That's interesting. I speak JLPT 1 Japanese, and have never had it be useful in finding work. I do far better for myself not working in the Japanese business culture, and hacking away at a tech startup.
Hacking away at a startup is way better than dealing with the sheer amounts of bullshit they shovel over here, though. :)
I've done a few previous JLPT 1 exams, and the vocab is the only place I'm lacking; I can usually narrow down the reading comprehension questions to 'one of these two', but 50% isn't a passing score. :)
Other than 'keep studying', any tips for helping me over the hump?