I think a lot of the readers here ar einterested in Japan mostly so I will write my and my mates' experiences in relation to Working in Japan as an expat. I hope this helps and gives you a better understanding of what is happenning. If you have further questions feel free to approach me. My schedule is really packed so I may not get back to u soon. But please do try.
First of all let get some facts straight. It is virtually impossible to get a job at a Japanese company as your first posting. They prefer to hire their own and shun foreigners. Most foreigners who work in Japan have either been transferred there, expats working for foreign companies in Japan or are sent to the headquarters in Japan.
An example of the first case is provided by my flatmate, Akshat. Akshat worked for Goldman Sachs and was transferred for 2 years in Japa for the TOKYO office. The second case consists of people working for Toyota in the USA and get transferred to the HQ. The second case is not very common though.
Some info regarding Job search in Japan. It is very difficult. The society is very closed. Your language skills if you want to get a job must be minimum a JLP lvl 2. A wide network of contacts will help you land a job. Your skillset must convey you with a specific competitive advantage. Your competitors probably will be locals and do believe me, companies in japan prefer to hire Japanese.
I am not saying that there are no foreigners in Japan, but it is quite difficult to get yourself hired. Women are in a much worse situation than men are. If you are female sometimes the work enviroment can be so demoralizing. I know women who were paid handsomely but their repsonsibilities were limited and they had no way to climb the corporate ladder.
Education is reverred in Japan, but most European Business Schools do not command high brand recognition in Japan. Spending time for educaitonal purposes in Japan improves you chances to get employed but only marginally.
What sometimes can be really depressing though is the workload. If you are used to work 8 hours per day forget it. Japanese companies will reward you for your loyalty but will demand 145% of your capabilities and time. It is quite common to spend aat least 1 hour to commute per day to your workplace and spend at least 12 hours at your office to finish some projects or catch up with the new developments.
According to the people i know(expats and locals), it is almost a ritual to go out with your colleagues for dinner or drinks out after work. You can understand that in the end there is no free time left. Lastly but not least you have to wear a suit almost every day, especially if you work in an office, which you probably will. The etiquette is of dire importance and they way you adress and talk with you superiors, clients is closely monitored. it is fair to say that the japanese working enviroment is not the frendliest out there. To avoid culutre shock(believe me) I suggest you try and search some international companies, which are not run by Japanese.
here are some tips i have prepared for you...
1:) Try to get an internship if you can. You may love Japan but working there is not as pretty as it sounds, unless you are an expat.
2:) Ask people, ask their experiences. you never know. They have been in your position before. value their knowledge.
3:) Expand your network. If you really want to work in Japan, You need a concise message. Add clarity to it and try to convey it to every1 you meet. You never know when some1 will be able to help you in the future.
4:) Do not go on saying i like Japan because you like anime. It may be true but they won't care. Probably they will laugh.
5:) do some soul searching. Why do you want to go and live there? It may be a hard sell if you have never visited Japan. they will ask you how cna you be sure when you don't know what you are talking about. It would be wiser to say to everyone that you would like to try living Japan and check whether it fits with your dreams
6:) Do not get disappointed if you don't work in Japan. I know people who have tried to stayed there after their assignments were over but didn't manage to get a job.
7:) Keep your options open. Always
That's it for today. WIll get back to you ASAP.
check these links
kaigai.rikunabi.com/tcf/index-e.html
www.careerforum.net/
www.jobsinjapan.com/links/joblinks.html
www.carouselexpo.com