The Best Japanese Language Apps + Experts Brought Me to Japan 

Job Hunting in Hard Mode: The Difficulties of Trying to Find a Job in Japan on Your Own  

Wanting to go to Japan, I started learning the Japanese language and applying to Japanese companies through my efforts alone. I was learning Japanese on my own for 8 months, using the best Japanese language apps. Throughout my job-hunting journey, I had to prepare a resume in Japanese and submit job applications on various companies’ websites. It was all very challenging and time-consuming. Unfortunately, I got no response from any of them. I was miserable because I did not know any easy but legal method to pursue my dream. I was starting to lose hope when an online friend introduced me to FAST OFFER International. Trusting their success story of securing a job in Japan, I took the plunge and registered. Everything changed! 

Job Hunting in Easy Mode: FAST OFFER International’s All-Around Assistance  

I dreamt of living and working in Japan and of speaking to locals in fluent Japanese since I was a kid obsessed with anime. My cousins in Japan running an Indian restaurant also made me feel like my dream was almost within my reach. I was so determined that I thought that I could manage job hunting in Japan on my own. But using the best language apps wasn’t enough. Turns out, I needed expert help in job hunting!  

I was so relieved when I learned about all the support that was part of the program. Not only did they find companies that suited my skills and wishes, but they also sponsored a trip to Japan for the interviews! I was assigned an indispensable and kind mentor who helped me prepare for the interviews. All my hard work felt productive with expert guidance. I never knew that the job-hunting portion of my journey could be so easy and chill!  

Working on My Dream Through Learning Thru the BestJapanese Language Apps & Consistency

Part of why my journey with FAST OFFER International went so smoothly was because I also did my part, I had my academic background but I also made sure my Japanese was fine-tuned.  

Learning Japanese to get a job in Japan as an Indian, you need to focus on your speaking and listening skills. It’s also not simply your textbook understanding of Japanese but learning to be comfortable speaking and listening to Japanese. This helps you exude confidence and stay calm during the interview. I felt relaxed during the interviews because I was well-prepared and used to speaking Japanese with my online friends. Eventually, because I treated the interviewers as my friends, I performed well!  

How I Studied Japanese for My Job Hunt 

1. One of the best Japanese Language Apps is HelloTalk. I often did live sessions and games on the app to practice my Japanese speaking skills.  
2. I used an online application called ANKI to help revise my Japanese vocabulary, grammar, and phrases. It is user-friendly and you can keep track of the screen time you have spent on revising.  
3. I made sure to consistently study for at least 15-20 minutes per day and sometimes might up to 2-3 hours when I have more time. I always prepare for new lessons and do revisions because there is always a new topic you could learn from the previous lessons. In this way I practice my favorite Japanese philosophy: 改善(Kaizen), which means improving for the better.    
4. I created a “Japanese environment” to get used to Japanese. In my little corner of India, I carved out parts of my life that felt like I was already living in Japan. I folded listening to Japanese audio into my daily life until I could comfortably listen and comprehend Japanese at any speed.  
5. I practiced answering anticipated questions for the interviews. Mock interviews with my mentor helped me tweak every answer to perfection.  

The Pay Off: Cycling to My Future in Japan!  

Interviewing in person was such a game-changer for me. Everything I did, from using the Japanese language apps, signing up with FAST OFFER International, preparing for the interview, was all useful at the interview. It’s easier to make eye contact and express yourself offline compared to online interviews. Even though I was super stressed and nervous at my first in-person interview, I soon got comfortable as I began to think of my interviewers as friends from HelloTalk. After that, I got to relax and use all the preparation I did before flying to Japan.   

Can you believe it? Of the three interviews in Tokyo, I passed all of them. It felt so good! It was such a surprise to get 3/3! Passing with all three companies gave me the chance to mull which company would suit me best. In the end, I chose the company that shared my passion for cycling. I’m looking forward to doing something related to my hobby and may even directly benefit me!   

This Is Only the Beginning  

So much happened during my short time in Tokyo that made me more excited about my dream of working in Japan. On the very first day, as with all participants, we were given free time. I maximized every moment of it!   

Right off the bat, I met the online friends I met from HelloTalk for a walk and lunch. I was surprised that the portion of the delicious, chewy Big Bowl Ramen and I was unable to finish it.   

Right after, I went to Kanagawa by myself to meet my relatives. I panicked when I got lost. Thankfully, a helpful, kind Japanese local came to my aid. He patiently taught me how to get the right schedule and train until I could safely reach my destination.   

There’s so much to look forward to in Japan: the technology, anime, and career opportunities, but perhaps the best part is the people there! I already have such wonderful memories from that short trip! To think that it’s only just the beginning—what a wonderful thing!   

FAST OFFER CAREER GUIDE: The Best Japanese Language Apps to Help You On Your Journey to Japan

Most of our success stories emphasized the need to learn Japanese beyond the classroom. A lot of them do this by taking advantage of language apps. Here are the apps our successful talents have used:

1. HelloTalk

You’ll find many of our talents directly crediting HelloTalk by helping them practice speaking in Japanese and experiencing Japanese kindness. You’ll discover HelloTalk mentioned by this AI cloud engineer, this computer science engineer, this service engineer, this software engineer, this automotive engineer, and this data science engineer.

2. ANKI

As mentioned in the story above, ANKI can help you expand your Japanese vocabulary.

3. Duolingo

“After entering university, I self-studied Japanese using Duolingo, a language-learning app on my smartphone. Within a month, I mastered hiragana and katakana and acquired a foundational understanding of the language.”

4. Youtube for Podcasts

“Podcasts like JapanesePod and Noriko-Sensei have been invaluable, providing cultural insights and helping me understand the natural rhythm and intonation of Japanese. Listening to these podcasts during my commute or while doing household chores made it easy to integrate language learning into my daily routine.”

5. Sail

“Through the Sail App, you can meet Japanese mentors who are about 50-60 years old and are simply eager to share about their language and culture.”

These Japanese language apps are the perfect complement to your studies! If you’re looking for a free resource to master N5 Japanese, you can check out Irodori, a resource by the Japan Foundation. Once you’ve got N5 in the bag, you can apply for FAST OFFER International’s free Japanese classes.