Multilinguals Selling Sidelines: Jobs For Filipinos Fluent In English And Japanese

Learning how to speak Japanese can instantly jumpstart one’s career since Japan, as a country, encourages its students to get out of their cocoon and learn English. Teaching and translation services in the country are high in demand, and Japanese need talented bilinguals to help them understand, learn, and use the international language. Good thing the Philippines is considered as one of the most fluent non-native English-speaking countries in the world, so there are plenty of opportunities for Filipinos to start their job hunting in Japan or online.

Let’s take a look at some of the most profitable full-time, part-time, and home-based jobs for Filipinos who can speak English and Japanese.

Translators

The difficult part of starting your career as a translator is not learning the actual language—it’s improving your fluency and building your profile. Japanese to English translation is a specialized field, and you need to reach the advanced stage to call yourself a translator. “Close enough” is not a standard in this industry.

You can sell your translation and interpretation services online or in the country. There are online marketplaces based in Japan and the Philippines, where you can post your offered services, profile, and resume. Top hiring companies in this industry even look for complementary services such as subtitling, dubbing, and voice-overs. The average salary for a Japanese to English translator ranges from 40,000 to 100,000 pesos a month.

Online And On-Site Tutors

Online learning platforms and tutoring programs are everywhere as more and more parents are warming up to homeschooling. School-at-home approach, after all, still uses the curriculum and instructional design of traditional schools without requiring students to leave the comfort of their homes. Many Japanese families today are on the hunt for the best online and homeschool tutors.

If you want to teach in Japan, you need to provide the following: work visa, job offer, and diploma. Some companies accept workers who have certificates from short courses. If you want to be a Japanese online tutor, you should finance your equipment and resources: Internet connection, laptop, and headset. This option is one of the most popular sidelines in the Philippines as many Filipino teachers are looking for ways to make extra money.

Regardless of your preference, a Japanese tutor or teacher can earn anywhere between 200,000 and 600,000 yen or 90,000 to 300,000 pesos a month.

Writers And Editors

You can utilize your mastery over English and Japanese if you’re based in Japan or the Philippines. Many local and Japanese companies are looking for content writers, textbook editors, copywriters, and researchers who can speak both languages. These companies usually cater to international clients, so they’re looking for multilingual wordsmiths who can translate their ideas and reach their target audiences through words.

If you’re familiar with the Japanese culture and can write stories about everything and anything under the sun, then you might want to expand your horizons through writing and editing. Writers and editors based in Japan or those who work in a Japanese-owned company can earn anywhere between 30,000 and 140,000 a month.