My Father’s Inspiring Experience Working in Japan Showed a Promising Possibility
When I was around ten years old, my began telling me stories about his job where he was part of a Japanese team. I didn’t really think much of it at that time, as he fawned over his Japanese teammates’ work ethic. He was constantly impressed by their way of thinking and living, punctuality, discipline, and humble nature. He even applauded how they always prioritized work safety. The picture he painted showed how Japanese workers and companies were cut above the rest. Who knew these stories would help steer my future to an engineering job in Japan as an Indian?
When I entered university pursuing Electronics and Communications at Pune University, my father’s stories began to make sense. His stories suddenly became solid encouragements. As I delved more into tech, I also saw how Japan was very advanced in cutting-edge technologies such as cloud computing, artificial intelligence, automation, and robotics. I also got to see how Japan had a lot of job opportunities for research and development. In India, there are a lot of great engineering talents, however, not many openings. In Japan, it’s the opposite. Due to their shrinking population, they have more job openings for exciting tech jobs than qualified natives.
After several years of my father’s stories, the idea finally took root and bloomed into a full-fledged dream to one day work in Japan. I was determined to settle in Japan with a job as an Indian engineer.
First Step To My Dream Job in Japan: Studying Japanese
In my second year at the university, I started taking Japanese classes. Sadly, after a few weeks, the coronavirus pandemic halted the classes. I could only restart my N5 Japanese classes during my final year at the university.
Because I’d just begun studying Japanese when I graduated, I was ineligible for job opportunities in Japan. In the meantime, I worked at an Indian company working with Japanese clients. There, I couldn’t practice what I’d learned and what I was passionate about. Working with Japanese people convinced me though, that I sincerely wanted to work in Japan. I was determined to continue my Japanese classes while I balanced it with my full-time job.
As challenging as it was to balancing work with study, I was really determined to follow through with my goal. I was underutilized in my job in India. More than just enjoying work and life in Japan, I knew that as an engineer, it would also be the best scenario to pursue my passion. In Japan, I can utilize my passion, and my skills in the research and development team.
How FAST OFFER International Helped Me Secure an Engineering Job in Japan as an Indian
I was really fortunate that the Japanese language program I was taking was partnered with FAST OFFER International. So, after just a year of studying Japanese, I was quickly funneled into FAST OFFER International’s next steps for job hunting. Through them, I could easily take advantage of the many engineering jobs in Japan for Indians.
After sending my PR Video, a 1-minute video introducing myself, my final year project, and my desire to work in Japan, FAST OFFER International began sending my profile to several product-development-based Japanese companies. A month later, I was shortlisted for four companies and qualified for the sponsored trip to Japan for in-person job interviews.
My FAST OFFER International mentor spent time and effort preparing me for the interviews. We had several mock sessions where I practiced speaking in Japanese. In truth, working with my mentor was the first time using all the Japanese I’d studied. Practicing with him made the biggest difference. Though not fluent, thanks to my mentor, I reached a very functional level of Japanese enough for the Japanese interviews.
My First Trip Abroad: Going to Japan for In-Person Interviews to Land an Engineering Job Open to Indians
It was my first trip abroad. Suffice it to say, I was excited even though I was struggling with a really bad cold at that time. The whole time I had to wear a mask, but still, it didn’t dampen my excitement. Despite my cascading cough, I could still appreciate every bit of my trip.
On my first day in Japan, when our FAST OFFER International guide asked my peers and me what we wanted to do for our 3-hour free time, we jumped at the chance to go to one of Japan’s famed konbinis. It was such a wholesome, innocent, funny request! But it really was oddly surreal as I bought my cup of hot coffee to soothe my battered throat. You see, during Japanese classes, you practice a lot of konbini conversation and talk about how next-level Japanese convenience stores are. We wanted to see it for ourselves!
On my second day, on the way to one of the interviews, I rode the Shinkansen. Just like every fascinated YouTuber, I’d done tests to see how stable the Shinkansen was. I had a cup of coffee that didn’t spill a single drop through the whole trip! Safe to say, the Shinkansen passed every test.
During that short, activity-packed trip, I was able to go to several konbinis and gaming centers, explore the Ameyoko Plaza, Shibuya Scramble Square, Meiji Jingu, and Shinjuku’s metropolitan building. Enjoying Japan during that trip also infused me with excitement and happiness that seeped into my interviews.
Crushing Job Interviews in Japan: Getting an Engineering Job in Japan as an Indian
Of the four companies I interviewed for, one was a famous multinational company. I felt lucky to be interviewing for them, but I was 100% sure of rejection. Still, I was just happy to try!
The Perfect Interview is Made Of Great Answers, Not Perfect Japanese
In truth, I wasn’t fluent at all, but I was confident. So, I wasn’t overthinking my Japanese, instead, I had the presence of mind to give the best possible answers. I used a few English words woven with my Japanese to make sure that I was getting my point across. More than perfect Japanese, I was more concentrated on giving a good, clear, and concise answer. I think my interviewers appreciated this. They had the right information about me and saw my determination and confidence.
At the end of the day, I knew, and the interviewers knew as well, that they weren’t hiring me for perfect Japanese. The interviewers I met all had somewhat similar expectations for the language ability of a foreigner. What they were more concentrated on finding was someone whose interests aligned with theirs, who could communicate their point well despite the language barrier, and who had the technical skills and internship and final year project experience that would fit the job description they’re looking to fill.
After the final interviews, I was eager to know if I passed. I had a feeling I’d succeeded. All the interviews went so smoothly. I followed up with my mentor repeatedly. Thankfully, he was very patient with me! Finally, my mentor told me about the results for all four companies at once: I got a job offer from two! One company I thought was impossible to get into!
I was awestruck. I didn’t know how to react. Even amidst my surprise, I quickly called my parents, then my sensei, and then my friends. I needed to share the good news: this Indian just landed an engineering job in Japan!
My Acceptance to a Multinational Japanese Company
When I found out I passed with that big company, I wanted to sign the contract at once, but I held back, knowing this choice was a big decision that would affect a big chunk of my life. The next day, they gave me a mini tour of the company. Seeing the factory made me really wanted to sign up, but I wanted a clear head and the chance to get advice from family, teachers, and friends first. Once I got back to India, talked to all of them, I finally signed the contract.
Six months after signing with the company, I flew to Japan to join the April batch of new hires. I underwent 3 months of training, then did on-the-job training where I worked with every department for a week. In the end, I chose a department that best fit me.
I spent so much time listening to seniors about their experiences in Japan that it feels great to finally experience those milestones for myself. I’m happy to report I’m enjoying my engineering job in Japan as an Indian!
Exploring Japan: Life Beyond the Job for an Indian Engineer
I’m really enjoying my life in Japan. Every weekend, I’m never home, and constantly exploring Japan. Life is really good. My goal is to explore all of Japan one day.
Another aspect of my life I’ve fallen in love with is the big, diverse community I found. I have so many new native Japanese friends, as well as fellow expats from India, Malaysia, Indonesia, and China.
If there’s one challenging aspect, it’s the language bit. I’ve been in Japan for about half a year now, and I’m still not fluent and my vocabulary is very lacking. I’m sure I’ll get better at it eventually, but for now, there’s a lot of struggling since everything in Japan is in Japanese. However, the people here are so approachable even with my broken Japanese. They really do their best to understand and help you. Even though the language is difficult, experiencing the responding kindness of the locals feels nice.
Essential Tips for Indian Engineers Seeking Jobs in Japan
Your Final Year Project Matters.
Your final year project is included in the PR video sent to prospective Japanese companies. It’s what they consider when picturing you in their company. So, the nature of your final year project is directly related to the companies that will shortlist your profile.
Additionally, if you’re still in university, consider that whatever you decide to work on for your final year project will be a sample of the job you’ll eventually wind up in. So, make sure that you choose a topic or process that you enjoy doing, and that you also give it your all.
Concentrate on Learning to Speak Japanese.
JLPT measures reading and writing, and N4 or N3 certification will make you eligible for the job-hunting process. However, as the interviews begin, it’s not really as important what JLPT score you have. What matters in interviews is your ability to communicate and get your point across with whatever amount of Japanese skills you have. You can always study reading and writing more later but for the interest of passing job interviews, prioritize learning to speak Japanese. Consistently take time to study every day or spend 2-3 hours on it on the weekends.
Get Your Engineering Skills Up to Notch.
Learning Japanese is such a big requirement for landing a job in Japan that you might forget what will actually get you that job: your qualifications. If you’re a final year student, fresh or recent graduate, they won’t be looking at your actual work experience, but they will be testing your actual technical skills. If you’re applying for big companies especially, there are difficult technical online tests to pass to qualify for the job interviews.
For Indians Going to Japan, Don’t Forget to Pack Your Spices!
There’s a lot of Indian food in Japan. There’s at least one Nepalese restaurant in every Japanese town. However, most Indian restaurants outside Tokyo have adjusted to the local palate. It’s good but probably not exactly what you’re looking for.
I think the best way to eat exactly to your taste is to cook at home. Living alone and outside of Tokyo, I’ve been cooking for myself every day. I’m thankful to have packed every spice I need, lots of lentils, and a strong enough pressure cooker. If I get desperate enough, I can source Indian spices in Japan, however, they will come at 5-10x the actual price because they had to be imported.
Get help from FAST OFFER International.
The reason I volunteered to share this story is because I’m incredibly grateful to FAST OFFER International. They made my journey of getting an engineering job in Japan as an Indian go smoothly. From start to finish, everything went so smoothly thanks to them. Here are some of the services I got for free:
- They provided free Japanese classes.
- Mentorship that really fine-tuned my Japanese and allowed me to answer the interviews well.
- My trip to Japan for the interviews.
- Processing my Certificate of Eligibility and my work visa.
- Acquiring and registering my local address, and local number.
I’m so thankful for the lengths they went to help me. I hope my story inspires others to pursue their dream with FAST OFFER International. You’ll be surprised by what you can achieve with their help!
