How I became interested in Japan
I have always been a fan of anime, such as Death Note and Pokémon since I was a child. Through watching anime, I gained a lot of knowledge about Japan. Besides anime, I find the seasons and daily life in Japan incredibly fascinating. Japan has four distinct seasons, with more cooler periods compared to Malaysia. Since I am not a fan of Malaysia’s year-round hot weather, I have always had a desire to experience spring, autumn, and winter in Japan. It has long been a dream of mine to visit Japan in winter and play in the snow.
Due to my interest in Japanese culture, I love Japan and started studying Japanese at the age of 15. I initially self-taught myself hiragana and katakana, and around the age of 17, I began self-studying kanji. However, it was still challenging. I also struggled with speaking and listening at that time. After entering the Universiti Teknologi Malaysia, I found out that there were Japanese language classes at the university and started taking them in my second year of university. I have continued to study little by little, and now, I am in my ninth year of learning Japanese.
Why I Wanted to Work in Japan
When I was a child, I thought it was impossible to work in Japan, but as I grew older, I began to think that there might be a slight possibility. Just as I was thinking that a representative from ASIA to JAPAN came to my university in May 2023 and held an information session about the FAST OFFER International programme. It was there that I first learnt about the opportunity to work in Japan and that such a program existed, so I immediately registered.
Then, in the following month of June, I received a notification from ASIA to JAPAN about a mock interview. At that time, I did not have much skill in speaking and listening in Japanese, so I practiced hard and participated. After passing the mock interview, I received offers from two Japanese companies. The entire process went very smoothly.
I went through the selection process with the two companies in July, but unfortunately, I did not pass. Especially during the interview with one company, I was asked a lot of technical questions in Japanese, and I struggled a lot to answer them.
Afterward, in September, I had another opportunity for an interview with a company. During the interview with that company, I was told that it was okay to explain technical matters in English, so I explained those parts in English and answered the other questions in Japanese. Although I took the first interview online, but for the second interview, the company representative wanted to meet me in person to get to know my expression and the project, so I was invited to a face-to-face interview in Japan. Originally, I would not have been able to attend an interview without an offer from several companies, but I was specially invited to attend a face-to-face interview in September.
Since the September interview event was my first opportunity to go to Japan, I was incredibly happy. In between the selection process, I enjoyed going to see fireworks and visited Akihabara to see anime-related goods, etc.
The interview took place in Aichi Prefecture, where the company’s headquarters is located. There were five interviewers in the interview room, and one of them was a foreigner. At first, I was nervous and could not speak Japanese very well, but everyone was calm, and I was able to relax. During the interview, I showed them my graduation project work, a glove, and explained the project in Japanese. I was also asked what I thought about the company’s scope of work and how my graduation project applied to my job at the company. In addition, there were several technical questions, such as about Kalman filtering. The interview lasted for 45-50 minutes in total, and although some of the questions were difficult, I took it as a sign that they had high expectations of me, and I did my best.
After receiving the job offer, I went for a company visit. I will be joining the research and development department after entering the company, but as the branch office was busy, I visited the office in Aichi Prefecture. There were many foreign employees at that company, and I was able to ask them about their experiences. It was particularly gratifying to hear about Japanese company culture and the barriers to learning a foreign language from someone who works there as foreigner. The office was very spacious, the atmosphere of the company felt free, and the employees were kind and helpful, leaving me with a very good impression.
To become an engineer who can contribute to the automotive industry by developing sustainable and efficient vehicles using renewable energy
After joining the company, I will work in the research and development department, developing automotive components and IT. Specifically, I plan to conduct research and development on machines, steering systems, and motors using Simulink.
My goal after joining the company is to become an engineer who can contribute to the automotive industry by developing sustainable and efficient vehicles using renewable energy. I also want to do my best to develop new technologies that will be useful for the next generation.
Message
For those aiming to work in Japan, I highly recommend FAST OFFER International as their process is smooth and their staff will support you until you secure a job, so you can rest assured. The language barrier can be quite challenging during interviews, but I encourage you to gradually increase your exposure to the Japanese language. Even if you feel that your Japanese proficiency is not sufficient, with effort and practice, you will surely succeed. I will support you!
Lastly, I would like to express my sincere gratitude to those who supported me throughout this experience. It truly would not have been possible without ASIA to JAPAN. Thank you very much.
