| COUNTRY |
| Myanmar |
| EDUCATION |
| Bachelor in Electrical Power Engineering, Mandalay Technological University |
| COMPANY |
| A major manufacturer of disposable sanitary product manufacturing machines such as paper diapers and sanitary napkins. |
| SUMMARY |
| He became interested in Japanese anime from high school and started learning Japanese with the aim of working in Japan. He studied Japanese while majoring in electronic engineering at university and obtained N1. He searched for a job with the support of AJMMC and got a job offer from his first choice company. |
It all started with “Attack on Titan”
I’ve loved Japanese anime since I was in high school and I became interested in Japan. I especially love “Attack on Titan”. It led me to watching even more anime like Parasyte, My Hero Academia, Dr. Stone, and even extending to J-dramas like as Japanese drama series like Shogun and Alice in Borderland. From there, I started to think, “I want to live and work in Japan someday.”
When I researched the work and work environment in Japan, I learned that Japanese workplaces have a culture that emphasizes improvement and solutions. I also found out that they also offer an environment where students without experience undergo a training system. From there, I decided to pursue working in Japan earnestly and started studying Japanese.
I started studying Japanese in my fourth year of university, sometime late 2019. Through university classes, I learned JLPT N5 to N2 level Japanese. I then studied N1 level Japanese at a Japanese language school in Myanmar and obtained N1 in July 2024. It wasn’t easy because I was studying Japanese in parallel with my major in electrical engineering. It was extremely hectic during my final year of university. What helped me was a routine: study Japanese in the morning, write my graduation thesis in the afternoon, and study Japanese again in the evening. I did my best to balance the two.
After passing N1, a senior student introduced me to AJMMC (Japan-Myanmar Communication Association). AJMMC produces many Myanmar students who work in Japan, and I prepared for job hunting in Japan by studying business Japanese and preparing for interviews.
My short but rewarding period of job hunting
A teacher at AJMMC introduced me to FAST OFFER International.
I had an interview with a Japanese company right after applying, and it was difficult to prepare in such a short period. However, I got through it thanks to my kind mentors. My mentors sent me documents about the companies I would be interviewing. They also told me which companies matched my interests. They even guided me on how to present my graduation thesis. At first, I only translated the contents of the thesis into Japanese, but my mentor told me the points I needed to correct. This one-on-one guidance served as clear instructions on preparing efficiently.
All interviews were held online. I want to tell you that when taking an online interview, it is important to prepare your network environment properly. In fact, during my first interview, there was a power outage and the interview was interrupted for one minute. This left a bad impression of me on the interviewer. Power outages occur frequently, especially in Myanmar, so Burmese students taking online interviews should be careful. After this experience, I prepared my network environment before each interview I took after that.
As a result, I received a job offer from my first-choice company. My mother was overjoyed when I told her about the job offer. It’s thanks to my two mentors that I got a job offer in such a short period. I am very grateful to both of them.
From Attack on Titan to Getting Ready for Japan
It’s funny how a passion for Attack on Titan has brought me here today: preparing for life in Japan and looking back on my journey!
I will be an electrical design engineer at a Japanese company. I anticipate I’ll experience culture shock as a Myanmar expat in a foreign country. In preparation for that, I am currently learning business etiquette at AJMMC and participating in classes to learn technical terms as pre-training from the company.
When I get there, it won’t just be about work! I’m excited about mountain climbing all around Japan! There are so many popular Japanese mountains waiting for me: the iconic Mount Fuji, the accessible Mount Takao, the beautiful Mount Tsukuba, the sacred volcano Mount Ontake, and the Ghibli-like Mount Daisen, to name a few. Like the many protagonists I’ve watched from Japanese media, I’m going to be stepping into a brave new world.
Here are my tips for fellow Myanmar talents who want to work in Japan:
- Your Japanese conversation skills should be prioritized. In my experience, conversation skills are important in an interview. Even if you have passed the JLPT N2~N1, I think what is needed in an interview is the ability to speak Japanese. Many Japanese language learners in Myanmar now take the JLPT, but it would be better to check how you speak Japanese. The JLPT has tests on writing, reading, and listening, but will not test your conversation skills. In the end, conversation is everything when it comes to communicating with Japanese people, so make an effort to improve your conversation skills.
- Your final year project matters as a fresh graduate. If you are a new graduate, I think it would be better to prepare in detail what you studied at university. Especially when it comes to presenting your graduation thesis, it is better not only to tell the interviewer the contents but also to be able to explain the difficulties you encountered in writing the thesis and how you overcame those difficulties.
FAST OFFER CAREER GUIDE: Success Stories with Otaku Origin Stories
A lot of overseas talent seeking work in Japan began as otakus. Inspired by the stories of their anime heroes, they wind up delving into more of Japanese culture and language. With FAST OFFER International’s help, we’ve helped these anime fans turn their dreams into a reality. Here are some stories you may relate to:
- Egyptian fan of Attack on Titan: From STEM Education to IT Career Success in Japan
- SRM Alumni inspired by Haikyu: Future Indian Inventor Scores a Job Opportunity in Japan
- Engineering a Dream: Navigating from Gundam-Inspired Fascination to a Mechanical Engineering Career in Japan
- Doraemon Shinchan‘s Tech Inspired This Indian Engineer Bound for Excellence in the Workplace
- My Hero Academia‘s Tenacious Hero Inspired This Malaysian’s Tech Career
- Naruto Inspired Burmese Talent to Start Learning Japanese
