First second job interview in Japan

As previously reported, my second first job interview in early November had gone surprisingly well. By the end of the interview, I had been asked to do some freelance work as test of my abilities in the Maya software package. For those that don't know, Maya is a 3D modeling package and is the most commonly used in the games industry in Japan. The other famous packages (3D Studio MAX and Softimage XSI) are also used, but companies that use them are less common, so it's best to have Maya on your CV if you apply here - even if you're still learning the software.

I had been told at the first interview that the details of my freelance work would be emailed to me a few days later. The few days passed, and a little later I got an email requesting me to come over to the office again to sign an NDA (Non-Disclosure Agreement) and presumably talk through the work. Naturally I agreed to that, but then a few days later I was emailed an invitation to meet the company president for a second interview.

So about a week later I returned to the office. Knowing there was no apparent doorbell by the front door, I phoned reception who were able to point out there was a door with a doorbell on the side of the building.

The interview itself went well once again. There was another English-speaker present this time to help out, and among the specific questions there was also some small talk. I was still a little confused as to the purpose of this meeting, expecting to still get the freelance work, but it turned out it was no longer thought to be necessary. In fact, I was asked how much I was hoping to earn, and after that I was told I would be emailed a salary offer later that day!

The offer indeed came to my Inbox that evening. It was less than I'd hoped for (isn't it always?), but having only a very rough idea of what to expect I checked with some friends in the business here what they thought of the offer. "Not bad" and "Doable" were their answers, along with some stories of their first "offers" and what some of their Japanese colleagues are "earning". So while I'd have to swallow some of my pride, I knew I had been quite fortunate to get a reasonable offer in such a short time - I decided to accept it.

The job wouldn't be starting for another good few weeks however, and in the week of this interview another invitation for a first interview elsewhere had come in. Well, there'd be no harm in going to that... Stay tuned!