My Awe for Japanese Tech Inspired Me to Aim for Engineering Opportunities in Japan
I used to tinker with my toys when I was young. I was always fascinated with machines and how they worked. I’d open toys, often breaking them, wondering how the bits and pieces all worked together. Once, my remote-controlled car stopped working and I opened it up to try to fix it. I could not fix the car, but I took out the motor and used it to make a toy shark that could swim in water.
My passion for tinkering with tech led me to take my bachelor’s in mechanical engineering at Savitribai Phule Pune University. It was during that time that my aunt who worked as an interpreter for a Japanese company planted a seed in my mind. She told me how the Japanese were so hard-working and detail oriented. She encouraged me to one day work in Japan, to take advantage of the many engineering opportunities there.
This made me really reflect on Japan. I noticed how customer-oriented their technology was. They always made incredibly thoughtful and impactful technology. From self-parking chairs and paper recycling machines, down to disposable food packaging, the Japanese are always innovating. In Japan, even pudding containers are hi-tech. The pudding’s plastic container has this mechanism at the bottom that helps the jiggly pudding plop out easily and smoothly. Japan also does the big things. The first article I read about them when I was researching was how they created origami-inspired satellite wings that would fold up to save space and then ergonomically and gracefully expand.
So, when the chance to study Japanese came, when I was in my third year at the university, it just felt natural to sign up. Anyway, I thought, whether I was going to work in Japan one day, there were also India-based Japanese companies that could open to me if I learned Japanese. Through entering these classes, I also became part of FAST OFFER International’s talent pool.
2022 Mastering Japanese: How a Love for Anime Led to Career Opportunities in Japan
Hoping to land an engineering opportunity in Japan, I needed to learn Japanese. At first, learning Japanese was hard because I had to memorize the alphabet (Hiragana, Katakana, and Kanji) but I found ways that helped me consistently progress.
Here are some things that helped me learn Japanese:
- I regularly studied and practiced. I studied for at least an hour every day. There’s no shortcut to hard work.
- I had a short-term goal that kept me motivated. I wanted to watch anime without subtitles! That was quite inspiring and helpful.
- I enjoyed consuming Japanese media. Watching anime and J-dramas played a big role in improving my listening skills. If you overly rely on learning Japanese via textbooks, you can be overwhelmed by the speed at which Japanese people speak in real life.
- I attended interesting Japanese lectures. Our teachers used videos, quizzes, and competitions that kept me engaged.
How Being Indian Made Learning Japanese Easier: A Unique Linguistic Advantage
So many Indians take advantage of the engineering opportunities in Japan for a lot of reasons. Perhaps one of the reason is that there are advantages as an Indian. Learning Japanese, to my surprise, was easy as an Indian who can speak Hindi and Marathi. These local languages that I know use 95% similar grammar to Japanese. So, in a way, it was just a matter of building my vocabulary and fitting it into a sentence structure I was already very familiar with. Grammar was a piece of cake!
2023 Achieving N3 Japanese: The Key to Pursuing an Engineering Opportunities in Japan
Getting better at Japanese, crumbled away the limits I put on myself. When I could speak N3 Japanese, I questioned why I was targeting work in India when Japan was within my reach. What once seemed like a distant fantasy became a real possibility. Japan would be the perfect career environment for my ultimate dream to invent cool, useful machines I can be proud of. Suddenly, nothing stopped me from aiming higher.
Making up my mind to go after a job in Japan, I worked even harder.
2024 Launching a Career in Japan: The Power of a PR Video for Job Hunting
One of the first steps when looking for a job in Japan with FAST OFFER International is to give a 1-minute self-introduction video. Japanese Companies with engineering opportunities will use this video to gauge their interest in me. Because my Japanese class was also under FAST OFFER International, I had classmates who had already given their videos. I got to ask my classmates and my teachers for tips and watch other PR videos before I went ahead with mine. Plus, FAST OFFER International provided a manual on creating the perfect PR video.
The two most important things to remember for the PR video was:
- Smile throughout! It’s important to leave a friendly impression.
- Explain thoroughly but concisely! Within the time limit, you need them to understand your final-year project.
I remember, at that time, my peers were telling me to hurry up and do things faster. I followed my own pace though, because I was waiting for my final year project to reach a certain point before, I recorded my video.
First impressions matter! A good PR video will help catch the attention of prospective Japanese companies. There was a lot of pressure because my video would be among other highly talented individuals from around the world with a similar dream. Thankfully, being part of a Japanese class gave me a community of peers with the same dream. I got to ask my classmates about the first step to job hunting: creating a PR video.
Preparing for Success: How Mock Interviews with FAST OFFER International Made the Difference
It was an unusual case. Typically, FAST OFFER International flies out talents who have at least three interviews to take in Japan. I only had two, but they really believed in me, so they included me in the batch.
Before flying, I was given all the information I needed about the two Japanese companies and their engineering job opportunity. Through a mentorship session, we also role-played the questions and answers to the expected questions. My mentor gave me sound and specific advice that helped make my answers more impactful. That session also imbued me with confidence! By the time I was flying to Japan, I wasn’t cramming, and I felt relaxed.
April 2024: A Surprising Encounter on My First Trip to Japan
My favorite memory from that time was when I was riding the train from the airport to the hotel. There was nowhere to sit, and I was holding my luggage. A local Japanese man glanced at my bag stamped with “Delhi”. He began talking to me in Hindi! Then his coworker, a local Japanese woman, could speak Marathi! I was stumped! I was shocked. It was fate. I found out they were working at a foreign language section at Pune University.
When it was time for the interviews, it all went well. For one company, I did a great final interview. I was sure I was going to get it. To my surprise, and even to my mentors, I didn’t get a job offer.
I was devastated. I felt so upset with myself. It was painful to be so close and yet so far. My mentor assured me that I did well, it wasn’t my fault, and it was just bad luck. The role went to someone with technical skills and internships better suited to the job. I stopped wallowing, picked myself up, and got into problem-solving mode.
At the Otsukare farewell party with FAST OFFER International, I got to ask my peers for advice. I met various seniors who were working in Japan already. They shared with me precious insights. I learned that I could get more technical skills to make my profile more competitive. I also got some advice on what questions to ask the companies, what I should know about the companies, and how to prepare for technical questions.
When I got back home, I decided to pause for a month while I also completed the university exams. I also used this time to be better equipped for the next time.
June 2024 Second Time’s the Charm: How Preparation Led to Career Success in Japan
When I was counted in for the June batch of talents interviewing in Japan, I was initially shortlisted for seven companies! My mentor worked hard to secure those engineering opportunities in Japan. He could remember the pain in my eyes from failing the last time.
Long before flying out, I began studying these companies and took aptitude exams from some of them. From failing a technical exam to choosing my top companies, I came to Japan to interview for four companies. This was more ideal than interviewing for all seven. As my mentor advised, 4-5 companies are the perfect number. Any more than that and it would be too hectic.
As I did before, my mentor scheduled mock interview sessions with me. This time though, with so many companies to practice for, we had several sessions, each spanning three and a half hours.
Some tips for Japanese job interviews:
- Smile and project calmness. This can be a challenge when faced with multiple interviewers.
- Stay and look present. Keep eye contact with everyone and be mindful of your body language.
- Explain your final year project thoroughly. Imagine explaining your project to a child, keeping the explanation simple.
- Be prepared for out-of-the-box questions. One of my interviewers showed me their production line’s blueprint and CAD sheets and asked questions on the spot. Always be alert and on your feet for such questions!
- Be authentic. It’s important to be honest whether you pass to find the right company that truly fits you.
- Stay persistent. Even if the odds aren’t in your favor, keep working hard and doing your best. Failing is part of it and will only teach you valuable lessons. Do your best and let go of the things you can’t control.
In the first round of interviews, companies were checking my technical abilities. This part is where they see if your skills really fit what they need. Of the four companies I interviewed with, I reached the final round for two.
During the second round of interviews, they assessed my personality, how well I’ll fit in with the company, and dived deeper into technical questions. They’ll examine how interested I truly was in working with them. This led me to secure an offer from the company best suited to me.
When I went to the building where the company was, I felt a sense of déjà vu. The building looked so familiar! Turns out my auntie—the same auntie who influenced my dream of working in Japan—had worked for this same company! I had looked them up years ago when my auntie was talking about them. I was going to be working in the very company she was praising! All this time I was imagining this nameless ideal Japanese company; I was thinking of this very same company. I wound up at my dream company!
The Importance of Your Final Year Project When Job Hunting in Japan
For new graduates and students with not much experience, Japanese companies will look heavily at your final year project to gauge if you’re right for them.
Maximizing your final year project for engineering opportunities in Japan:
Combine multiple disciplines in your project to attract more companies.
Cast a wider net and attract more companies by engaging at least two disciplines in your project. For example, if your project incorporates the mechanical and robotics industries, you’ll attract the attention of companies from two industries instead of just one. You can match with more engineering opportunities in Japan this way! Also, this will expand the kind of experience you’ll have, and you might find a field you’re passionate about.
Find the work you love in your Final Year Project.
You’ll learn a lot from working on your project, but the most important lesson is about yourself. What kind of work do you enjoy doing and do best? This will help you decide the job you need to look for. I learned from my project how much I enjoy developing new products and working on new designs. The only way to find the perfect engineering opportunity in Japan, is to first know what kind of engineering work you want to do.
Work passionately in polishing your final year project.
Your Final Year Project tells the story of who you are to the company. Japanese companies will gauge your skillset and how helpful you’ll be to them through your final year project.
Planning for 2025 & Beyond: Preparing for a Bright Future in Japan’s Engineering Industry
I remember, when I failed my first interviews, I felt self-doubt creeping in. Devastated, I began questioning my skills as an Engineer and a Japanese speaker. During those times, I held onto my mentor’s, and my friends’ kind words, encouragement, and wisdom. They assured me my Japanese was good and I had the skills—it was just bad luck.
Instead of letting self-doubt defeat me, I decided to take my fate into my own hands and work on what I could control. I accepted what happened and found my will to move on and instead focus on increasing my chances for the next time by skilling up. I joined design classes after that, watched more Japanese YouTube videos, and practiced speaking Japanese more. Step by step, I regained my self-confidence.
As I prepare for my life in Japan next year, I know that the up skilling doesn’t stop. I want to keep improving my Japanese, and I’m excited to embrace new challenges, learn a lot, and gain valuable experiences along the way.
I hope that in five years, I’ll be in a higher position managing international clients. During that time with the company, I hope to make products that positively change people’s lives. All these hopes will demand a lot of hard work from me. With what I’ve learned from the process I’ve been through in the past years learning Japanese and job hunting, I feel more confident that I’ll be able to face the challenges ahead of me. I’m determined to maximize this engineering opportunity in Japan I’ve worked hard to achieve!
