Becoming an Indonesian Computer Science Engineer in Japan: Joining My Brothers at Our Dream Country

Anime, Art, and Brotherly Love Inspired My Dream to be an Indonesian Computer Science Engineer in Japan

When I was young, my older brothers and I got into anime. We especially loved Full-Metal Alchemist together—perhaps mirroring the closeness we saw on the show. It even got us into drawing anime-styled art. I got really good at making anime-styled art that I even did some commissions during my college years for extra money, and I even got published on “Bogue,” a local magazine publishing anime art inspired by Honkai Star Rail.

However, I didn’t pursue my art as a full-time career. Instead, I decided to go for computer science. I wanted to pursue a career that would allow me to earn well and give me opportunities to work abroad. I also liked how meaningful computer science can be in changing or helping people’s everyday lives.

It didn’t occur to me instantly that working abroad would directly mean Japan. Perhaps, in my young mind then, Japan felt like an impossible dream. It only really became a possibility when my brothers went ahead of me to work in Japan two years ago.

Japan Was Living in the Future: A Perfect Place for Indonesian Computer Science Engineers

Again, I’m very close to my brothers. One became a busy salaried man, and the other became a factory worker with more free time to talk to me. My brother and I would have video calls and share photos about his life in Japan, comparing it to our lives in Indonesia. From our chats, I’d see reference photos for the shows we’ve watched or attempted to draw, and technology that felt decades ahead of what was present in Japan. I thought to myself, surely, Japan is living in the future.

The Challenging Job Market in Indonesia as a Computer Science Engineer

That realization took on another dimension in August 2024. I was a recent graduate with no work experience and still struggling to land a job in spite of a good degree because of the job market. Most of the available jobs open for computer science new graduates in Indonesia were short, project-based contracts and required very specific frameworks. To land an offer, you would need to invest a lot of time in learning a specific framework without certainty of landing the job. In contrast, in Japan, they invest in training you after getting hired.

The market was so competitive. I needed to have an edge. I thought of learning another language since knowing English didn’t make much of a difference either. The fact that my brothers and my brother also very knowledgeable in Japanese Language, this makes my journey to self-study Japanese easier

In just four months, I gave it my all. As challenging as it was, I also enjoyed the process because  I simply loved Japanese culture to begin with.

How I Learned Japanese in Just A Few Months to Become a Computer Science Engineer in Japan

1. I used anki as a daily routine. Anki is a flashcard app to learn Japanese words and vocabulary. There’s a cool guide made by DJT on internet!  
2. I read Japanese visual novels, which are extremely immersive, allowing you to think in Japanese. It’s extremely engaging and surprisingly educational. If you are not used to reading, watching anime in Japanese subtitles is still as good as reading! 
3. I used VRChat to make Japanese friends to practice speaking with. VRChat communities can be used to make Japanese friends and language exchange. This makes you get used to Japanese conversation, and helps alleviate tension during interviews! 
4. Be consistent! This is what separate the kids from adults! Doing daily Anki reviews and Japanese media immersions daily was key to my smooth self-study process.  
5. When the opportunity to join FAST OFFER International’s classes arose, I grabbed it. 

All in all, the reason I got to speak Japanese quickly was because of all the additional self-studying I did, which accounted for about 80% of my Japanese education.

Deciding to Pursue Japan with FAST OFFER International

I learned about FAST OFFER International through a friend sharing her experiences on her Instagram stories years ago. We talked about how she was going to work in Japan straight from college. I thought that was crazy, but it was something that she deserved as a high-achieving student. I wasn’t thinking about how I could follow her footsteps then. A year after that, she posted again, this time, about her life in Japan, and I was in the midst of learning Japanese already. So, I decided to give the platform she used a shot.

To be honest, I wasn’t confident of succeeding. Compared to my friend, you can say she’s a top 1% kind of student. Her Japanese sounds native! Side by side with her, I’m just a normal student without an impressive internship or mentorship experience.

On top of that, I knew I would be coming in with a lot of disadvantages. Unlike fellow applicants at FAST OFFER, I wasn’t a student anymore, and it had been a bit more than a year since I graduated.

But I thought to myself: Let’s go all in! Sink or swim! As the Japanese say it:  一か八か!

My First Japanese Job Interview with FAST OFFER International

Since I was studying Japanese with FAST OFFER International, it was easy enough to transition to the job-hunting part. As expected, though, I failed at my first interview opportunity. This gave me an idea of how the job interviews worked, but it was also clear to me that I wasn’t a perfect fit for that company anyway.

2nd Chance with FAST OFFER International: All The Reasons I Did Better

1. My Japanese Was Better This Time Around. I was able to improve my Japanese just a little bit more before the second job interview with a different company.  I doubled down on talking to my Japanese friends on VRChat to the point I’d become comfortable.
2. I Was Genuinely Interested in the Company’s Industry and Work. Perhaps more importantly, the company worked in an industry I was more interested in. The job felt like it fit my background better.
3. I Showed Genuine Enthusiasm and Curiosity About the Company. As I researched the company, I also chanced upon a technology they had developed that I had a genuine interest in. It was AI that helped map and track customers in stores to study their behavior. Asking about it during the interview with authentic enthusiasm must have left a deep, lasting impression on my interviewers.
4. Familiar With the Process, I Was Calmer This Time. Having learned from the previous interview, I wasn’t nervous at the interview. Without sacrificing keigo, I was able to think of my interviewers as friends, which kept our conversation warm and friendly.  

The Challenge with Online Job Interviews

My final interview happened around 8 in the morning. Part of me was expecting to fail. I felt like I had bungled the interview because of the poor audio and my internet connection. There were times I answered, not exactly sure if I got the question correctly. They’d smile after my answer, and I wouldn’t know if it was genuine or sarcastic.

Waiting for the results after an interview is always a drudging, miserable, and anxious time. Thankfully, because the process was so smooth with FAST OFFER International, I got news by 2 pm on the same day of my interview.

My JLPT N3 teacher emailed something like: “内定おめでとうございます！”

I didn’t even know what内定 meant so I quickly googled it. It meant unofficial job offer! I was in shock! This was unbelievable! I was so happy. I immediately called up my mom to tell her I was going to Japan!

My Future in Japan as an Indonesian Computer Science Engineer

I can’t wait to join my brothers in Japan. It all seems like a dream. We began our journey together watching Full Metal Alchemist in Indonesia as kids, and now we’ve got this future ahead of us in Indonesia.

There’s a life ahead that’s full and colorful waiting to be explored! Even now, I have plans for future Golden Weeks and other long-weekend holidays, going to all the spots like Osaka, Nara, Akihabara, Kyoto, and more.

I can’t wait to see more of the birthplace of anime: the place that inspired such great art, and so much art to make from the overflowing experiences. I can just imagine making art and going to comic cons with my brother again. Perhaps I’ll even find a community of artists to grow with in Japan.

It’s also great to know that there’s meaningful work waiting for me in Japan. With my company, I want to help create AI that really improves people’s lives. As an artist and programmer myself, I also want to show that AI can be used to improves people’s lives, not to steal artists’ jobs or rob us of the true meaning of art with generative AI.

Lastly, I’m excited to meet my future self once I find the balance between my identity and assimilating into Japanese society. With improved Japanese, I want to be able to tell them my story, but also to be part of theirs.  

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