Hello, my name is Aamer Sharaf and I am from Syria. I came to Japan in 2017 and finished my MBA program at Kwansei Gakuin University in 2019. I entered a Japanese language school for one year and joined SUNTECH. Currently, I have been working as a procurement specialist in SUNTECH for 2.5 years. I purchase materials from suppliers for the company. 

Before I came to Japan, I worked for eight years as an international procurement specialist in three different countries (Syria, Egypt, and Jordan). During my study in Japan, I studied management and accounting. After finishing my MBA program at Kwansei Gakuin University, I aimed to work in Japan, thus, I entered a Japanese school and passed the JLPT N2 exam to be ready to take on career opportunities in Japan.

“Do you speak Japanese?”

This may be the first question you get for your job interview in Japan. One thing is for sure, every company in Japan prefers to have a candidate who has a minimum N2. From my experience, if you don't have at least N2, you might have fewer opportunities to get into a Japanese company. Learning Japanese is essential if you want to have a job in a Japanese company since most communication is conducted in Japanese. So, if you want to work in a Japanese company, better work with your Japanese skills! 

Have work experience

If you want to work in a Japanese company, other than improving your Japanese skills, I would advise you to have some work experience in Japan beforehand. It could be an internship or a part-time job that is related to your interest, I think this is also important since the Japanese work culture sets a high standard, and having the background will be beneficial for you to get into your dream company. 

If you want to develop your career and use what you learned from university to enter the company, some companies might not consider your work experiences outside Japan or if you speak minimal Japanese. I would advise you to look for opportunities in international companies or even outside Japan. From my point of view, no matter how international the company is, having a business conversational Japanese skill is a need in the workforce. So keep up with your Japanese study!

Japanese Skills

I would emphasize this many times, but having Japanese skills to work in Japan is a basic essential thing you need to have. From my experience, I studied for JLPT N3 by myself, I used the book “Minna No Nihongo” and I realized I need to improve faster if I wanted to get into a company here. I decided to enter a Japanese school after my MBA program, and now I have JLPT N2. Believe me, when you finally have it, you will feel good about yourself. 

I would say procurement in general is more engaged with trading and contacting other companies to get supplies for the manufacturer. First, I will receive a request on what raw materials are needed by the manufacturing control department. Then, I will look at the draft and decide which supplier will be best to contact, based on how to source the material and which has the best condition, price, and delivery date. Of course, bargaining and bidding is involved, which means negotiation skill is needed!

I first heard about SUNTECH from the JETRO website before I decided to apply. I would say the recruitment process is pretty similar to any other Japanese company. Though they didn't require me to submit a JLPT score when I was applying, I would still recommend obtaining at least N2 before entering the company since no one will speak in English and every communication and interaction inside the company is mainly in Japanese. 

Foreigner-Friendly

The employees here are very welcoming to foreigners! Since I am a Muslim, I have dietary restrictions where I cannot eat pork, but SUNTECH has been very accepting and has kindly provided me with lunch alternatives that don’t include pork. Not only have they been accommodating with my food choices, but they also provide me with a place to pray, which I would say is quite rare for a Japanese company to do. 

SUNTECH understands that every foreigner’s pace and lifestyle is different from Japanese’s, but they will also provide you with the necessary time to gradually adjust to the company’s pace as well. 

Does SUNTECH have overtime hours?

So far, I barely have overtime work in SUNTECH and it’s very dependent on the conditions at the time. For my usual routine, I go to sleep between 9 PM to 11 PM, which is around 4 hours after I finish work. Maintaining work-life balance at SUNTECH could be hectic at times, but I would say it’s relatively healthy compared to other traditional Japanese companies. Work-life balance in SUNTECH might not be the best, but I could say it’s pretty healthy! 

What is the best thing about SUNTECH?

I have always wanted to work in a Japanese manufacturing company because Japan's quality control is known as one of the top in the world. Working at SUNTECH has enabled me to understand how Japan's quality works and why they’re so renowned, which I believe are two important pieces of knowledge that could be used for my future career.

CHALLENGES

Language Barrier

Japanese is not my first language. Even though I hold an N2 certificate, sometimes it’s still difficult for me to understand certain Japanese terminologies used inside the company, and there will always be a new word I learn at work. As a procurement specialist, I am required to have a deep understanding of the language and Japanese culture as I mostly engage in communication with suppliers and other parties and ensure that all the requested materials are properly obtained and are in the best condition. Negotiating and bargaining in Japanese are definitely not easy, but people at SUNTECH are really nice and willing to help!

What kind of people would FIT in SUNTECH?

I would say that people who have a scientific background are a good fit in SUNTECH, especially engineering. Jobs here are particularly demanding and require a lot of focus on mathematical calculations, therefore, having a scientific background will be necessary. 

What kind of people would NOT FIT in SUNTECH?

People who want to have a relaxing job would most likely struggle. As mentioned, jobs in SUNTECH are demanding, and I don't think having a relaxed attitude will be appreciated. 

Is this company traditional?

I would say around SUNTECH is quite traditional because around 90% of everything that is conducted here is in Japanese, we still utilize morning boards, and we communicate both internally and externally using certain designated Japanese manners. 

As for the remaining 10%, however,  the company could be considered to be pretty diverse since we have some foreign workers and the people here are very open and welcoming. The fact that SUNTECH provides halal option meals and a prayer room for Muslim workers are extremely rare and unique qualities, and I can confidently say there is no power harassment inside the company. I have heard that some companies in Japan are like the military and power harassment is considered to be a norm, but we don’t have any of that here.