Academia is Not the Only Option for Master’s and PhD Students -Find Alternative Jobs and Opportunities in Japan-

Author: Saliu Tolulope P. | Published date: 8 May 2020

Do you already have a postgraduate degree or are you contemplating having one? If that is the case you are pursuing a noble course for which you deserve commendation. No doubt, the world is in need of brilliant minds like you to solve our ever dynamic problems. But sooner or later you may be confronted with this hard truth about what your future holds especially with strong competition going on in the academia job market.

Why Make a Transition

What could be nobler than being an erudite university professor and a problem solver? To achieve this rank, many bright students work extra hard to obtain their master’s and PhD degree. In fact, despite the fact that academia job wages are less when compared with that of the industry many students still prefer to forgo wages, security and lifestyle for the prospect of this noble and stable position. But here comes the hard truth: many of this bright mind will never receive this noble rank. Why you might ask. The reason is based on the simple economic law of supply and demand.

Indeed, the supply of graduate students (Masters, PhDs and Postdoc) has far outstripped demand for university lecturers in almost all areas of study. According to the Royal Society in London only 0.45% of PhD graduates would ever become professors in the field of science.

Current reality in Japan

According to the article on natureindex.com, the situation is similar worldwide and Japan is not an exemption, in fact there is a constant reduction of about 1% in the management expense grants which are used to pay the wages of permanent staff in Japan national universities since the early 2000s. To worsen the situation, more money is being channeled to competitive funding schemes such as  Grants-in-Aid for Scientific Research (KAKENHI) which support the payment of part-time staff.

This policy has pushed many graduates to end up as contract staff in the form of post-doctorate part-time lecturers, and with the ever-increasing number of post-doctorate part-time lecturers most of them will end up not securing the full-time academic job they so desire. Yes this is the hard truth and unfortunately there is no end in sight.

This raises a vital question; with the shrinking academic job market is it still worthwhile to pursue a postgraduate degree program? No doubt, this noble course is still what pursuing without the postgraduate program there won’t be means to bridge the knowledge gap which can help improve the quality of life of people living in a society. However, in order for this pursuit not to turn to a bad choice for individuals in view of present realities post graduate students need to stop being myopic as if it is only the academic job that can bring true satisfaction.

Act Now by Changing Your Perspective

As the academic job market is becoming ever competitive there is an urgent need for highly skilled researchers in the industrial job market especially here in Japan. Japan has a skills shortage, meanwhile, post graduate programs produce talented highly skilled researchers that can drive innovation which industries are searching for.

Now is the time that post graduate students have to take advantage of this opportunity to develop their professional skills and change their perspective. You see, solving problems in-academics is no doubt noble but academia is not the only platform that this can be done; there are lots of problems yet to be solved in the industry.

Real Voices of People That Have Taken Such a Transition

Albert Isidro-Llobet

Albert Isidro-Llobet is one of those bright minds with a doctoral degree who has always dreamed of being a professor but after asking himself some thought provoking questions such as; What if I couldn’t be a professor? He changed his perspective to searching for opportunity in the industry. He currently works in the Research & Development department of GSK. Based on his experience in the industrial sector he concluded that both industry and academia offer similar opportunities.

He said he was surprised to see that the industry has a lot of familiar ground that he can leverage on such as the opportunity to conduct high quality research for the benefit of humanity.  However he said for one to be successful in the industry there are some skills that one has to develop such as teamwork, good communication skills and a lot more. You can read more about his story from here!

Adekola Adebayo

Adekola Adebayo is another bright mind that took the initiative to transit from academia to the industry. His reason for doing so is because he wanted a hands-on context for solving problems rather than a theoretical framework for thinking up solutions. While working on his MSc. thesis, he realized that research by itself cannot impact society, rather industry is the engine that delivers the benefits of research to humanity. This informed his decision to pivot and pursue a career in industry. He currently enjoys his position as a product manager at E.ON Utilities in Germany. 

His role pushes him to learn constantly and to solve different critical problems daily. He advised graduate students to acquire and develop 2 vital skills which are Problem solving and Communication skills These skills he said plays a key role in industry as you’re often hired because the employer has a consistent problem they’re trying to solve. When you get hired, you have to work with others and being a great communicator sets you apart and helps you be more effective at your job. 

You can contribute your research expertise now in solving these problems and thereby improve the quality of life in our society. Regardless of your research field, the industry is waiting for you, all what you need in addition to your research skill are some professional skills. What are those skills?

Acquire the Necessary Skills

1. Leadership and Communication Skills

Conscious leadership and communication skills are highly valued in industry. These two skills are essential in order to have a profound impact and to fit in properly in the industry. Unfortunately most graduates seriously lack these valuable skills. One can develop leadership skills by taking initiatives especially when one has an opportunity to work in a group, in such circumstances try to be the source of inspiration, be the influence and take responsibility. The goal of every conscious leader is to create a flourishing team that understands and loves one another through intuition and guidance in order to push beyond an unimaginable limit and get a job done.

To achieve this goal good communication skill (both oral and written) is vital. As a professional in the industry one of your responsibilities will be to deliver complex scientific messages to the general public, give suggestions that can help the company or your team achieve their goal, and train new staff. To do all these successfully one has to be able to communicate in a clear and simple way so that everyone can understand. Good communication can also foster peace within a working group and in the long run new height can easily be achieved.

2. Project and Time Management Skills

In order to efficiently plan and execute a project within a given time frame, project and time management skill is fundamental. Most innovative industries compete to be the first to get new products to market no wonder such companies sought after innovators that possess both project and time management skills.

To develop your project management skill you need to nurture two basic skills these include; scientific skills with business skills. In corporate research your scientific skills will assist in getting the best technology to use but more to that your business skill will assist in working under a limited budget so that the company can get profit. As the saying goes “time is money” to be a valuable asset to any organization you have to be able to deliver a project within a short time so if you presently procrastinate now is the best time to turn around. Once you respect time you will be a good influence on others in your team.

3. Have an Eagle Eye and Be Flexible

We are living in a constantly changing world as a result one needs to have an eagle eye to see beyond the moment. To do this one has to have an analytical mind, be strategic and have the ability to see the future from data available. As a result of technology there is a constant increase in the amount of information available on any topic one has to be able to make meaning out of that information and make a good projection.

Once you have seen potential opportunity or identified a problem with your eagle eye, the next skill to have is to be flexible. Yes, graduate students that possess eagle eyes and at the same time, flexibilities are highly prized in the industry. Most graduate students do poorly in this area because they are used or trained in only one area of research; they tend to be more rigid. If that is the case for you, don’t panic you can improve by taking up new challenges.

4. Understand Current Trends in the Industry and Be Ready to Learn New Technical Skills

To be an all-rounder in any professional sector one has to be current. What is novel today might be obsolete tomorrow. As a result it is vital to keep up to date with current trends that can influence one’s sector in the future. One has to be aware of a development in other fields for instance you might be a scientist at the same time you have to understand developments in other areas such as new regulatory laws or current trends in the financial environment, because any changes in this area can affect your sector.

To do this, you have to develop the motivation to acquire knowledge beyond your present area of specialization or your geographic region. If you realize for instance, that your area of environment does not need what you already specialize in, don't be scared, now is the time for you to diversify and learn new technologies that address people's problems. This especially the case in Japan, the field of humanity for instance is saturated meanwhile the field of engineering is short of worker, why not consider some soft skills you can learn from the corner of your home in one of our publications? Click here for the article.

5. Team Player and Ability to Undergo Critical Thinking

A single tree does not make a forest, so they say that is exactly the case in most innovative industries you can’t work by yourself. You have to work as a part of a team. To be a good team player you have to develop your communication effectively with people from different backgrounds as earlier stated, interpersonal skills, and diplomacy. This skill is one of the most sought after skills in the industry because there is a lot of collaboration that does take place in the industry. Being in a team is not enough one has to strive to be an asset in the team. In order to be an asset, it all depends on what you have to bring on the table and this is where critical thinking comes in. Ability to carry out critical thinking is essential because this is the only way to discover novel ideas and products and that is exactly what innovative companies who are striving to get new inventions are searching for. Virtually all graduate students already as a measure of this skill but one can develop it by challenging oneself.   

Top Positions in Japanese Companies You can Apply to No Matter Your Background with Examples

No matter your background, you can fit into any industry in Japan if you acquire the above basic professional skills. Below are top positions you can target in Japan industries;

1. IT Engineer:

Most graduate students who do not have a background in the field of engineering believe that they can’t fit in for this position. However, your quick at learning apt will make you successful in certain industry positions in the field of IT engineering. One of such areas is AI Technical Director. This position will give you opportunity to use your critical thinking ability and data analysis skills. It does not require a degree in engineering.

Example of company in Japan that offer this position is;

Other engineering positions that you can explore are; Engineering Technicians, Web Developer, System Analyst, Network Engineer, Computer Support Specialist, Digital Marketer, Cyber Security Analyst, Graphic designer to mention a few.

2. Business Development Manager:

This position requires no specific qualification due to its multifunctional nature. All that is required is technical knowledge about the product or service, interpersonal skills, analytical skills and basic business knowledge.

Example of company in Japan that offer this position are;

3. Field Application Scientist:

This position will give you the opportunity to be a professor in the field because you will be required to perform similar tasks a professor performs such as solve different problems and train others.

Example of company in Japan that offer this position are;

4. Quantitative Analyst:

Most postgraduate students are well equipped for this position because of the analytical skills they possess and their ability to carry our independent research.

Example of company in Japan that offer this position are;

5. Research Scientist in Industry:

No doubt as a postgraduate student you are well equipped with all the fundamentals of doing academic research. The skills you gained during this period can be used to do corporate research in various R&D departments in many companies.

Example of company in Japan that offer this position are;

Final Remark

The days when having a postgraduate degree set you on the noble pursuit of a successful career in academia has gone. With the increase in the number of postgraduate students the world is turning out day in day out, the chances of getting a professorial position will continue to diminish due to the strong competition that is going on in the academia job market.  However, most innovative industries are looking out for these hard-working brilliant minds to solve several problems that can improve the quality of human life.

The earlier graduate student realizes that academia cannot accommodate all of them the better. Now is the time for you to embrace the alternative which is innovative industries. Yes, you are valuable in the industry and we in JPort are here to assist you in getting that dream top-level industry position that is not only rewarding financially but also satisfactory. For more information on how to get these top positions why not consider our ever dynamic articles that talk about this. You can read more articles on JPort from here.