Do you want to work in the Japanese Game Industry?

Want to work in the japanese game industry?
In Japan, traditional job hunting has a set time of the year and is done prior to graduation. The system applies by and large for entry-level positions at big companies. The video game industry is no exception – again: by and large – however, there are recruiting agencies to supply the manpower the industry needs in the more internationalized business climate.
We talked with Sam Thomas of IPPO Recruiting, one of the specialized agencies in Japan.
: Please introduce IPPO
ST: I started IPPO in 2002. One of the main areas I work in is the game software industry. We introduce individuals but we also have introduced entire teams in the past. Designers, producers, executive producers – the whole range of development, and also the business side: marketing, sales, account executives even up to president level candidate. There are a few foreign game companies in Japan that we have introduced the top guys to. One of the most recent things I did was to start up a tenshoku site specifically for game people.
: Let me quote from the November issue of EDGE: “The focus of the Japanese game industry has shifted from its domestic market to the west, creating a bigger gap between developers and gamers in Japan.” Suppose the first half of the sentence is a long-term prognosis, how do you think would it influence the related recruiting sector?
ST: Definitely they are going to need more coordinators who can work between overseas and here, one of the things increasing already. You are also going to see more people employed on the development level not only in the business side.
: What positions are hot at the moment?
ST: Localization coordinator and planner are hot. If you look at just the Japanese development companies it is always programmer. Somebody with really good 3D modeling, rendering skills – there is always a position out there for them.
: QA experience has been considered to be a good stepping stone to other positions, at least overseas. How about Japan?
ST: In my experience in-house shift from QA to other positions is not the style. There may be exceptions but I do not usually see that kind of opportunity.
: Fluency in both spoken and written Japanese is a must for every, or the majority of the positions offered. Suppose one applicant passed JLPT, and the other JETRO. Which one is preferred?
ST: In general probably JLPT is more important. The thing is, if you are applying to a smaller developer or even a mid-sized developer or publisher, they may not really know or care too much about those things. Also, there are a few companies that are willing to hire non-Japanese speakers – programmer positions are the most flexible in terms of Japanese – but the applicant has to be extremely talented.
: How are foreign diplomas, transcripts received?
ST: No company has ever asked me for a transcript or a diploma. If you are applying for a programming position they are going to see source code, what you have done, what you have produced – that is going to say everything about what you can do. If you are applying for a non-technical position it is all going to come down to the interview and how you present yourself.
: Speaking of which, what advice would you give to applicants for the interview?
ST: Present yourself as knowledgeable, know what you know and be conservative at least in the beginning at the interview process, especially with a larger company. At a smaller company you may be a little more flexible, they might be looking for somebody who matches up with their culture. Generally speaking the smaller the company, the more the cultural fit you need to be. You might not necessarily be the perfect fit but they can find a place for you. At some companies if your character cannot appeal there is never going to be a chance to get a job there. It is good to have the skills, it is good to have the background, it is good to have experience but the character and the way you represent yourself is paramount.

ipporecruiting

In Japan, traditional job hunting has a set time of the year and is done prior to graduation. The system applies by and large for entry-level positions at big companies. The video game industry is no exception – again: by and large – however, there are recruiting agencies to supply the manpower the industry needs in the more internationalized business climate. We talked with Sam Thomas of IPPO Recruiting, one of the specialized agencies in Japan.

monkey_small: Please introduce IPPO

Sam Thomas:I started IPPO in 2002. One of the main areas I work in is the game software industry. We introduce individuals but we also have introduced entire teams in the past. Designers, producers, executive producers – the whole range of development, and also the business side: marketing, sales, account executives even up to president level candidate. There are a few foreign game companies in Japan that we have introduced the top guys to. One of the most recent things I did was to start up a tenshoku site specifically for game people.

monkey_small: Let me quote from the November issue of EDGE: “The focus of the Japanese game industry has shifted from its domestic market to the west, creating a bigger gap between developers and gamers in Japan.” Suppose the first half of the sentence is a long-term prognosis, how do you think would it influence the related recruiting sector?

SM:Definitely they are going to need more coordinators who can work between overseas and here, one of the things increasing already. You are also going to see more people employed on the development level not only in the business side.

monkey_small: What positions are hot at the moment?

SM:Localization coordinator and planner are hot. If you look at just the Japanese development companies it is always programmer. Somebody with really good 3D modeling, rendering skills – there is always a position out there for them.

monkey_small: QA experience has been considered to be a good stepping stone to other positions, at least overseas. How about Japan?

SM:In my experience in-house shift from QA to other positions is not the style. There may be exceptions but I do not usually see that kind of opportunity.

monkey_small: Fluency in both spoken and written Japanese is a must for every, or the majority of the positions offered. Suppose one applicant passed JLPT, and the other JETRO. Which one is preferred?

SM:In general probably JLPT is more important. The thing is, if you are applying to a smaller developer or even a mid-sized developer or publisher, they may not really know or care too much about those things. Also, there are a few companies that are willing to hire non-Japanese speakers – programmer positions are the most flexible in terms of Japanese – but the applicant has to be extremely talented.

monkey_small: How are foreign diplomas, transcripts received?

SM:No company has ever asked me for a transcript or a diploma. If you are applying for a programming position they are going to see source code, what you have done, what you have produced – that is going to say everything about what you can do. If you are applying for a non-technical position it is all going to come down to the interview and how you present yourself.

monkey_small: Speaking of which, what advice would you give to applicants for the interview?

SM:Present yourself as knowledgeable, know what you know and be conservative at least in the beginning at the interview process, especially with a larger company. At a smaller company you may be a little more flexible, they might be looking for somebody who matches up with their culture. Generally speaking the smaller the company, the more the cultural fit you need to be. You might not necessarily be the perfect fit but they can find a place for you. At some companies if your character cannot appeal there is never going to be a chance to get a job there. It is good to have the skills, it is good to have the background, it is good to have experience but the character and the way you represent yourself is paramount.

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