Active Connector's Podcast

Starting a new job in a new company in the midst of a pandemic might seem intimidating but we invited one of our Active Connector Evangelist Filip Mintus to share with us his experience in starting his new job with a new company earlier this year. Let’s listen to how he managed to remain motivated and have a positive outlook despite everything else that has been happening lately.Filip Mintus is originally from Poland and has been living and working in Japan for almost 2 years. He is a Machine Learning Engineer with a mechatronics background having worked on Battery Management Systems’ algorithm development using Python and Matlab for data analysis and visualisation. TOPICS OF DISCUSSION:A.) Filip Mintus’ Career Journey in Japan: How I Found the Right Company FitB.) Job Hunting PreparationsC.) Starting My Job During a Pandemic and Going RemoteQ&A from the participants--------------------------------------------------------------------------------Find English or Bilingual Professional Jobs in Japan check our website:https://www.active-connector.com/jobs/--------------------------------------------------------------------------------Join our MeetUp group for online or offline events for freehttps://www.meetup.com/ACTIVECONNECTOR/--------------------------------------------------------------------------------Support the show (https://www.linkedin.com/company/active-connector)

Trista Bridges is the Principal and Co-Founder of Read The Air, where they work with companies to develop and implement sustainability in the core of their business and operations. She is highly experienced in marketing, strategy and organizational capabilities building.Read her article on Disrupting Innovation Through Impact HERE: https://bit.ly/2WBUjLQThis COVID-19 crisis is set to fundamentally transform how we think about innovation. Join us for an interesting discussion on what we should expect after experiencing this pandemic and how it will affect and shape the way innovation is financed, commercialized and prioritized.TOPICS OF DISCUSSION:A.) Time Frame Issue- How do we tackle the different time horizons for return?B.)Sustainable Innovation- How do we innovate around sustainability?C.) Emerging Social and Environmental Innovations: Q&A from the participants--------------------------------------------------------------------------------Find English or Bilingual Professional Jobs in Japan check our website:https://www.active-connector.com/jobs/--------------------------------------------------------------------------------Join our MeetUp group for online or offline events for freehttps://www.meetup.com/ACTIVECONNECTOR/--------------------------------------------------------------------------------Support the show (https://www.linkedin.com/company/active-connector)

Decision Intelligence answers the question, if we make this decision today, which leads to this action, what will be the outcome tomorrow. Alternatively, decision intelligence is about turning information into better actions at any scale.Our featured speaker is a visiting scholar at the School of Environment and Society, Tokyo Institute of Technology, Japan. He is also a visiting scientist at the Social Value Decision Making Unit in BTCC, RIKEN, Japan. In addition, Dr. Siddike is a distinguished visiting scholar at IBM Research, USA. Recently, Mr. Siddike has been awarded his Doctor of Philosophy (PhD) from Graduate School of Knowledge Science in Japan Advanced Institute of Science and Technology, Japan. Support the show (https://www.linkedin.com/company/active-connector)

Find out what it takes to build your tech career in Japan. Listen to our online session with Michael Omoto, Engineering Manager at Google Japan, as we discuss building tech careers in Japan.Michael Omoto, Psychologist turned Software Engineer, is currently working as an Engineering Manager at Google Japan. He was also a former Engineering Manager at Mercari, Inc. His main goal was to be able to bring the best parts of Silicon Valley and implement them in Japan. Disclaimer: The views and opinions expressed by the speaker do not state or reflect those of his employer.TOPICS OF DISCUSSION:Michael Omoto’s Career Journey3:00 Professional Journey (From Psychology > Tech)7:00 Learning how to program on his own9:15 Getting his first tech job12:20 Experience as a Software Engineer in Silicon Valley17:00 Finding opportunity to move and work in Japan20:00 First Project in Mercari22:00 Aiming to bring the best parts of Silicon Valley to Japan34:20 Work Environment like in Google40:05 Designing Your Tech Career 53:20 Answering Q&A Sent in by RegistrantsDesigning your Career in TechQ&A from the participants--------------------------------------------------------------------------------Find English or Bilingual Professional Jobs in Japan check our website:https://www.active-connector.com/jobs/--------------------------------------------------------------------------------Join our MeetUp group for online or offline events for freehttps://www.meetup.com/ACTIVECONNECTOR/--------------------------------------------------------------------------------Support the show (https://www.linkedin.com/company/active-connector)

Flex time, remote work and personal development day are some of the work conditions that are slowly becoming integrated with today’s current work environment and culture in some of Japan’s offices. Although these have been present in western companies especially in innovative startups abroad, Japan has been known to have long and excruciating work hours because of the excessive overtime culture. In fact it has become so bad that the Japanese government had to create a legal cap on the maximum hours allowed when it comes to overtime work. You don’t even have to be in the C level or managerial level to start this change within your company. Find out how in this episode!TOPICS OF DISCUSSION:2:38- Weakness in Japan’s current HR system and working environment7:15- Effective way of pushing for a better work environment:8:50- Change Management16:35- Support Accumulation22:07- Strong Argument Support23:05- Observe People's Behavior28:14- Mind Your Ego--------------------------------------------------------------------------------Find English or Bilingual Professional Jobs in Japan check our website:https://www.active-connector.com/jobs/--------------------------------------------------------------------------------Join our MeetUp group for online or offline events for freehttps://www.meetup.com/ACTIVECONNECTOR/--------------------------------------------------------------------------------Support the show (https://www.linkedin.com/company/active-connector)

Have you ever pitched an idea to your boss or your project manager in Japan and just got frustrating feedback? Or worse, you get a nod of approval that leads to no action later on? This scenario might not be only limited to Japan, but since Japan’s workforce is getting more and more multicultural, it becomes more difficult when there is a misunderstanding or lack of proper internal communication and transparency.We invited Tokyo’s Diversity and Inclusion Consultant and Leadership Coach, Jennifer Shinkai. To walk us through achieving a more adaptable communication style that produces result and have a real impact towards your actual end goal.CONTENTS:1:23- Jennifer Shinkai's decision to move to Japan2:40- Why did you choose to be a Diversity & Inclusion Coach7:00- Ikigai defined8:22- Japan's Current Work Environment12:00- Root of Miscommunication15:24- What do you do when your ideas are being shutdown?18:40- Why do people lose motivation?24:25- Adaptable Communication used in your advantage31:27- Words of Wisdom34:00- Q&A Sent in by the audience--------------------------------------------------------------------------------Find English or Bilingual Professional Jobs in Japan check our website:https://www.active-connector.com/jobs/--------------------------------------------------------------------------------Join our MeetUp group for online or offline events for freehttps://www.meetup.com/ACTIVECONNECTOR/--------------------------------------------------------------------------------Support the show (https://www.linkedin.com/company/active-connector)Support the show (https://www.linkedin.com/company/active-connector)

Have you heard of the “Teal Organizational Structure”?Can a “No Manager” style be an effective setup for companies here in Japan? How to move from hierarchy & processes to trust & proactiveness? How do you successfully pitch it to your company?We have so many questions. Thankfully Sylvain Pierre agreed to help us out and talk all about Teal Structure applied to Japanese companies. We will be discussing how effective a “NO MANAGER” management style pans out in a very traditional country like Japan and how to successfully thrive under it.CONTENTS:1:38 - Why Japan4:38 - Sylvain’s career journey5:19 - Work environment in France, Vietnam, and Japan9:46 - Teal organizational structure17:18 - Teal applied to Japanese companies23:06 - How to know if a company is ready for teal24:06 - Viability of teal for Japanese companies25:34 - Caution before applying teal27:29 - Possible challenges for employees30:25 - Advice to yourself31:29 - Q&ASupport the show (https://www.linkedin.com/company/active-connector)

Everyone has a chance and an opportunity to make an impact, some do it just by simply sharing their stories. Each global talent in Japan have their own stories coming from different parts of the world. How can yours impact others for the better? Where do you start?It’s an exciting time to be in Japan, we are witnessing the evolution of Japanese work culture and the Japanese mindset towards a more genuine approach to globalization. We believe that the reason behind this is more than the need to survive the labour crunch but also because of the impact of foreign professionals slowly but surely making their mark in Japan.CONTENTS:1:26 - The beginning and life in Palestine7:30 - Professional experience in Palestine14:19 - From Palestine to Japan18:53 - Being a peace spokesperson in Japan26:37 - Startups vs big companies28:50 - Quotable phrases and Dr Sabri’s views35:57 - Choosing where to work at37:55 - Challenges and advantages of real-life experiences41:28 - Advice to other foreigners living in Japan44:22 - Advice to former self45:22 - Q&A--------------------------------------------------------------------------------Find English or Bilingual Professional Jobs in Japan check our website:https://www.active-connector.com/jobs/--------------------------------------------------------------------------------Join our MeetUp group for online or offline events for freehttps://www.meetup.com/ACTIVECONNECTOR/--------------------------------------------------------------------------------Support the show (https://www.linkedin.com/company/active-connector)

Job Interviews are tough but they are on a totally different level here in Japan. Besides the Shukatsu practice, Japanese students doing job hunting and interviews during their Junior year, there are very strict interview rounds and dress codes involved (including the ridiculous practice that HEELS are a must for women).Now in the StartUp world, rules are very different. The process can be simpler and shorter but that doesn't mean that it's easier to pass it. We asked Morgan Lefranc from Ridge-I where he is a machine learning engineer and also a hiring manager tasked to interview and screen out engineers he would be working alongside with.0:21 - Introduction1:23 - Moving from France to Japan2:47 - Motivation to work in Japan6:01 - Overtime work in Japan7:01 - Overcoming fear of the stereotype8:01 - Why work for a startup10:45 - Expectations before working for a startup12:21 - Experience working for a startup17:07 - Looking for a good startup to work for25:18 - Getting chosen by the right company34:29 - From an interviewer’s perspective37:44  - Advice to yourself39:57  - Q&A--------------------------------------------------------------------------------Find English or Bilingual Professional Jobs in Japan check our website: https://www.active-connector.com/jobs/--------------------------------------------------------------------------------Join our MeetUp group for online or offline events for freehttps://www.meetup.com/ACTIVECONNECTOR/--------------------------------------------------------------------------------Support the show (https://www.linkedin.com/company/active-connector)

Japan is changing. That is a given. The question is, are you gonna take part in it?How can you contribute and create an impact beyond your contribution of technical skills?Beyond a coder’s technical skills, their mindset is very important. We’ve all heard of the expression that Silicon Valley is a mindset, not a location. We have invited Ms. Yan Fan, Co-Founder and CTO of Tokyo’s only Silicon Valley Style Boot Camp called Code Chrysalis, to walk us through on how to actually achieve this mindset. 0:42 - Speaker Introduction1:17 - Ms Fan’s career journey8:45 - Working in Silicon Valley15:10 - Being a software engineer16:38 - Birth of Code Chrysalis20:01 - Mission and Vision23:11 - The Silicon Valley Mindset25:09 - Japan’s Software Culture27:54 - Foreign software engineers in Japan35:30 - Change-maker mindset40:33 - Advice to yourself41:48 - Q&A--------------------------------------------------------------------------------Find English or Bilingual Professional Jobs in Japan check our website: https://www.active-connector.com/jobs/--------------------------------------------------------------------------------Join our MeetUp group for online or offline events for freehttps://www.meetup.com/ACTIVECONNECTOR/--------------------------------------------------------------------------------Support the show (https://www.linkedin.com/company/active-connector)

Are you thinking about pursuing a career in AI/Machine Learning sector? Join us as we invite Dr. Aaron Bell to speak and share how he transitioned from his original major in Astronomy to landing a career as a Machine Learning Engineer. Listen as he shares some tips when it comes to honing his interview skills and utilizing opportunities from internships to pursue a machine learning engineer career in Japan.TOPICS OF DISCUSSION:- Introduction with Dr Bell = 0:22 - Dr Bell's career journey: Why Japan? = 1:13 - Transitioning from Astronomy to Machine Learning = 5:30 - How to highlight skills during interviews = 15:14 - Making use of internships = 17:00 - Job-hunting process = 28:05 - Choosing between company offers = 33:27 - How to standout as a candidate = 36:58- What it's like working as an engineer in your company = 38:39- Q&A = 45:40 --------------------------------------------------------------------------------Find English or Bilingual Professional Jobs in Japan check our website: https://www.active-connector.com/jobs/--------------------------------------------------------------------------------Support the show (https://www.linkedin.com/company/active-connector)

Together with Women Who Code director Tutti Quintella, Women in Tech: break the mold in Japan aims to discuss the current role of women in the tech industry. We will be talking about real issues and relatable experiences and ways to overcome these barricades.TOPICS OF DISCUSSION: -Tutti's personal journey as a programmer in Japan = 0:52-What sparks her passion to join Women Who Code = 10:25-Advice to improving situations in Japanese companies A. Choosing the right company, = 13:45B. Dealing with difficult situations in your workplace, = 18:17C.External support = 24:40-Q&A = 32:31--------------------------------------------------------------------------------Find English or Bilingual Professional Jobs in Japan check our website: https://www.active-connector.com/jobs/--------------------------------------------------------------------------------Support the show

This podcast episode will tackle more about the status of your career in Japan which also includes the following:-WHY WORK IN JAPAN? = 2:10-YOUR JOB HUNTING PROCESS IN JAPAN? = 8:12-FACTORS IN CHOOSING WHAT COMPANY TO WORK FOR? = 18:28-DECIDING WHETHER TO STAY IN JAPAN? = 25:14-ANSWERING QUESTIONS SENT BY LISTENERS = 40:10Together with our guest speaker Dr. Delowar Hossain, AI research scientist, who will be sharing his career journey experience from job hunting to adjusting in the Japanese work environment and many more.--------------------------------------------------------------------------------Find English or Bilingual Professional Jobs in Japan check our website: https://www.active-connector.com/jobs/--------------------------------------------------------------------------------Support the show

Starting from a young age, we have always been concerned with what career path we really want to take in life. It's no secret that it takes a lot of hard work and effort to achieve the position you aim for. But it's even harder when you try to follow the career path you want in a different country with a totally different culture. This session is for those who wants to learn more about the steps to take to successfully curate their ideal career path within a Japanese company.We invited Mr. Takeda Seiichi as a guest speaker for this session. He has been working as an IT professional in a Japanese e-commerce and Internet company based in Tokyo for around 10 years. He successfully acquiring different roles within the company such as e-commerce marketer, developer and data scientist for user targeting, and product manager for reservation app. He has a master's degree in computer science and had a background experience as a hardware engineer at a Japanese multinational game developer company.--------------------------------------------------------------------------------Find English or Bilingual Professional Jobs in Japan check our website: https://www.active-connector.com/jobs/--------------------------------------------------------------------------------Support the show

Are you interested in working at a startup in Japan? There is a lot of controversy surrounding the hype of working for a startup. There was a time that a lot of people were quick to jump boats and dive into the promises of a startup environment. Nowadays, more and more people who are interested and enthusiastic about joining startups are more hesitant to apply due to the negative remarks some people attach to it. CONTENTS and their TIME FRAMES:Factors of a Promising StartUp = 00:54Overview of Startups in Japan: =  05:22Myth 1 "Most StartUps Vanish after 3 Years" =  12:10Myth 2 "Working at a StartUp is Disorganized and Unstructured" = 15:10Myth 3 "You Wont Earn Much Working at a StartUp" = 19:36Myth 4 "Everyone Who Works at a StartUp is under 25 years old" = 26:18Myth 5 "There is No Work-Life Balance at a StartUp" = 30:02Myth 6 "All StartUps are in the Tech Sector" = 34:35Myth 7 "You Need Excellent Japanese" = 36:16--------------------------------------------------------------------------------Find English or Bilingual Professional Jobs in Japan check our website: https://www.active-connector.com/jobs/--------------------------------------------------------------------------------Support the show

Active Connector aims to disseminate information and tips when it comes to working in Japan as a foreigner. The first episode will be about getting started and finding a job in Japan. There is a lot to consider in terms of current visa status, nationality, academic background, Japanese level and industry when it comes to working in Japan but we will give you an insight on what you need to know and how to get you started.The main speaker is Active Connector's Senior Career Consultant Mr. Sebastian Heredia, who has dealt with hundreds of foreign candidates from all over the world and matched them with different companies in Japan.CONTENTS and their TIME FRAMES:Visa Related Issues = 4:12Japanese Level = 15:01Interview stage = 18:14Salary and leveraging = 21:02Recruitment Agencies = 24:10Trends and Opportunities = 27:02Success stories = 29:23How to get a job through us = 32:48--------------------------------------------------------------------------------Find English or Bilingual Professional Jobs in Japan check our website: https://www.active-connector.com/jobs/--------------------------------------------------------------------------------