From Childhood Passion to Professional Dreams: My Journey to my Engineering Career in Japan
Long before jumping into an engineering career, my story begins from my childhood in Malaysia spent having fun watching Kamen Rider. This experience led to my interest in the Japanese language. When our school started Japanese classes, I was eager to go on board. Some of my classmates didn’t enjoy the class because of the very strict teacher, but that made me enjoy it more. Even as a child, I was fond of strictness, of following the rules. That class gave me clear instructions on how to maximize the class, and in life, rules helped me easily navigate working with people, so I don’t unintentionally step on anyone’s toes.
Getting to know more about Japan and myself, I saw that we shared core values. If you ask, “What would happen if a society that appreciated and followed the rules?” The answer is Japan. Japan is one of the most peaceful and advanced societies built on systems that work thanks to a disciplined, rule-following population. The effects can be seen in their homes, technology, transportation, and daily lives. I would fit right in. Japan can be the perfect place where I can best be myself. Imagining working in Japan was a no-brainer.
How MJIIT Shaped My Engineering Career in Japan
Later in high school, my appreciation for rules and clarity led me to do great at the UTM Bridge Model Competition. Using our knowledge and research, we built model bridges that were strength-tested. In creating this model, I loved the clarity: you do impressive work and get impressive output. It impressed even the judges! My model won a gold medal for being the best in the competition. This win inspired me to be an engineer.
In that next phase in my life, Japan stayed intertwined. Strategizing on the best place that could help me grow my career in the future, made me conclude that I had to land an engineering job in Japan. Japan’s competitive advanced tech and engineering industry was an obvious first choice. Thankfully, I learned of the Malaysia-Japan International Institute of Technology (MJIIT), a university that combined Japanese studies in its program. It allowed me to sharpen my Japanese as I studied Engineering and Design degree with a specialty in Mechanical Precision.
How FAST OFFER International Helped Me Secure an Engineering Job in Japan
In my third year of college, I tried to get an internship in Japan, but the acceptance rate was slim, and the competition was too high. Instead, I landed an internship at a local company that surprisingly, I really enjoyed. I learned a lot from that internship which strengthened my love for my path.
Something I noticed from that internship was how a lot of machinery and instruments we used were made in Japan. Our company knew how top-notch Japanese craftsmanship was and depended their business on it. This further affirmed my belief that Japan was where I needed to be.
Eagerly, I attended job fairs looking for opportunities. I was too eager that most companies told me to come back the next year when I was nearer my graduation date. Come 1st semester of my final year, and with my final year project already under my belt, my best friend from an upper year told me that he had just gotten a job offer from a Japanese company. He pointed me to FAST OFFER International. This was the opportunity I was waiting for, that chance to have an engineering career in Japan.
Excited, I signed up at once, and some time passed as they did an online screening of my profile. Once I passed, they interviewed me to get to know my goals. I then gave a few items for my profile they used to help match me with the right companies. A few months later, I was notified that four companies wanted to interview me. Two companies were up for a digital interview, and later, the two other interviews will be held in person in Japan.
How I Overcame Setbacks to Land a Job in Japan’s Engineering Industry
My excitement and happiness quickly plummeted when I failed both online interviews. One of the companies was actually my first-choice company. They had me take a 60-item Math test in 60 minutes that I couldn’t finish. Failing that exam was devastating. I waited for this opportunity for so long, and when it finally came, I fell short. I was so discouraged and tempted to give up.
To be honest, I’m the type of person that usually gives up halfway. I don’t fall into the trap of “sunken cost fallacy.” When I see that the risks are not worth it, I cut my losses. I’d never find out what would have happened if I had persisted. People like me, who tend to quit, I think we do it because we’re afraid of failing. Sure, you can eventually succeed, but losing after trying so hard can hurt a lot. The more you try, the higher your risk. You risk the time, emotion, and effort you put in. In a way, that’s also why I love following rules and the finiteness of arithmetic, it minimizes and cuts that risk. There’s a sense of safety you get when you give up because it makes an uncertain future more definite.
Changing my perspective and choosing to believe in myself and the people helping me
I still had two interviews to hopefully secure an engineering career in Japan to go which required me to go to Japan, but I was demotivated. But then I thought of Japan. It was my dream. Was I really going to give up on my dream? Then there was FAST OFFER International, who was giving me not just opportunities, but also encouraging mentors telling me to keep on fighting. I buckled up and quieted the doubtful voice in my head and instead listened to the people who believed in me. Out of character, with a push from FAST OFFER International, I bought winter clothes and flew to Japan.
I feared failing again, but then, I was reminded why this was worth the risk: this was Japan. What’s a little risk now compared to the safety, stability, and opportunities for growth once I get there? Plus, the trip to Japan was going to be fully sponsored by FAST OFFER International anyway.
Sometimes, fate has better things in store for us if we open ourselves up
In Japan, I got to meet more international friends who were on the same path as me, looking to pursue an engineering career in Japan. I also got to see Japan firsthand for the first time and it was everything it promised to be. Japan is really worth all the hype with its beautiful and peaceful culture and scenery. It really helped motivate and affirm my dream that this was the path I was gearing towards.
As expected, all the logistics were handled by FAST OFFER International, so I was easily able to go to the two companies interviewing me. An hour after the interviews, I quickly found out the results. I passed one and failed another. I felt discouraged again. The one that I had failed was my second-choice company.
Still, I decided to do my best. I attended the second round of interviews for the one company left. During that interview, I was told about the job, and what it entailed, and I communicated how I could work with them. I got the job offer, but honestly, I wasn’t too sold yet. I felt relieved about passing but I also felt like I was straying from the path that I had originally set. This wasn’t what I had imagined.
How Embracing New Opportunities Led to My Career Success in Japan
Near the end of the trip, I toured the company that gave me a job offer. It was a pivotal moment. Seeing the company, and experiencing their culture, unlocked me from the box I had caged myself in. I was stuck in the feeling of disappointment from failing, and disappointment from not meeting my expectations. That tour helped me open my eyes and see that although I didn’t get my first choice, there was something wonderful to be grateful for right in front of me. The people I met there were so friendly, and they expressed genuine interest when they talked to me. I loved the place, the environment, the city it was in, and all that, and it allowed me to expand my imagination.
In the wake of my disappointments, I almost missed the fact that this was it, my dream: a job in Japan. A sense of calm washed over me during the whole trip. I saw the possibility: I could be content at this company. The reluctance I had felt melted away and I felt grateful for the journey. When the desire to work at this company sparked in me as we toured its hallways, I felt with delightful certainty, contract in my hands, that I was going to get what I wanted.
Going beyond my comfort zone and being pleasantly surprised
Through this journey of looking for an entry to an engineering career in Japan, as I went beyond my usual limits, I learned the importance of persistence, of not giving up, and the value of taking those big risks. I also learned to open myself to what life has in store for me that might be different from what I initially set out for. Even as someone who loves rules, clarity, and certainty, being surprised by fate can also be a good thing. Sometimes, life offers things beyond our imagination. Things don’t always have to go one specific way, they can be different, and that can even be better.
Doing My Due Diligence
Although the experience evolved me for the better, I am still the same person who loves diligently following rules. When I got the contract, which was fully in Japanese, I took it home with me to Malaysia. I had seniors and professors who could speak fluent Japanese help me review the text before I signed. I’ve heard horror stories from students not under FAST OFFER International, who didn’t read their contracts properly and wound up with less-than-ideal contracts. I wanted my eyes wide open as I transitioned from Malaysia to Japan. Thankfully, this company gave me a very satisfying contract and I had no corrections. I signed the papers, scanned them, and felt relief.
After I graduate later this year, with my Japanese hopefully improved by then, I’ll be joining the company, my future secure in my ideal country. I’ll also get to see some of my seniors there–including my best friend who’d told me about FAST OFFER International.
Persevere Towards Your Japan Dream: Embracing Challenges with Determination and Support
When adversity comes, you really need to dig deep and ask yourself how much you want to go to Japan. Hold on to that answer and keep moving forward! I want to encourage everyone with a dream like mine of going to Japan—engineering career or not—to not give up. Failures are just part of the journey. Whenever I failed, I may have felt bad, but I also took it as a time to examine ways I could improve. And sometimes, when your own confidence falters, trust in the encouraging voices of your mentors. Listening to FAST OFFER International helped me go beyond my personal limits. All the effort you put in will all be worth it.
