Japan offered the best environment
Some people are incredibly goal-oriented. They chase and hustle after what they want tirelessly. I am not that kind of person. I prefer living in the present, having my eyes wide open to enjoy what is currently there, and opening myself to possibilities and opportunities as they present themselves. Some people say that being this easy-going is a bad thing, but it is something that I am for my mental health. It also allows me to enjoy where I currently am. I do not want to hinge my happiness and hopes on an unknown future and would prefer to make the best of the things that are evolving right before my eyes. I ground my life path according to what is in front of me. Thus, where I will live will decide everything I will become. Because I visited Japan often when I was young, I saw how Japan could be where I could become the person I hoped to be.
My dad started working in Japan when I was young. I had front-row seats watching him take full advantage of that opportunity. From occasionally traveling from Pakistan to Japan under his company, he transitioned to self-employment in Japan. Because the demand for foreign workers in Japan rose through the years, plenty of opportunities opened up for my father. I got to spend summer holidays in Japan in my youth. I reveled in futuristic Japanese technology interwoven with well-cared-for nature scenes and extremely safe streets. I saw the differences between Japan and my homeland Pakistan.
When I was choosing a college abroad to pursue my studies to be an engineer, Japan was high on the list. Japa’s booming tech industry is where my career could take root. I moved to Kyushu for college and got to fall in love with Japan even more.
Years of studying in Japan led me to grow
I went to Japan for my studies in October 2020—which was far from the perfect time as COVID soon exploded. Even though I was in Japan, I wound up taking many of my university classes online. As a balm during those difficult days, in my spare time, I got to go out and see Japan’s famous tourist spots sans the crowds. I also got to enjoy how safe Japan was as I walked the streets late at night without worry. I was also lucky to be in Kyushu, a province just 15 minutes away from the city. The area also allowed me to see beautiful, calming sunsets of mountains and beaches.
Still, as wonderful as Japan was, I did go through a lot at that time, especially as I struggled to adjust. I experienced depression as my lifestyle had drastically changed.
I was used to having rich social interactions through a lot of voluntary work I did in high school and would volunteer for tree planting, a mental health non-governmental organization, and an art festival for kids. These enriching interactions kept my mental health in check.
The pandemic forced most social interactions to dwindle to a minimum. It was still early in my journey to learn Japanese, so the language barrier was palpable. Isolated; I felt I could not contribute anything or make meaningful connections as time passed. Alone with my thoughts, I was prone to ruminating. I drove myself anxious analyzing whether I was moving, growing, or just staying still.
On top of that, it was my first time living alone on top of having to adjust to the new culture. I was suddenly dealing with a lot of responsibilities. Whenever I went out, it was difficult to find places that had halal options for a Muslim like me. Thus, I also had to learn to cook for myself regularly.
These issues though, slowly worked themselves out. As things started opening, I got to know more people like me, people with more experience who could help me out, and communities at cultural events. I even picked up a new sport: hiking, where I got to practice diligently working hard at something and getting to enjoy the summit with a weighted appreciation. I got to experience all this magnificent nature and impeccable safety in a country that also allowed me to experience incredibly advanced technology. At the university, I was constantly blown away by the futuristic technology that is usual in Japan. All these experiences proved to me that Japan was the right place for me. I could see myself prospering and growing in Japan.
Despite the many challenges, as I grew further used to the Japanese lifestyle, I found myself wanting to stay in Japan even more.
My job hunt to stay in Japan starts
I knew what I had to do to stay in Japan even after my time at the university: I needed a job and scoured opportunities but, I knew my limits. For the past one and a half years of studying Japanese, I knew my skills were still incredibly lacking so I looked for jobs I could do in English. I had to pass on all the opportunities that needed native-level Japanese ability but was able to find a Japan-based English-speaking internship. However, because English-speaking jobs are incredibly in demand and yet so few in Japan, I was not able to land even one job interview. Filled with even more anxiety and knowing that I wanted to stay in Japan upped the stakes if I failed.
Then, one day, one of my Facebook friends sent me this opportunity for a free Japanese class by FAST OFFER International. After six months in the class, they would help me with the job-hunting process. Knowing bettering my Japanese would significantly raise my chances of getting a job in Japan, I signed up. I thought to myself, that even if I didn’t land a job, learning Japanese would still greatly help me.
Learning Japanese with FAST OFFER International
The Japanese class with FAST OFFER International concentrated on increasing my conversational ability. After every class, we would write a reflection that helped me write in Japanese. It was an extremely helpful class in improving my Japanese. Before, I had no confidence in my skills. Recently, I took the JLPT N3 test and now I’m waiting for the results. This class gave me the confidence that I can pass a fully Japanese job interview.
Job Hunting became a breeze
True enough, after six months, the actual job-hunting process began. I only had to give two essays and a 1-minute video, then FAST OFFER International took care of the rest. I didn’t have to fill out complicated entry sheets. It was such an easy, hassle-free process that was so different from when I was on my own. I just had to put my faith in FAST OFFER International.
Two months after giving my requirements, I was introduced to two companies. To prepare, I had mentoring sessions with FAST OFFER International that gave me information about the companies, the industry, and tips on the nuances when it came to Japanese interviews. I was clueless about the particulars of Japanese interviews, so these were helpful. What Japanese companies look for in candidates is very different from what other companies look for and even the kinds of questions they ask are different.
I then went to Tokyo for two companies who wanted to interview me. I was able to secure the final interview for the second company I interviewed for. The results of the first interview with this second company came in quickly. I had just a few minutes before the second interview. In those few minutes, my mentor gave me a quick pep talk. In just five minutes, he kept me motivated and believing in myself. He emphasized that to make myself appealing to the company, I needed to show how passionate I am. I’m not a very expressive person. You could say it’s a cultural thing as my family isn’t also very expressive. However, I bypassed as I held onto my mentor’s advice and expressed everything that needed to be expressed. That pep talk made all the difference and I think it’s why I got selected. The next week after that interview, I signed my contract at their branch.
I genuinely saw a future with this Japanese company and FAST OFFER International helped me express that
FAST OFFER International helped me believe in myself and broke the barrier for me in terms of my difficulty with the Japanese language. Thanks to this, I was able to translate my desire to stay and grow in Japan to the company that interviewed me.
I genuinely saw a future with that company. Although I’m not a goal-oriented sort of person, I’m a person who values what I can do in the present the most. The company I’m joining will allow me to do what gives my life meaning: to give back to society. When I join the company in October, I’ll be helping with Electric vehicles—a technology that will be helpful for the future of the environment. My final year project in the university, a system to analyze data to help improve student education, may be different from the job I will be pursuing but works similarly: to improve people’s lives.
I’m not the sort of person drawn to luxury. I prefer living in the countryside. I don’t like the hustle. What’s important to me is that I live a meaningful life where I grow in the direction of becoming more and more the person I want to be: a person whose work makes a positive impact or contributes to a cause. The more I get to know myself, the clearer it is to me that I’m somewhere where I’m supposed to be. This has given me peace and it’s what makes me so grateful for the opportunity that FAST OFFER gave me and my impending future.
Months ago, before signing up for that class, I didn’t even know that this was possible. It’s still unreal to me. I know I couldn’t have done this without FAST OFFER International’s help.
What I learned from my journey of securing my future in Japan
Looking back, something I would tell people like me is to never, never lose hope.
I didn’t know six months ago that I would be able to carry out what I’ve done this past month. You don’t know what the future holds: and that could be a good thing. The future can surpass your imagination. But through the journey, despite the challenges and setbacks, you must keep believing in yourself, keep going for opportunities, and keep believing that you can succeed. Overthinking about the future is not going to help. Stay in the present and keep doing your best.
Lastly, finding the right mentor to achieve your goals is a game changer. Sometimes, our efforts alone simply aren’t enough. FAST OFFER helped me achieve what I couldn’t have done on my own.
