Studying at University
According to the Indian education system, I started going to school when I was 3 years old. Therefore, although I am now 21 years old, I graduated from the Master’s program of the Computer Science Department of the University of Madras in May of 2023.
My final year project was to develop an app for mobile ordering in restaurants. It is also compatible with IOS, Android, and Windows. We have not yet been able to release this app, but if we find a restaurant owner who wants to use it, we can customize the implementation and release it on Google Play, etc. This app is very inexpensive and useful for restaurant owners, and I hope many people will use it in the future.
How did I become interested in Japan?
I became deeply interested in Japan because of its culture, food, technology, and the way Japanese people work. Japanese people are passionate about their work, disciplined and hardworking. I was impressed by their attitude toward work. I am also interested in the Japanese culture of “Ku-ki wo yomu” (reading the room). I was very impressed that they speak with concern not only for themselves but also for others. Since I am not Japanese, I still sometimes find it difficult to read the room, but I want to do my best to learn it. I also started dreaming of working in Japan because I thought that I could improve my technical skills if I went to Japan.
Therefore, I started studying through Japanese language classes at university in 2018. At the university, I took Japanese classes from 9:00 to 11:00 and classes for my major from 11:00 to 17:00. It was a tough schedule, but I was able to get through it because I enjoyed it even more. I studied Japanese for about 5 years and obtained JLPT N3.
Online Study Abroad in Japan
I studied abroad online at Soka University in Japan for six months starting in September 2020. Originally, I was supposed to go to Japan for an actual exchange program starting in March 2020, but because of COVID-19, I had no choice but to do my study abroad online.
I took many classes at my study abroad destination, including Japanese, French, and a philosophy class offered in English. In the online program, I had to take classes in Japanese time while in India, so I had to start attending classes early in the morning every day. It was tough because I had to take classes in the mornings at my study abroad destination and in the afternoons at the university in India, but I was able to get through it thanks to the support from professors and it was a great experience.
My first encounter with FAST OFFER International
I was browsing LinkedIn when a post about FAST OFFER International happened to drift by and that was the first time, I heard about it. When I read the post, I learned that I could get a chance to work in Japan through their program, and I was interested in it, so I registered in March 2023. To be honest, at first, I thought, “I’ll give it a shot as an experience!” and I did not expect the process to go so smoothly. Thanks to the dedicated support of the ASIA to JAPAN staff, I was able to receive offers from two Japanese companies and was invited to an interview in June.
Participation in Face-to-Face Interviews
In June, I had the opportunity to participate in face-to-face interviews with several companies in Japan, along with students from around the world who are looking for jobs in Japan through FAST OFFER International. I was excited because it was my first opportunity to go to Japan, but I was even more nervous because the interviews were conducted entirely in Japanese. From the first day until the final interview, I spent the entire two days practicing for the interview and studying Japanese. While studying with the JLPT N4 and N3 textbooks I brought from India, I kept fidgeting and thinking, “What am I going to do…!” I was fidgeting all the time.
But after the orientation, an ASIA to JAPAN staff member encouraged me a lot and I was able to relax a little because of her. Also, my mentor was a former employee of the company where I had interviewed and passed it, so he gave me a lot of technical advice about the interview and the PPT for my final year project. The mentor told me, “Don’t be too nervous during the interview and keep smiling. That way the interviewer will be happy to have interviewed you.” I tried to do my best to smile during the interview.
I was so nervous at first that I could not even smile when I entered the interview room. However, the questions were like the ones I had practiced in the mock interview, so after that I was able to answer the questions calmly and with a smile. I did my best in the interview.
After the final interview, I received a letter of offer from one of the companies that day, and when the staff at ASIA to JAPAN called me back, I really cried a lot in my hotel room! I could not believe that I had been chosen, and it still feels like a dream to this day. As soon as I received the call, I changed my clothes and ran to the ASIA to JAPAN office and thanked the staff in charge a lot.
I was able to experience a lot more than just interviews at the interview sessions. I became friends with other students, and we went to Ueno Park together and went out to eat Japanese food. I was happy to be able to use Japanese expressions that I had only learned in textbooks and had never had a chance to use in real life at a restaurant. I also went to Nagoya to visit the company that had offered me a job. The first ride on the Shinkansen was very comfortable, and the person in charge treated us to sashimi and udon noodles. It was delicious!
Goals and vision
From the beginning, I knew I wanted to work for a relatively small company. I thought that working for a smaller company would allow me to do practical work more quickly, experience different positions, and learn a lot. Therefore, I chose to work for a company where I could pursue what I wanted to do. When I visited the company, the employees were working hard and kindly explained to me about the company and its projects. They also told me a lot about how to live, who lives near the company, and I was able to consult my concerns as well. I am happy to work for a company with such wonderful people.
I will start working as a system engineer next April, and in 5~6 years, I would like to be a senior level system engineer and be able to manage a team with leadership skills.
Message
FAST OFFER International not only provided support for job hunting, but I was also able to talk to many Japanese people and experience Japanese culture through participating in interview sessions. I believe that working in Japan requires not only technical knowledge but also an understanding of Japanese culture and the skills to have a good relationship with Japanese people, all of which can be experienced in the program. The FAST OFFER International program gave me the opportunity to experience these things, not just the superficial information I see on YouTube or the Internet. It was also great to receive dedicated support from the staff and mentors for free. In fact, a friend of mine used another agency that supported her in finding a job in Japan, but there she received little interview support and no answers to her questions at all. Hence, I appreciated the warm and supportive atmosphere. If anyone is interested in working in Japan, please study Japanese hard and try to achieve your dream through FAST OFFER International!
