| COUNTRY |
| India |
| EDUCATION |
| Bachelor in Civil Engineering, Savitribai Phule Pune University |
| COMPANY |
| Japanese company that develops and sells single-family homes and provides contract construction services across Japan |
| SUMMARY |
| He quit his job in India for the chance to work in Japan as a civil engineer! Inspired by his friend, he enrolled in an intensive 4-month class from Hirameki. In that short amount of time, he was able to land a job offer at a company focused on projects similar to his final year internship. Today, he’s excited to join the Japanese workplace, become a better civil engineer, and explore more of Japan! |
How My Friend Inspired Me to Work in Japan: Quitting My Job to Go All In
After I graduated, my friend asked me if I was interested in also working in Japan because he was working there as a civil engineer. He was able to land his job offer in Japan as a civil engineer thanks to FAST OFFER International. Excitedly, he told me about Japanese work culture, the strong teamwork, and individual discipline. Because he’d already done it, the opportunity seemed promising and doable! It sounded like the perfect opportunity for a recently graduated civil engineer looking to grow! Even though I already had a job in India then, I was so convinced that I quit to pursue working in Japan as a civil engineer.
Learning Japanese in Just 4 Months with Hirameki by ASIA to JAPAN
My Japanese language-learning journey at Hirameki by ASIA to Japan thus began. It was a big gamble for me, but I couldn’t let this opportunity slip.
For me, the most difficult part of learning Japanese is kanji. But little by little, I consistently practiced reading and writing. Aside from sitting down to study, I also try to incorporate learning Japanese into my everyday life. For example, I practiced with my roommate, who was also studying Japanese, and I also used HelloTalk to practice Japanese. I studied four hours in the classroom, and continued studying with friends and on my own. I was determined to get that job in Japan to make quitting my job in India count.
Seriously studying Japanese helped me pass the next test: a mock interview from one of FAST OFFER International’s staff to determine if I’m ready for job hunting.
My Trip to Japan for the Job Interviews
Thankfully, I got passing marks for the mock interview, so FAST OFFER then matched my profile with companies. Luckily, three companies expressed their interest in interviewing me. This qualified me for the free trip to Japan for the in-person interviews!
During my short trip to Japan, I visited famous places such as Tokyo Tower that’s only made me more determined to one day visit Mt. Fuji, Nara, and Shizuoka Preferecture. More important than the sites, the trip made me realize that Japanese people are very polite. It also allowed me to see plenty of their architecture that filled me with curiosity and wonder. I felt even more inspired to one day work there!
Finding A Company That Fits My Profile
At the job interviews, I particularly resonated with one company that focused on projects similar to my final-year internship. In my six months working as a design engineer during my internship, I worked on affordably improving the structural soundness of old wooden houses through a new style of reinforcement. This company I interviewed with specializes in constructing accessible wooden houses. Having that experience connecting us made my profile relevant to their needs.
After the final offline interview in the morning with that company, I quickly received the result in the afternoon. I passed! It was unbelievable. I cried with happiness and relief over this big success. I stopped everything to tell my family, my friends, and my teacher, and they all congratulated me.
Believing I Could Learn to Speak Japanese in Just Four Months Was My First Step to Japan
I’m so happy that I bet on myself that I could learn Japanese and land a job offer in such a short amount of time! It had only been four months—from my first Japanese word to getting a job offer! I can’t believe how quickly I grew in such a short amount of time! A few months ago, when I told people I was leaving my job for this chance, they thought I was crazy.
Even at the moment I received the interview result, I was still a beginner at studying Japanese. Even though I was able to achieve my goal, I will continue learning Japanese.
My Next Journey is Starting Soon
Before I go to work in Japan, I want to speak Japanese more fluently because that would make my life easier in Japan. But even when I get to Japan, I won’t stop studying until I get JLPT N1.
I think Japanese engineering is very amazing because Japan experiences frequent natural disasters, yet the damage is very minimal. I want to learn about Japanese building technology and aim to be a part of those projects one day.
My Tips for Civil Engineers Who Want to Work in Japan
- Give your full concentration to learning Japanese. Go beyond classes!
- Commit to your dream! I quit my job in India because that’s how much I wanted to work in Japan.
- Practice conversation with friends and a teacher would be helpful. Speaking in Japanese is key to the job interviews.
- Listen to as much Japanese as possible. Understanding your interviewer’s questions is just as important.
- Study your body language for Japanese interviews to show off the best sides of your personality. You need balance showing respect and enthusiasm.
- Sign up with Hirameki and, by extension, FAST OFFER International. Their support is extremely valuable!
