| COUNTRY |
| Indonesia |
| EDUCATION |
| Bachelor’s in Information Technology, Multimedia University |
| COMPANY |
| A leading Japanese company that specializes in building automation, industrial automation, and utility meters. |
| SUMMARY |
| This story features an Indonesian IT graduate and his journey of pursuing an IT job in Japan. After independently studying Japanese for six years and reaching JLPT N2, he began to explore suitable opportunities. With support from FAST OFFER, he was able to land job interviews and multiple job offers. His story highlights the importance of language skills and good preparation when building an international career in Japan. |
My Journey to Japan Started with Friendship
When I was studying in Malaysia, I made several Japanese friends. I wanted to understand them better. So, naturally, I started learning Japanese. What began as a way to communicate with my friends slowly turned into something much bigger. Years later, that friendship-driven curiosity would lead me to an IT job in Japan from Indonesia.
The more I learned about the language, the more curious I became about Japan. I was interested in the culture. Even something as simple as Japan’s garbage collection system impressed me. People carefully separate their trash into different categories, and I found that attention to detail interesting.
Why I Chose to Pursue an IT job in Japan as Someone from Indonesia
I initially studied for a Diploma in Management, but when artificial intelligence and technology were becoming increasingly important, I felt that I needed to chase back my passion for technology. So, I took my bachelor’s degree in Information Technology. Eventually, I became interested in areas such as web development, mobile development, backend development, and embedded systems. These are areas where I felt the most passionate about, and I’m excited about the possibility of learning more by working in Japan.
At the same time, I also had the chance to work with a Japanese company online. I did some commissioned work for them, and I liked the way they communicated. When they gave me a task, they explained exactly what they wanted and provided details about how they wanted it done. I liked that way of working.
It made me think, “I’m going to work in Japan.” That was when working in Japan became a real goal for me, and I started learning Japanese more seriously.
Six Years of Learning Japanese: Challenges, Tips, How I Passed JLPT N2
I have self-studied Japanese for around six years, continuously. Here are some of my tips and highlights of my language learning journey.
- Write Kanji over and over again. One of the biggest challenges for me was kanji. I found that I could not simply look at kanji once and expect to remember them. I had to write them repeatedly. If you are struggling with kanji, write them over and over again. Practice every day, even if you only have a few minutes.
- Practice with a native speaker. My language learning journey was made easier because of my Japanese friends. They would introduce me to new vocabulary and correct my pronunciation.
- Watch Japanese shows. During the COVID-19 pandemic, I could no longer spend as much time with my Japanese friends. And so, I looked for other ways to immerse myself in the language. I watched Netflix in Japanese and tried not to rely on subtitles. When something was difficult, I used Japanese subtitles instead of English ones. Whenever I encountered a new word, I wrote it down and added it to my personal word bank.
- Download JLPT mock exams online. For JLPT preparation, I downloaded mock exams and practiced them on my own. Sometimes I studied for two hours. Sometimes it was only an hour or even five minutes. The important thing for me was consistency.
Discovering FAST OFFER Through AI
After continuously learning Japanese, I was ready to explore job opportunities in Japan. Interestingly, I first learned about FAST OFFER through Google Gemini. I asked the AI tool if there were job-search agencies that could help me find opportunities in Japan, and FAST OFFER came up in the results! After doing research about the company and asking a few friends in Japan about them, I decided to sign up and began working with a career advisor.
My career advisor became an important part of my job-hunting journey. She helped me understand what Japanese companies were looking for and constantly pushed me to prepare properly. She would ask whether I had finished my presentations and reminded me when I needed to complete something. She was very thorough, and I really appreciated that.
A Japan job-hunting tip that stayed with me
One lesson that stayed with me was learning how to make my answers more professional and relevant. During one interview, I was asked where I would see myself in the future. I gave an honest but rather personal answer about contributing to the company and wanting to get married someday.
Afterward, my career advisor told me that this was not the best answer. I realized that I needed to focus my answers on my professional future and how I could contribute to the company. That was an important lesson for me!
Attending Remote Job Interviews for an IT Job in Japan from Indonesia
I interviewed with two companies, and both interviews were conducted online. Before the interviews, I had imagined that interviewers from large Japanese companies might be intimidating. I pictured the kind of serious characters you see in manga, sitting with their arms crossed and asking difficult questions. The reality was completely different. The interviewers were easy to talk to. Both companies gave me a good impression, and I genuinely enjoyed the conversations.
Questions I was asked during my Remote Job Interviews for an IT Job in Japan
One question that I found particularly important to note was: “Why do you want to join our company?” I prepared for this carefully. Before the interview, I researched the company, including its vision and the work it was doing. Instead of giving a generic answer, I explained what I genuinely liked about the company and how I was interested in the way it used technology to help people.
The technical questions were also not as intimidating as I expected. They asked about programming languages I knew, but they were also interested in broader questions, such as what I thought was important when developing a project and what kind of mindset an engineer should have.
Two Job Offers and One Big Decision
Eventually, all the preparation paid off. I received not just one, but two job offers! I still remember the moment I found out. I was at home, and I went to my parents and told them that I got job offers in Japan. My parents were surprisingly calm about it. I had already spent years living in Malaysia, so perhaps they were confident that I could handle living abroad again.
Meanwhile, I was the opposite of calm. Haha! I was incredibly excited! I kept checking the offers because I could not believe it was real. I even asked my career advisor to confirm that I had actually received the job offers. Eventually, I had to choose between the two offers. The position I chose was a Research & Development engineering role that would allow me to work on different kinds of projects, including mobile and web development.
I also like the company’s location! It’s in Fujisawa, a city near the beach in Kanagawa. But the job itself was the biggest factor. The company was flexible and valued its employees. I was encouraged to bring my own ideas to the company, develop them, and show what I could create. That was exactly the kind of workplace I wanted. I want to work somewhere that appreciates its employees.
Nine Months to Go: Preparing for an IT Job in Japan from Indonesia
I still have around nine months to prepare before starting this new chapter. I am using this time to learn more about Japanese culture and the everyday rules I will need to understand when I move. I am researching everything from garbage separation to the train system and payment methods.
Above all, I am especially excited to experience Japanese technology from the “inside”. Japanese products have a reputation for being high quality, and I want to understand what makes Japanese technology so good.
As for the weekends, I have big plans! I would love to visit Hokkaido and Sapporo. I want to see snow for the first time!
I also want to climb Mount Fuji and visit restaurants I have seen online. There is one famous omurice restaurant I particularly want to visit. I have seen videos of the owner preparing the dish, and now that I am moving to Japan, I finally have the chance to go there myself.
For the first time, Japan does not feel like a distant dream. It feels like the next chapter of my life!
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