Help my friend find a dream job that requires both Japanese and Computer Science!

August 23, 2007 9:08 PM

What is the next step for a soon-to-be graduate of a large school in Pittsburgh, PA who has degrees in both Computer Science and Japanese?

So here's the deal. My best friend since like kindergarten will graduate from Pitt in December with a degree in Japanese and in Computer Science. He just spent a semester in Japan, absolutely loved it, and wants to go back. What's the perfect career path for him?

Japanese is his true passion, but he is also a very talented compsci major. Current level of Japanese is roughly JLPT 3; also has excellent usage of polite (honorific/humble) speech. I don't know his exact GPA, but knowing him i'd place it between 3.8 and 4. How can he mix both fields?

Ideally he would like to have the opportunity to travel back and forth between Japan and the US, but wouldn't mind living there either. Definitely open to suggestions!

Should he go to grad school instead? Should he enroll in a professional language school in the US (Do you know of any non-university sponsored programs)? Thanks everyone.

posted by EduTek to work & money (4 comments total)

I have that backwards. He's roughly JLPT 2. (I didn't know it was backwards, blame the ignorant American)
posted by EduTek at 9:12 PM on August 23, 2007

Assuming he has done some sort of research or knows any faculty, see if he can get a reference to some colleagues in Japan. If there are any interesting advisors, he can go to grad. school there.
posted by mezamashii at 9:32 PM on August 23, 2007

I know someone on the same path here at the University of Hawaii. He's a gamer and looking to get into video game localization.

That's a possibility for your friend.
posted by petethered at 10:15 PM on August 23, 2007

I previously worked for a software company that needed to do implementations at Japanese firms. They had lots of people in sales, professional services and development who spoke Japanese and sometimes were stationed in Japan for months or years.
posted by acoutu at 10:38 PM on August 23, 2007