Japanese helps me launch career in marketing and social media
In the multilingual, globalised workplace, knowledge of another language can provide a wealth of opportunities.
Alisa is a fresh university graduate in Hong Kong with a deep interest in marketing and social media. She studied Business Administration at college. Without prior work experience in the field, Alisa successfully secures a marketing and social media job at a watch company fresh out of college because of her ability to speak and write Japanese. Now she is happy to share her story with FluentUp’s community.
Can you tell us a little bit about yourself and your job?
I am now working as a social media executive at a watch company. I studied Business Administration before and I always want to work in marketing. I am glad that I find a job I like.
How often do you use Japanese at work?
We sell watches online, and one of our major markets is Japan. As a social media executive, I create all the promotional materials, website content, social media posts in Japanese. Besides, I need to build up an online community on social media for our brand, so I need to collaborate with many social media influencers in Japan. I contact them via instagram and speak Japanese with them.
Do you think Japanese helps with your career?
Definitely! It is so difficult to find a marketing job in Hong Kong without any experience. But my company needs someone who can speak Japanese and handle the Japan market, so I got the job! I am so happy about it. I know some friends of mine are struggling to land a job in the same field. Being able to speak Japanese certainly makes me more competitive, as most of the Japanese influencers I work with do not speak English. And people always prefer someone who can speak their language. My company wants to explore the Korean market as well, and they are looking for someone who can speak Korean. So I really think knowledge of another language can provide a wealth of opportunities
What is your Japanese level now and what is your future language plan?
I have learnt Japanese since I was 15 and I have passed N1 several years ago. It is a really long learning journey but I do enjoy it. To be honest my speaking isn’t that good even after many years of learning, mostly because I do not have much chance to practice the language in real-life. But my job gives me a really good practice environment! In the future, I want to speak Japanese like a native.
Would you consider learning the language online?
Why not? I learnt Japanese at school before but since now I have a full-time job, learning online will give me flexibility and convenience. I want to take courses online with a native Japanese teacher and focus on improving my speaking skills. And who knows! Maybe one day I will find a job in Japan and live there!
Alisa creates her own career story through Japanese. How about you? What are your language goals and aspirations? FluentUp is helping people create their own story through language learning.