| COUNTRY |
| India |
| EDUCATION |
| Bachelor in Civil Engineering, Savitribai Phule Pune University |
| COMPANY |
| A leading infrastructure engineering company that specializes in electrical, telecommunications, HVAC, and power distribution systems for buildings and large-scale public infrastructure projects. |
| SUMMARY |
| From building soil forts in the past to building structures in the future, this civil engineering graduate details his journey to getting hired in Japan. With the assistance of FAST OFFER International, ASIA to JAPAN Hirameki, and friends, he learned about the job opportunity, studied the language, and prepared accordingly. Flying abroad for the first time, he was offered a role in Japan after five months of consistent hard work. His story is a testament to how childhood inspiration can turn into an international career. |
From Playing to Planning
I have special memories from my childhood about the Diwali holidays. Back then, I would get together with other children and we would all build forts from soil. An older relative of mine, who would visit during the holiday, would come over and help me build the forts.
“We build things this way,” he’d say as he showed me how bricks were arranged. It was a glimpse of his work as a site engineer.
Outside of Diwali, I would visit his house and see his designs and plans. I didn’t understand the plans as they were complicated, but I found the intersecting lines fascinating. I never went to his work site, but his photos of work motivated me to consider joining the profession.
This interest stayed with me until I went to college. In order to continue engaging in my interest of building things from scratch, I chose to pursue Civil Engineering. Who would have thought that I’d get hired in Japan right before graduation?
Wanting to Work in Japan, Too
My interest in working in Japan started with my friends. But, my awareness of Japan started in childhood. Like many other kids, I enjoyed watching Doraemon and Crayon Shinchan. But, as a country, I did not know much about it.
In my third year of college, my friends started telling me about their work experiences for Japanese companies. They had worked for Indian companies for internships, so they were able to compare. My friends told me the differences between local and Japanese work culture. They told me about hourensou, and even showed me a bit of Japan through video chats. From our conversations, I discovered much about Japan and the Japanese language. Before I knew it, I wanted to work in Japan as well.
My Introduction to FAST OFFER International
My friends introduced me to FAST OFFER International. They themselves were not part of the program, but they learned the language through AtoJ Hirameki who was partnered with FAST OFFER International for job hunting assistance. They gave me FAST OFFER’s contact details, and I applied.
After some time, they contacted me and we had a mendan. They then told me that I had to learn Japanese first. Once I was able to hold a normal conversation in Japanese, I could proceed to the next step, and then appear in interviews.
Learning Japanese with AtoJ Hirameki
I then enrolled in the AtoJ Hirameki classes. A few weeks before the start of classes, I reviewed the basics of the language to get a good head start.
It has been five months since then, and I’ve been studying Japanese every day. On top of classes, I review on my own. I’ve made good progress – I’ve already cleared the N5 level of JLPT, and will take N4 soon. I will take the N3 test this December. The studying continues!
How I Self Study Japanese
Since we already use the notebook and pen during class, I like to self-study using my phone and laptop.
- Listening Practice – I practice listening mainly through YouTube. I watch N5 to N2 level videos frequently. One channel I like to watch is Ken-san okaeri, as it is helpful for attaining new vocabulary. I watch a lot of podcasts, which are good for N3/N2 level practice. These particularly helped during interview preparation. I also like to watch dramas for further immersion.
- Kanji Practice – There are various apps for kanji practice, but I like to use Kanji Study. Here, you can view the kanji, its related words, the radicals used in the kanji, and those same radicals from other kanji. You not only learn kanji, you learn new words as well.
- Vocabulary Practice – I use the app OniTan for vocabulary practice. It has a flash card-like feature which I like to use. Whenever I have free time, I scroll on OniTan for new vocabulary. Another friend uses this app as well, and we have been able to practice with each other through the platform.
These methods, on top of my language classes, gradually helped me develop conversation-level Japanese speaking skills.
The Beginning of my Interview Journey
A few months ago, even as I was still studying Japanese, I had a mendan with my career advisor. They reviewed my Japanese language progress, my Final Year Project, and started to ask about work preference. It went very well. Around this time, I’d learn that I was finally eligible for interviews!
My first interview occurred the month after the mendan. It was an online interview. Unfortunately, I did not get selected to move on to the second round of interviews. However, the next month, I learned that three companies were interested in interviewing me. This meant that I’d be going to Japan!
Support from All Sides
When I learned that I’d be traveling abroad for interviews, I immediately started preparing. However, I had mixed feelings. I had fears about how I would go there, the new environment, and the fact that I was going to be interviewed by three companies. Still, I was excited for the chance to go to Japan and visit a new country for the first time.
I received a lot of support from all sides as I prepared to travel and interview. FAST OFFER helped me with travel preparation in general; for instance, they prepared a checklist for what I had to bring. For visas and other processes, AtoJ Hirameki helped out. For general inquiries, my career advisor helped me. For technical questions, I had a mentor.
Arriving in Japan for the First Time
I travelled for around 26 to 28 hours from India to Japan, though there was a brief period of rest. I was tired when I arrived, but I was happy. For starters, I liked the cold temperature. I also got to ride Japanese trains. I found it fascinating and admirable how Japanese people stood on both sides when passengers alighted the train. That was a level of discipline I was not used to seeing. As we travelled to the airport, I caught a glimpse of the Sky Tree. It was very interesting.
My Interview Experience and Getting In!
Before the main interviews, we had a few more mock interviews, now face-to-face. A day after, it was time for the real thing. After the first round of interviews, I learned that two companies selected me for the next round. I had them both on the second day.
Before the results were announced, all candidates gathered in the basement for a photoshoot with our mentors. During that time, my career advisor brought me to the side and shared the good news. I got very excited at that moment – I was the first candidate to know about my result!
It was all a blur after that. Before I knew it, the hiring company’s employees came and handed me the offer letter. It happened so fast, it must have taken around 15 minutes for all these events to unfold.
The next day, we had a company visit. Along with three other candidates, we visited our future office and attended a few orientations. I found the company to be very good. I am glad that I was hired and will soon practice civil engineering in Japan with this company.
My Goals For the Future
Once I move to Japan, I look forward to having new experiences. I want to visit new places when I have free time. Because I like sports, I want to try skiing in Hokkaido.
I do have a bit of concerns about living alone for the first time. Communication, also makes me nervous, as I know it is very important. I feel that the language I am learning through classes and YouTube are too formal. This is different from what Japanese people use in daily life. This might improve once I get to Japan, though, as there are just some things to learn from experience.
For now, my top priority is enhancing my Japanese.
My Tips for Learning Japanese
- Start studying as early as you can. Learning a language is different from engineering, where remembering a few formulas is enough, and all you have to do is plug in numbers. The case of language is very different. You have to be consistent with your studies. You need to learn new vocabulary and patterns continuously.
- Immersion and Practice is the way to go. Improve your listening practice through YouTube. Use Hello Talk to have real conversations. Whatever you learned in your studies, apply them through speaking.
My Tips for Interview Preparation
- Study the company. This will help you understand their motives and the work they do. Apply these in your answers during your interview preparation.
- Be yourself. During the interview, it’s important to be genuine. Even if you are still learning Japanese, if the interviewers see that you are trying, they will appreciate it.
My Story as a Civil Engineering Graduate Hired in Japan Begins Soon!
During the company visit, staff showed us a video about the life of a site engineer. I felt inspired, and thought that I’d like to work that way in the future.
I am looking forward to it!
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