Raku Job Festa '09

nd so, I get ready to embark on a journey to my first ever job fair. Even when I was in University here in Japan, I was always under the impression that I was one day just going to up and leave the whole country behind me, so I never really tried the whole 就職活動 thing. Mostly I just watched bemused as my fellow students who prided themselves in being individual and nonconformist squeezed into their crisply pressed suits and crowded into lecture halls to hopefully have a shot at this thing we call 'employment'.

Of course, this was during the glory days where employment wasn't so much an issue. Not guaranteed by any right, but in the age where half of the businesses have gone tits-up in a matter of months, employment is no longer as common a commodity as it once was. Most of us are glad to have any job these days. So today I dust off the ol' hire me grin and cinch up my best necktie, and off I go to the cattle pen. I will be attending the 2nd annual "Raku Job Festa", which is a job fair being hosted by the ラクジョブ job site.

What's unique and intriguing about this particular job fair is that it's very niche - insofar as it's meant specifically for geeks of my particular species who are interested in the entertainment industry. More appropriately, Raku Job caters to people interested in the Gaming, Cartooning (manga, to be exact) and Animation branches of the entertainment industry. At one point many years ago, I fancied myself a cartoonist, so I may very well just see what they have to offer in that venue as well, though I doubt anyone in the publishing industry is really looking for a foreigner.

Which brings me to one point of contention - I will be at the distinct disadvantage of not being a native. I don't like to rain too much attention on Japan's often inherent xenophobia, but it is there, and though I don't think my disadvantage will be quite palpable, I can imagine that I will get a few passing glances as I sit in on lectures and drop by the booths of the visiting companies to drop off a brief resume-ette and speak with them about their open positions.

By no means am I a stranger to business here in Japan, mind you. I have worked in the headhunting business for more than a year and a half, and although most of that work is done with foreign capital enterprises, I was the man who was given all of the Japanese clients when there were Japanese clients to be had (Though being a foreigner on top of being a headhunter was sort of a double-whammy when trying to build a trusting relationship).

So I will try my luck with a few companies in the gaming indutry tomorrow. I may bring a small sheet of some of my portfolio pieces, though it seems they aren't really looking for such things. At this point, I would even be happy to be considered for a relatively entry-level position. I understand that my status within the indies community (which isn't exactly huge as it stands) doesn't really amount to a hill of beans in the professional gaming world of Japan, but I will be attempting to showcase what I can to the lovely folks I hope to be meeting with tomorrow.

If I were allowed to take photos, I would, but it's one of the 2 rules posted on their website, so I can imagine that enforcement will be done. I will be bringing my MP3 player and probably recording some audio for posterity, however. Especially if it seems like there will be something interesting to learn.

So I ready myself. I will need to drop by a photo booth in the morning to take a picture of myself, as I realized that I don't have any shots of myself with the beard that I can attach to my application, but that will be a quick matter, and afterwards, it will be meeting with my fellow job-seeker Emery, for dinner and war stories related to the daunting task of finding employment in this global economic situation, in a country where it's already tough to find a job as a foreigner that doesn't involve teaching language to people who pay too much to learn it.

Wish me luck.