| COUNTRY |
| India |
| EDUCATION |
| Bachelor of Electronics and Telecommunication, Savitribai Phule Pune University |
| COMPANY |
| A Japanese engineering and construction company headquartered in Fukuoka City. |
| SUMMARY |
| Inspired by Doraemon, an electronics and telecommunications engineer from India pursued a career in Japan. In this story, he reflects on his path, offers tips for fellow engineers on acing Japanese job interviews, and explains how the concept of kaizen plays a vital role in his work as an engineer. |
Doraemon Made Me Do It: Why I Decided To Be An Engineer
Funny as it may seem to some, I’m not afraid to say that a blue robot cat inspired my engineering career. Six years ago, I came home after a long day, looking to unwind, and ended up rewatching one of my favorite anime series, Doraemon.
It’s just so fun watching a factory-rejected robot cat fix a family’s future by going back in time to help a clumsy pre-teen ancestor.
As I watched, I became fascinated by Doraemon’s futuristic gadgets. A door that lets you travel anywhere! A helicopter hat! In my childhood, I wanted those things. But as a teen who’s about to enter his college years, I realized I wanted to build them. This led me to pursue a degree in Electronics and Telecommunications at the Savitribai Phule Pune University.
By doing so, I hope that, like Doraemon, I can create gadgets that genuinely help people. Who knows? Maybe one day I’ll even build a robot cat of my own, designed to make someone’s future better.
My Fascination with Robots Continued During Uni Years
As I dove deeper into my college years, my fascination with gadgets and robotics only grew stronger. For my final year project, I worked on designing a robotic arm system. I focused on the internal design and developed a system capable of learning and memorizing manual operations, allowing it to perform pick-and-place tasks.
While working on this project, I began to realize how much more I could explore my potential if I went to Japan, a country that’s leading in robotics, and the birthplace of my original inspiration, Doraemon. I had heard about how robotics in Japan had advanced far beyond basic industrial uses in factories. There are even cat-eared robot waiters in Japan now!
My heart is set. I wanted to go to Japan for my career. Fortunately, an opportunity came through my university that made it possible.
Learning Japanese Through Hirameki
My university partnered with Hirameki, which offered engineering students the opportunity to take formal Japanese classes. And through Hirameki, I was also introduced to the FAST OFFER program. I learned that I could land a job offer in Japan once my Japanese became fluent enough to take job interviews.
I began studying Japanese alongside my college studies. It wasn’t a smooth ride. In fact, my journey of learning Japanese feels more like a rollercoaster. I was overwhelmed, and I admit, there were times when I felt like giving up. But my sensei supported me throughout the process, and that support went a long way. Thanks to this encouragement, I pushed through.
Learning a new language was quite challenging. Here are some tips that helped me:
- Memorize kanji by creating a story based on what the character looks like or resembles. This makes it easier to remember. The best way to learn kanji is by understanding its structure and the way it’s drawn.
- Listen to a lot of Japanese — and I mean a lot. Watching anime, dramas, and listening to podcasts really helped me with pronunciation and retention of words and phrases.
I’m currently at JLPT N3 proficiency, which was enough to help me secure a job offer as an engineer in Japan. But I don’t want to stop there. I’m now working toward earning my JLPT N2 certification soon.
My Experience Interviewing With Japanese Companies
Once my Japanese was fluent enough, FAST OFFER put me up as a candidate for job interviews. Here are the highlights of my experience interviewing with Japanese companies:
The perks of an online job interview
As an introvert, I was glad that my interview was conducted online. I felt I could express my thoughts much more clearly in that setting. When someone is sitting right in front of me, I tend to hold back and struggle to articulate myself well. So being able to interview from the comfort of home turned out to be a great advantage.
That said, there are still a few important things to keep in mind: make sure your Wi-Fi is stable, you’re dressed appropriately, speak clearly, and don’t forget to smile to build rapport even through a screen.
It’s not about being fluent, it’s about your attitude
This may come as a surprise, but you don’t actually need to be very fluent in Japanese to succeed in a job interview for an engineering role in Japan. From my experience, interviewers understand that you’re a foreigner and that you might struggle to find the exact words sometimes. What matters more is your attitude — how you handle moments when you get stuck finding the right word, how you navigate the conversation, and how willing you are to keep trying. They look more for effort and a genuine desire to improve, not perfect grammar.
I had two rounds of interviews: one with the HR and one with a panel
In the first round of the interview, they asked about my background and my motivation for working and living in Japan. It was fairly standard and, to be honest, quite easy for me.
The second round, however, came as a bit of a shock. There were four interviewers in the virtual room. It was a technical interview conducted in a round-table style discussion. At first, it was intimidating and honestly a little overwhelming.
But as the interview progressed, I began to feel more at ease. I appreciated that the interviewers made an effort to help me relax. They started with simple, casual questions before gradually moving into more technical topics. That thoughtful approach made a big difference in calming my nerves and allowing me to respond more confidently.
Questions I Was Asked During My Job Interview For an Engineer Position
Japanese job interview questions for engineers can vary, but these are the ones that I encountered:
For the first round with human resources, I was asked:
- Why do you want to work in Japan?
- Why do you want to work in a Japanese company?
- Why do you want to work in our company?
- When did you start your journey?
- How long have you been studying Japanese?
For the technical round, they ask you a lot about your engineering background. It was very interesting talking to a panel of experts from the company. Some questions are:
- What was your major in college?
- What was your topic for your Final Year Project? Why did you choose it, and what were the difficulties that occurred while doing the project?
- What are your strengths as an engineer?
- What are your personal projects?
- What’s your experience with a particular hardware and software?
Overall, it’s better to have a general knowledge of engineering topics. But they won’t drill you too much about your expertise. They just want to know the person they’re interviewing. That’s all.
If you prepare, the interview can be fun. You can enjoy it, I promise!
Getting a job offer
FAST OFFER truly lives up to its name. Within just two hours, I found out that I had passed my first interview. The next day, I was informed that I had cleared the panel interview as well. And by the following day, I had already received an offer letter from the company. FAST OFFER, indeed!
I’m incredibly thankful to my mentor, whom I consider my guardian angel throughout this journey. They were always there for me, offering guidance and support even during the most difficult moments. I truly couldn’t have done it without them.
Why I’m Choosing Japan? Applying Kaizen in Engineering
When I received the job offer, I accepted it immediately without any hesitation. Beyond wanting to work in a country that leads the world in robotics, I was also drawn to the Japanese concept of kaizen, which means striving for continuous improvement day by day, no matter how small.
I was first introduced to Kaizen by my dad’s friend, who works for a local automotive manufacturer. He explained how the concept is applied in product development, where you need to constantly refine and improve, one step at a time.
This idea resonated deeply with me as an engineer. I’ve always believed in a progressive mindset — the idea of building something, whether it’s a robot or a simple gadget, and making it better little by little until it’s the best it can be. And above all, for me, if you can use your skills as an engineer to support and contribute to society, that’s one of the most fulfilling ways to live.
The Kaizen mindset is one of the many reasons I’m excited to start my engineering career in Japan.
Looking Forward to My Future in Japan as an Engineer
Every day, I find myself researching things to do in Fukuoka, where the company I’ll be joining is located.
From what I’ve gathered, both from research and talking to others, the best part about living in Fukuoka is that the cost of living is lower compared to Tokyo or Osaka. On top of that, the company provides a dormitory. The best part about this is that I can stay there as long as I want at a cheap rent of around JPY8,000.
Aside from work, I’m really looking forward to exploring the local food scene. I want to try different types of ramen and, of course, takoyaki.
Final Message To Fellow Aspiring Engineers
To anyone who wishes to follow a similar path: I’m rooting for you! Don’t be afraid to chase your dreams. Challenges will always come, but once you overcome them, you’ll come out stronger than before.
When learning Japanese feels overwhelming, don’t give up. That’s the worst thing you can do. Just keep going. One day, it won’t feel as hard as it is now. Take it from someone who struggled, who almost gave up, but didn’t. And now, I’m about to embark on an exciting new adventure in Japan!
