certainly sounded good at this point.

But I wasn't in the position to be picky.  Okay, time to chug me some coffee, turn on psycho-study-focus mode, and get cranking on some job applications.

Job #1: A breath of fresh air.

I ended up applying to a local company where my duty was a "Medical Data Entry and Lab Assistant".  I've done my share of data entry.  As long as you can turn your brain off, you really won't have a bad time.  It pays the bills, and you have your comrades next to you suffering just like you are.

On the job description, it said that 20% of my daily duties would be assisting in the lab.  That actually sounded fun and exciting.  I thought of it as a way to squash the stress of typing all day, and take a breath
 of fresh air.

The first week wasn't terribly bad.  They give you stacks of papers.  You look at those papers, and transfer the data into a data entry system on a computer.  Tons of data entry, with no room for mistakes.  What's that little stain on this sheet?  Oh, probably nothing.

The second week came around.  This was the week where they explained the medical lab duties.  It didn't take long for me to realize what this job was really about.

From that day, 2-3 hours of my shift would be dedicated to cutting open plastic bags, and emptying 4-6 smaller plastic bags with urine samples and patient information sheets inside each of them.  I would then open up each individual plastic bag, pull out the urine sample, and pull out the patient information sheet.

This wasn't a breath of fresh air.  To all the medical assistants and nurses out there - If your duty is to take the patient's urine sample and send it out to a company who tests them for drugs, please, for the love of Jebus, secure the damn sample.

When these urine samples aren't secured, they leak.  Not only does it smell, but somebody (I wonder who?) is responsible for cleaning them.  This isn't exactly the piss from an angel, either.  These are people being tested for drugs.  The vibrant colors of these urine samples would even make a rainbow jealous.  On the more extreme side of things, if an unsecured urine sample is sent Friday from another state and arrives Monday in California, you'll be cutting open a plastic bag full of piss-frost.  Three day old piss-frost, mind you.

It doesn't take long for me quit something I absolutely hate.  I walked out the next day, and took another position as a TRC tester at Sony Computer Entertainment of America.  (I had applied to Sony a few weeks earlier - I passed the interview, but decided to take on the challenge of "piss-handler" because it was an easier commute and paid a little better).  I was able to get the job with the help of some very good friends of mine, Steven, Will, and Omar aka Coach.

Job #2: The doesn't-pay-so-hot Dream Job

Working as a TRC member at SCEA was awesome.  I learned a lot about what goes on during the process of game submission, and learned how much testing actually goes into each and every game, in order to help maintain the integrity of the Sony brand.  And I was able to get my name in a few games' credits, which helped stroke my ego.  With a ton of awesome friends working there, things were actually very good.  It would have been great if they offered benefits and coughed up a little more dough, but it was was it was.

In the back of my mind, I had another unfulfilled dream.  I wanted to teach in Japan.  Although the idea of moving to Japan as an unqualified teacher to teach a language that I'm terrible at didn't really sit well in my stomach, I felt like it was a step in the right direction.  Stepping stones - one at a time.  I'd teach there for a year or two, meet tons of people, and transfer to a company of my liking.  I was pretty confident.

While working as a TRC tester, my plan was to save money, and enjoy life while I could.  At the end of my contract, I thought of quitting and applying as an English Teacher in Japan.  I have a few friends who have done this, and have a ton of experience on the topic.

Didn't Happen Job #3:  I can't even spell diarrhea but I will become a teacher in Japan

So, with all things said and spoken for, I made the mental decision to teach in Japan.  By mental decision, I mean I was still physically working as a TRC tester, however I made my first physical efforts to begin the application process as a teacher in Japan.

However, I didn't make it too far along the process.  I applied to a recommended agency, passed their written test, and passed their phone interview.  The only thing that was next, was an in-person interview in Los Angeles, which I was pretty much prepared for.  Something very unexpected happened at this point.

Job #4: Goodbye San Diego

I received a message from a good friend, Toshi, about a potential job opportunity in Orange County.  The company was a gaming company, and the position revolved around Marketing (My major is International Business with an Emphasis in Marketing and Japanese).

Now, when you add everything up, the job sounds like heaven.  You know, it tickles my fancy is many different ways.  You see, my dream job, or dream life, involves few things.  Things that make me happy.  I live a lifestyle that is very laid back and doesn't require much stress.  And I think that's the lifestyle that I want to maintain.  Little sparks of stress here and there are okay, but stress, every day, is not a life that I want to live.

When I first looked at the responsibilities, I freaked out a little.  I mean, I have no experience.  I don't know what the hell all of this means, although I am confident I can learn it, just like any other decent human being.  Then again, I looked at what the position would be offering, which included things that make me happy:

- Japanese language
- Video Game Industry
- Traveling
- Marketing (my major)

So I decided to apply for the position.  I did some coffee-drinking, a ton of research, and after two in-person interviews, I was accepted, and this was a big changing point in my life.

With the help and support of my good friends, I was able to get a position at a job that seemed to fit me entirely.  I had to move away from my hometown, but it was worth it, because this job would mark the first real job, with real experience, for me.

It has been a long ride...

- Fake tattoo applier
- Bagger at Vons
- Cashier at Rite-Aid
- Customer service at a food machinery company
- Pizza delivery boy x2
- Customer service a flower company
- Data entry at a medical center
- English tutor in Japan
- Medical data entry and piss handler
- TRC tester at SCEA
- Current job


In the end, I've learned a lot of things.  What is important in life, how your mind becomes brain-washed when you are trying to find a decent job, and how your mind changes once you achieve the job you want.

It's important to remember the stress the pain that you went through to achieve your goal.  Because as you grow older, you will witness other's in the same position, and you will be able to give them a helping hand.

I think anybody is capable of doing any job.  Half of it is just luck, and timing.  I know this for a fact now.  We are all adaptive beings with endless potentials.

Anyways, enough deep stuff.  I will update another blog with my experiences at this current company soon.  Thank you for reading my friends!

Boston Career Forum 2011

Alright, it's about time I right a blog explaining this stressful-as-shit psychotic adventure called 新卒就職活動 - AMERICAN STYLE.

Well, I'm basically writing this to get it all out of my brain. But, I'm also writing this as a guide to help people who are kind of confused as to how to prepare for this event. Before attending, I savaged through the internet for useful information, and asked random strangers on forums for advice, but it still wasn't enough. So yeah, listen up, because I'm pretty sure you won't find such a beautifully well-written masterpiece of advice as this one.

Well, let's first talk about the event itself. The Boston Career Forum is a 3 day bilingual career fair that is held every year in Boston. Why Boston? Who cares! About 90% of the attendees are Japanese. A lot of them are Japanese who were born in the US, or Japanese who are studying in the US. Either way, they are pretty much bilingual. That word is scary as hell, right? BILINGUAL. Or FLUENT. Don't let that shit scare you. Seriously. Remember - Those words are only as powerful as you make them out to be. I don't think I'm even fluent in English. I learn new words every day. At the same time, you can't be a scrub who only watches anime. You need to have taken a few years, hopefully 3-4, of Japanese language, and have an amazing command of the mannerisms. It all comes to play here. You can totally boost your "Business" Japanese with a few months of preparation. Preparation... This is key.

You'll be required to do some extreme preparation for this event. First thing first, you have to register to CFN (Boston Career Forum's little website). Once you're there, you can browse all the different companies that have posted job listings. They will post more and more as the event comes closer. On the CFN website, you need to create an English and Japanese resume. Some companies will require you to create a エントリーシート (Entry Sheet) as well. It is basically a resume that isn't as "braggish" as English-style resumes. Google some templates if you're interested in seeing some. Entry Sheets are annoying because you have to write one for each company you apply to.

Each company you apply to will have "bonus" questions. Yay, bonus questions! These questions usually aren't far from things like, "Why do you want to work for us?" (志望動機は何ですか) or "Why do you want to work in Japan?" Some get a little more detailed, though, and it all depends on the position you are applying to. Try to be creative with your response, and don't be 自慢, or boastful. AKA, don't go in there spread eagle. Show them your raging passion via passiveness.

You will most likely want to apply for 3~10 companies, depending on many factors. I only applied to two, believe it or not. My friends applied for about 8. I personally chose 2 because I only wanted to work for that kind of industry, which is the gaming industry. My other friends just wanted a job - period. But remember, you need to ask yourself WHY you want to work for company A or B, or why you chose A over B. You need to really research the companies you are applying for.

After you apply to all the companies you want to (via the CFN website), the wait begins. You might get an email from them, or you might get a surprise phone interview (which happened to be, by the way, at 8pm on a Sunday night). I was totally unprepared for it, but managed to pass.

If things go well, you'll get a confirmation email through the CFN website to schedule your own interview dates during on Friday or Saturday of the Boston Career Forum. Once you make it to this point, you can finally take a break. FOR NOW...

Because now, you completed step one, which is getting the interview. The second step is the interview itself.

Don't forget - This is not your typical interview. The majority of these interviews are for new graduates. The person who is conducting the interview understands that you have no actual experience in whatever field you are applying for. Yeah sure, you may have an internship, which is great, but you probably don't have 2-3 years of full-time experience under your belt. And you know what? That's for the better. They don't want you have experience. They want to brainwash and mold your brain into the shape of their company logo.

Again, the interview is for new graduates. So you must ask yourself, "Who am I?" You need to do some crucial self-analyzing. Here are some questions that you should know for the interview:

1) Why do you want to work for company A? Why do you want to work for this industry?

2) If hired, what do you see yourself doing?

3) Which of our products/games do you play? (this is specific for the gaming industry)

4) Why do you want to work in Japan?

5) The work environment is much different in Japan than in America. Can you handle it?

Here are some self-analyzing questions. You really need to take time and figure these out:

1) What are your strengths/weaknesses?

2) What is your 自己ＰＲ, or selling point?

3) What did you put the most effort into during your school years? (The answer isn't studying or classes. Anything besides that. School clubs, studying abroad, internships, community service, etc.)

If you aren't Japanese, they will really drill your brain with questions regarding your passion for Japan. They want to hear why you want to work in Japan. Involve your feelings when you speak about it. Be passionate when you speak about it. These guys are professionals at conducting interviews, therefore they can see right through bullshit.

Will update more later on personal experiences.