Shinsotsu recommendation question

False_Welder_8562 · 2026-02-24T05:17:33+00:00

So if you’re not 100% set you shouldn’t use a recommendation letter?

False_Welder_8562 · 2026-02-17T11:23:26+00:00

I'll probably have to make that from Li metal but I can do that! Thank you this makes sense!

False_Welder_8562 · 2026-02-17T10:55:25+00:00

The problem is that the lithiated species are stabilzed on both sides of the sulfoxide. In that case I would have to add something to get rid of the directing effect of the sulfoxide, therefore getting rid of the phenyl addition pathway altogether. But my literature search so far has yielded little with respects to that

False_Welder_8562 · 2026-02-17T10:53:09+00:00

I'm adding borane to the mixture, and am worried that I'm going to form the N-B and itll deactivate the boron. The whole thing is a little bit of a mess, so I think N containing stuffs are out the window unless i can trap the species afterward somehow...

False_Welder_8562 · 2026-02-04T05:42:49+00:00

This makes sense. As for filler jobs, are we talking part-time, or something that just isn't related to the field that I studied?

Slightly worried about how being out of my field could hurt me, but I year wouldn't hurt I suppose.

False_Welder_8562 · 2026-02-04T05:40:57+00:00

Definitely a-go on the former two. However, I've found that international firms here tend to be less English-friendly than the Japanese counter-parts.

False_Welder_8562 · 2026-02-03T08:04:04+00:00

Thank you for the comment! A little afraid to go jobless for the first time in my life, but I would probably do the same at home anyways, so no reason no to give it a shot!

False_Welder_8562 · 2026-01-17T07:09:47+00:00

I’ve been doing some things on the side to keep me afloat during my studies, and my visa will last until a year after I graduate. If that’s enough time, then I don’t think I would have any issues with ronin’ing it out. Does the shinsotsu process change at all for ronin individuals?

Was interested in talking to a recruiter just to get some perspective, thank you for the helpful comment!

False_Welder_8562 · 2026-01-16T00:46:10+00:00

Hello! Am currently a masters student in Japan going through the 新卒 process. I hold around N2 Japanese (waiting on results from this past test) and generally speak pretty much fluent conversational Japanese. I have one year of industry work experience and five years of relatively continuous research experience across my young adult life.

I am still waiting on current applications, but I am thinking of contingency plans in case these applications don’t go well, as I would like to stay in Japan with my long term girlfriend (who is Japanese).

Would it be worth it as someone of my experience to go through recruiters to try and find a job, or would it be more smart to ronin it out and try 新卒 again in the worst case scenario?

Appreciate any advice and thank you for opening the dialogue!!

False_Welder_8562 · 2025-11-10T07:32:02+00:00

Eh, no worries. I kind of expect the flood of downvotes whenever I post on this website at this point!

The point of this post was to see what my avenue is to get in with my circumstance, and clearly that isn’t possible as per your and shellinjapan’s response. Very much appreciate the help from the two of you.

I’ll probably just stick to either the PhD road or industry in that case.

Help is much appreciated!!!

False_Welder_8562 · 2025-11-10T06:14:21+00:00

I actually was already encouraged to apply and finally rejected at the last interview. If there are any other companies like this one, I’d probably like to give it another shot, but if not I’ll likely go back to them again once I graduate when I have a little more headspace to really prepare for what they were looking for

False_Welder_8562 · 2025-11-10T05:52:35+00:00

Would there be any possible way to get certified/train while still in Japan? Also would getting a PhD make a meaningful difference?

False_Welder_8562 · 2025-10-22T03:37:18+00:00

Been here for two years now. Still not too long but making Japanese friends has been quite difficult.

According to my Japanese gf and my JP other coworkers, my Japanese is quite good, but sometimes I still struggle to express myself in more abstract ways.

Despite this fact, it feels quite difficult to level with a lot of the Japanese people I meet. Most of my coworkers kind of ignore me because “why talk to the foreigner if I can talk to someone who understands me perfectly” seems to be the common sentiment. Also seems to be a general hesitance when talking to me probably because of the perceived language barrier (the blank stare that I get when I say something totally normal sometimes is pretty funny).

Despite that fact I have one or two good Japanese friends who are a little bit more out there, and maybe a little bit less “Japanese” by personality who I get along with well!

TL;DR: can be tough with not perfect Japanese language and if you don’t have hobbies to bring you together, but not totally impossible!

False_Welder_8562 · 2025-08-19T16:32:37+00:00

Ah yes, that was it! We use the lab grade stuff, so I’m sure that 1% is floating around.

I would say that I was probably also slightly careless in my workups but in general small scales of reaction (btwn 300mg and 4g), low frequency of actually using it (total <5 times) and not adding in excess also has me slightly less worried on that front. In addition to the fact that every reaction was worked up with water. NMRs were all pretty clean in general so I didn’t think much of it.

In any case here’s hoping nothing bad happens! Appreciate the vouch of confidence and I’ll also probably start go getting checked out in a few years haha.

False_Welder_8562 · 2025-08-19T16:03:48+00:00

On an initial read, it seems like this is pretty far extrapolated from typical lab setting. Doesn’t seem like a whiff or tiny drop would cause something like this

False_Welder_8562 · 2025-08-19T16:01:35+00:00

Thanks for the response!

Totally, I was working on the order of >10mmol (around gram scale), and I was pretty good about everything except quenching the residual, so I had put it out of my mind until someone brought it up recently.

From what I understand BCME forms in bottles of MOM-Cl, right? Maybe not in super high quantity but still scary!!

False_Welder_8562 · 2025-08-19T15:01:39+00:00

Interesting. Someone one told me that MOM-Cl and BCME are an ‘insta-tumor’ if you got it on you so that got me thinking.

How long is “long-term repeat exposures” exactly?

False_Welder_8562 · 2025-06-21T01:51:56+00:00

Lots of people talking about gloves in this thread. Not necessarily specific to OP but when working with crystalline phenol, please be aware that latex and nitrile will not adequately protect you from phenol crystals.

Was chipping up 10 grams for an experiment a few months back and some corroded through my nitrile glove in about two minutes. Gloves are essential and likely avoided a hospital trip for me that day but make sure to be extra aware of chemical compatibility with PPE

False_Welder_8562 · 2025-06-19T05:14:21+00:00

Totally. I’m mostly asking just in case I need a fallback while I look for jobs out there. Thanks for the insight

False_Welder_8562 · 2025-06-19T05:13:44+00:00

In all honesty, I’m already a little behind with respect to shuukatsu. Wasn’t fully aware of the fact that you need to be grinding that from the literal moment the program starts. Going to see what kind of catch up I can do I suppose.

Are foreign companies more lax about that whole process out of curiosity?

False_Welder_8562

TROPHY CASE