There's a cyber gold rush underway in Japan! And unlike the days of the California Gold Rush in America's Wild West, you need to have far more than a pick ax - and be much faster than a pack mule - to stake a claim in this treasure-laden territory. Just as prospectors joined wagon trains and braved the risks of nature and the great unknown, today's telecom giants, IT builders, and Net businesses are teaming up to claim their spot in the digital frontier. How do you fit in?

Specialized skills and training are needed to create the cutting-edge hardware and software necessary for the Net's New Business. But, like other industries, IT companies are having a hard time finding the right talent to stay ahead of the competition. Forecasters say the IT labor shortage will last for another six to ten years, and costs to the industry are enormous - from higher compensation packages needed to retain top talent to lost corporate revenue due to short-staffed software development projects. Companies in Japan are particularly liable to this problem - digitization came late to these shores, and now they're scrambling to catch up.

Is it any wonder that the IT recruiting industry is riding high in the saddle these days? Deregulation in Japan's financial industry and a renewed interest in M&A activities has brought an influx of foreign capital companies to the country. The recruiters that we profile in this special section represent some of the best in the industry. They can help you with employment, whether you're a corporate HR manager faced with filling twelve empty IT slots in the next three weeks, or a keen industry professional looking for a midcareer change to a hot, Net-centric enterprise.

The watchwords for this market are specialization, reliability, flexibility, and language skills. But don't worry if you're short on experience; like the California gold rush mentioned above, there's lots of room for panning for Net-employment gold.

Spencer Stuart Japan
Spencer Stuart Japan is part of Spencer Stuart, a leading international management consulting firm specializing in senior-level executive search and board director appointments. With more than 270 consultants in 51 cities around the world, the firm annually conducts more than 4,000 search assignments for clients, ranging from Fortune 100 multinationals to emerging start-up companies. The objective is to help organizations build and strengthen their leadership through outstanding search solutions. Joji Hara Managing Director

Oak Associates
Oak Associates is a human resources consulting company based in Tokyo. More than just recruiting, we also host management and other training programs. Providing comprehensive services is an advantage to our clients in terms of a better partnership, and allows us to expand our own business and competencies. As an American-owned company with a staff of ten different nationalities, we have a kind of special access to Japan's international business community.

East West Consulting
Since its founding in 1987 by Nobuko Muromatsu and Conan O'Harrow, East West Consulting has grown continuously to become the largest executive search and recruiting firm in Japan, with headquarters in Tokyo and offices in San Francisco and New York. Last year, East West placed almost 600 candidates. Vice President Mark Saft and his team of recruiters and researchers, who work exclusively with high-tech companies, successfully filled 80 of those positions.

JAC Japan
JAC is an international recruitment consultancy with a Japan focus, established in London in 1975. Together with our offices in London and Tokyo (est. 1988), we also operate in Osaka, Singapore, and Kuala Lumpur. In Tokyo we are partners with a wide range of companies in all industries, with seven consultants involved with IT recruitment. This includes both Japanese and non-Japanese consultants, working in Japanese, English, German, and French.

DISCO International Career Resourses
DISCO International is a New York based subsidiary of its head office in Japan, servicing the Japanese-English bilingual recruiting needs of world-class companies. It offers a wide range of recruiting products and services, including job fairs, direct placement, publications, customized programs, consulting, and the latest addition - MidCareer.com. With its head office in Japan and sister offices in Berlin and London, the company employs a total of 350 employees.

Access Technology Japan
Access Technology, Japan is the leading recruiting company in the foreign capital IT-related industry. With over 20 professionals in Japan and 3 in the United States, we have more full-time, hard-core IT-industry recruiters than any other company in Tokyo. Team-ATJ gets results in the most efficient way. Though there are larger recruiting companies in Japan, our focus on the foreign capital IT industry makes us the most potent force.

Executive Search International
ESI began operations in 1969 as the Japan subsidiary of the Eastman, Beaudine, Hazard Group, becoming locally owned and managed in 1979. We have been providing human resource solutions to multi-national companies in Japan for over thirty years. Specializing in the recruitment of mid- and top- level executives, ESI has expanded services to include re-engineering, outplacement and market entry. ESI's adaptability and understanding of our clients' requirements makes us one of the most sought-after recruitment companies in the Japanese market.

Ixsus
The globalization of business today means that internationally minded employees are required across the occupational spectrum. But it's not easy to run a business and find quality staff at the same time. This is where Ixsus can help, regardless of whether companies are seeking bilingual Japanese employees or foreign Japan hands-people who speak the language and understand the local culture. Our Japanese/English bilingual professionals can start contributing to your organization immediately. - Junji Fukada, President & CEO

IIas
In today's rapidly changing "e-business" environment, an organization's survival depends on finding highly qualified executives, managers, and technical professionals to implement strategic IT systems and solutions. The personnel search and consulting division of Ilas, an IBM Japan affiliate staffed by ex-IBM Japan IT professionals in SE, technical/application consulting, and marketing, provides unparalleled recruiting services to meet the IT and organizational needs of various industries-manufacturing, distribution, finance, and the public sector. - Takao Satoh, Director

CDS Consulting
CDS Consulting provides responsive and innovative solutions to foreign capital companies seeking to hire the best possible people for their Japan operations. Rapidly becoming known as one of Japan's leading consulting-based executive search firms with a reputation built on integrity, speed, and objective judgment, CDS partners with both established corporations and promising start-ups with cutting-edge technology. We offer a range of services such as start-up/market-entry consulting, HR consulting, and business intelligence. - Simon Childs M.D.

Morgan & Banks
Morgan & Banks is a leading international professional services organization, providing value-added consulting services to foreign-capital companies in the IT, telecommunications, and finance industries. In January 1999, Morgan & Banks became part of TMP Worldwide Group to form the world's leading provider of global recruiting solutions, incorporating traditional and online recruitment together with human resources consulting activities. The group also includes Monster.com, the largest global Internet careers portal and search/selection network. Angelena Wang, Representative

TESCO
With its 24-year history of business operations in Japan, TESCO is both a pioneer and leader in the executive search and recruiting industry, creating 21st-century human resource solutions and methods in order to provide the best in global recruiting services. Working primarily with foreign corporations, we have developed an extensive network of outstanding top-level executives and management personnel who are able to bridge different cultures. TESCO's professional staff are well equipped and experienced in providing the best candidates for our clients. - Masaru Eshima, President

Finding a good recruiter - Recruiters' Index

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