People who can speak English are no longer rare. But people who understand the 'norms' of two countries are still in short supply [The Path to Overseas Universities Part 3 - Final Episode]

In this three-part series, I am writing about the path of attending an overseas school from high school, continuing on to a local university, and graduating.

This is the third and final installment.

Last time, I talked about how the four years at an overseas university can be completely different depending on whether they are spent getting used to things or actually learning.

This time, we go beyond that.

Where are people who spent seven years graduating from overseas high schools and universities needed now?—that is the topic.

When asked, 'What kind of job will you end up with after studying abroad?', I couldn't answer.

When you talk about your child studying abroad, relatives and acquaintances will always ask this.

'So, what kind of job will they have in the future?'

The jobs that usually come to mind are interpreter, translator, trading company employee, foreign-affiliated company employee, or flight attendant. I think that's about it.

Actually, this is the biggest missed opportunity.This image was created
in an era when people who could speak English were still rare.

In that era, being able to speak English was a job in itself. But now, the situation has completely changed.

And the jobs that have emerged since that change are far more interesting. I will talk about that this time.

Just being able to speak English is no longer a job.

There are translation apps. There is also generative AI.

For daily communication or reading documents, it is already more than enough. It has become rare to find a company where no one can speak English.

In other words, the value of being able to speak English itself continues to decline.

At this point, many people might think, 'Then the meaning of studying abroad has faded.'

I think the opposite. Because
there are problems that are not solved at all even when languages are understood.

Moreover, those problems are where companies around the world are now genuinely struggling.

What companies are really struggling with is not language, but the differences in 'norms'.

Cross-border mergers and acquisitions between companies sometimes do not go well.
It is said that more than 70% of those failures are not caused by money or numerical issues, but by the clash of the two companies' cultures.

For example, the Japanese side will move only after conducting groundwork with stakeholders and obtaining everyone's agreement.
The overseas side will move immediately once the person in charge makes a decision.

Even though both sides have valid reasons, they only see each other as 'too slow' or 'too selfish'.
And the most talented people end up quitting.

This gap cannot be bridged even by using an interpreter.
This is because it is not the words being spoken, but the way of thinking behind those words that differs.
It can only be bridged by someone who understands both sets of 'norms' through personal experience.

And, companies are seriously looking for such people.

Jobs that stand between companies

Specifically, there are jobs like these.

◆ 'Cross-border M&A Advisory': Jobs that support cross-border mergers and partnerships between companies, from finding partners to negotiating terms.
◆ Jobs that involve integrating the systems, work styles, and internal atmosphere of two companies after an acquisition is decided.
◆ 'Venture Capitalist': Jobs that involve finding promising overseas companies at an early stage, investing in them, and helping them expand internationally.

This last job might be easier to imagine.

You can never understand how serious a local entrepreneur is or what kind of local problems their business was born from just by reading documents.
You need to join the local circle of people and sense it while chatting.

On the other hand, in meetings where investment decisions are made, not a single yen will move unless you explain things with logical arguments.

There are really very few people who can do both.

Jobs that stand between products/services and the people of that country

There is another type of job like this.

◆ 'Global Product Manager': A person in charge of redesigning products and apps sold globally to match the sensibilities of people in that country.
◆ Jobs that involve researching how people in a country will receive and use a new service when it is launched there.
◆ Jobs that involve partnering with overseas companies to launch new businesses from scratch.

For example, even regarding screen design, there are countries where people feel that a simple design with lots of white space is easier to see, and countries where people feel more comfortable when a lot of information is displayed at once.

Just translating the words will not make it sell at all.

You must understand firsthand why local people dislike a certain feature, then translate that into technical terms to explain it to the development team in your home country and get them to take action.

Being able to play both roles by yourself becomes your strength.

Jobs that stand between countries/society and companies

Furthermore, there are jobs like these.

◆ 'Government Relations' roles: Negotiating with governments and public offices in various countries to help shape rules related to the company's business
◆ Roles verifying and improving labor conditions and human rights for people working in factories around the world
◆ Roles building organizations where employees of different nationalities, religions, and backgrounds can perform at their best

A country's rules are deeply tied to its history and values.
Therefore, in negotiations, you cannot reach a compromise unless you understand the other party's claims not as 'obstacles to our goals,' but as 'that country's own version of what is right.'

The same applies to factory issues.
If you simply force the standards of developed countries upon them, they will just hide the problems.
You must understand the circumstances the local people are facing and work together to create methods that are actually sustainable.

People who can do this will bein high demand at any company!

This kind of work cannot be mastered in just four years of university.

There isone thing in commonwith all the jobs mentioned so far.

It is understanding two different 'norms' not as knowledge, but in your bones.

You cannot acquire this by reading books or through short stays.
It is something that remains only with those who have lived in that country, studied in its schools, and spent years clashing with its people.

And as I mentioned last time, if you only go abroad for your four years of university, much of that time is spent just getting used to things.

Three years of high school and four years of university.
Only those who spend a total of seven years living locally and graduate are able to stand in this position.

One last thing.

Are you trying to choose your future from among the professions visible from Japan today?

The list of jobs you know is also a list of the places you have lived.

I want you to stand in a place that only you can stand, rather than doing a job that someone else could replace.
I want you to become an adult who is judged by what you have built up, rather than by the name of the university you entered.

For those who feel this way, regular enrollment in a high school abroad is an important option.

'Studying abroad' is an experience that can deeply shake the values of middle and high school students.

My daughter's high school study abroad (three years at a Canadian high school) also led me to think about various things as a parent, and we have had many family discussions.

And over the past eight years, while sharing information on YouTube and other platforms, I have been supporting those of you who have similar anxieties and questions.

I have put all of that experience into one form andpublished the book 'Study Abroad for Middle and High School Students: A Book That Expands Yourself and Your Future Every Time You Learn Something New'!

From the basics of studying abroad to English proficiency, anxieties about daily life, and questions from parents, we speak honestly and without holding anything back.
Please be sure to pick up a copy.

Also, for those who want to seriously start preparing for studying abroad from now on, or who want to discuss specific plans and local information, we are also acceptingfree consultations and free counseling sessions.

Study Abroad Papa, who has experience studying at an American university and has supported his daughter's high school study abroad as a parent, and Erin, who studied abroad at a Canadian high school at age 15 with zero English proficiency, will think through your anxieties and questions together with you.

We will never force anything on you or assume that studying abroad is the only option.
Please feel free to send us a message.

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