Monday, April 21, 2008

Majoring or Minoring in Japanese (w/Engineering)

No matter how much you love Japanese stuff, you have to earn some money to make a living! Agree? In this competitive society, chances to make a big buck are very slim even if being fluent in Japanese. If you want to use Japanese language as one of the living tools, try your best to be proficient in all 5 skills: Speaking, Listening, Reading, Writing/Typing, and Acting (culturally competent, not knowledgeable!). The language skill is the greatest asset for you if you can utilize well. For that reason, I suggest you either majoring or minoring in another field. If you can major/minor in any science fields, your future is very hopeful!
One of my past students majored in mechanical engineering at UIUC while taking Japanese language courses got a job in a decent company in Chicago not because of Japanese ability. But as soon as his big boss learned that he has had a Japanese language skill, he could get luckily out of boring entry job and was placed into a big Japan-related project! (He has never studied abroad in Japan!) Who's next? It's you!
Remember, GTS's undergraduate majors were Civil Engineering and Western Philosophy! Thanks to my engineering background, I am often asked for technical translation or serving as an interpreter for Japanese visitors to several manufacturing companies here. Maybe just because I know a little bit of engineering and understand G-codes of CNC, I can survive!
Hey! If you know a little bit of Japanese and some surviving skills with 'science' background or something, your life may likely to get easier!

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