Frequently Asked Questions from International Students

Q1. What language skills are required to work for Sony?

As Sony develops business globally, communication in English as a common language will be required. To improve the individual's English skills, rich and various training courses with different levels are available, and many employees are attending courses that suit their levels.
If your job is based in Japan, Japanese communication skills are also desirable. If you can communicate in Japanese, such as reading/writing business documents or giving opinions in a meeting, opportunities in your work will expand.
Sony has established a corporate culture in which employees with diverse values and characters can get together and respect and support each other. There's no need to worry about communication after you join Sony. You will naturally become familiar with a Japanese-speaking environment through your work.

Q2. What kind of support will be offered if I join Sony?

A tutor will help you start up your job in the first year. Careful follow-up by the tutor will let you acquire technical knowledge and understand how to carry out your job in Sony.
Sony has a growing number of non-Japanese employees. With the progress of globalization, we are planning to make the intranet portal websites bilingual (English/Japanese) and preparing for e-Learning in English for such employees.

Frequently Asked Questions about Training and Internal Programs After Joining the Company

Q1. What kind of training programs do you offer?

Sony offers a number of learning opportunities for anyone who wants to learn or continue to learn. They're tailored to each role, and provided for everyone from young recruits to seasoned managers.

Q2. What kind of support do you offer for career development?

Sony respects its employees' drive to challenge themselves, and the "build your own career" culture has taken firm root among them.
At the same time, we also place importance on "developing people through the organization." To that end, we offer systems that support growth, and an environment in which every individual can demonstrate their full potential.

Q3. Is it possible to request a transfer to another department?

It's important to deliver results in your initial workplace. However, if you need a turning point to help you grow, you can consider the option of transferring to another department and openly discuss it with your superior. Opportunities to do this include "Career Month," where employees get to talk directly with their superiors about their careers. We also have an "internal recruitment system" you can use.

Q4. Are there any opportunities to work abroad?

Sony's business is global. Regardless of the type work, there are frequent interactions with people abroad in many of our departments. These include video conferences and business trips.
In terms of opportunities to transfer overseas, it will also depend on the business needs. However, we do respect what individuals want to do, so if an employee has clear aspirations and abilities, there's a good chance they'll have an opportunity to work abroad, no matter how old they are.

Q5. Do you have a system for studying abroad?

Sony openly calls for applications from employees to study abroad. If you pass an internal selection, you can study in a university laboratory or research institute abroad. Major destinations include Carnegie Mellon University, Stanford University, and the Swiss Federal Institute of Technology.
Your workplace may also send you to law school at places like the University of Chicago or Columbia University.
Employees also sometimes get the chance to study at a university abroad for a short period of time.
Employees who've studied abroad get to acquire advanced skills and a deep level of expertise, and establish networks with top-class experts who are masters in their respective fields. These employees are playing an active role in a wide variety of fields in our company.
It'll also be possible for you to study abroad at your own expense to deepen and expand your expertise. With the flexible career leave we offer for studying abroad, employees can take up to two years' leave.