How My Childhood Fascination with Doraemon Evolved into Dreaming of Working in Japan
My interest in Japan began when I was really young watching Doraemon Shinchan every day. Doraemon’s gadgets especially tickled my imagination: like the helicopter and the time machine. My fascination for technology also began around that time. Introduced by cousins, I even dabbled with coding even before college. Who knew this would all lead me to one day passionately pursue Japanese corporate culture?
When I grew older and pursued my passion for technology through my Computer Science degree at Savitribai Phule Pune University, my perspective of Japan also changed. For one, studying technology inevitably led to an awareness of how advanced their tech industry is, especially compared to the local Indian scene.
Inspired By My University Seniors’ Experience of Japanese Corporate Culture
Hearing other’s success stories then began to open my eyes. Closer to working age, I also found out about my university seniors who worked in Japan. All my interests seemed to coalesce in Japan.
Some highlights of their experience of Japanese Corporate Culture that they loved:
- Respect for each other’s time
- Excellence in every step
- Meticulous processes
- Amazing teamwork
- The company valued both their professional and personal growth
- Work environment conducive to being your best version
Learning Japanese to Fulfill My Dream of Working in Japan
My fascination easily morphed into an intense desire to work in Japan. During my third year of college, during the onslaught of COVID-19, I used my free time to self-study Japanese. I figured that it would be the first requirement to work in Japan. Luckily, I found the language so interesting—everything was so different! I finished studying pronunciation, hiragana, and katakana in just one day!
After graduating from college, I wasn’t sure yet how an Indian like me was going to work in Japan. I was just earnest and did my best to study Japanese with all of my heart. My parents saw my dedication. They saw I was putting my all into it, so they got on board with the idea and supported me throughout. It was a big gamble, but I didn’t apply for full-time work after graduation. Instead, I did an internship while studying Japanese. While my peers started working, I stayed at home studying, and even then, my parents believed in me fully.
I really wanted my first foray working to be knee-deep in Japanese corporate culture. I was going to do everything in my power to achieve my goal!
My Tips for Learning Japanese for Indians
- Study Japanese every day. It’s important to study consistently so you can keep on improving. For some people with busy lives, they should at least try to give half an hour every day. Because I was singularly focused, I spent 3-4 hours daily. That helped me finish my Japanese classes in a year.
- Use HelloTalk! More than your reading and writing skills, the interviews will test your Japanese speaking ability. Practice talking to native Japanese people using an app like HelloTalk!.
- I wrote and learned new kanji every day. Kanji is one of the most challenging aspects of learning Japanese as an Indian but it’s also quite interesting! It’s important to build your kanji vocabulary. I had this little whiteboard in my room that I used every day.
- Prepare for exams thoroughly! For every interview and JLPT certification I passed, I made sure to study intensely for a week. This helped me confidently take on these exams.
Fellow Pune University Alumni’s Story of How Safe Japan is For Young Women Like Her
Sometime near the end of my internship, I was scrolling on Instagram when I found out that one of my friends from university was able to find work in Japan. I got to talk to her about her experiences in Japan. She was happy with her work, and the culture at her Japanese company was as excellent as expected.
But it was one story outside of work that stood out to me. One night, she arrived alone at the train station later than the last train. As an Indian woman, she was scared to be alone at such a late hour and worried about how she would go home. A police officer then helped her and accompanied her all the way home safely. It was an experience that deeply touched her and made her so grateful for how safe Japan was for young women. In hindsight, in Japan, it’s not dangerous for women to walk home alone at night. I’m sure the policeman also knew this but instead of dismissing my friend’s worries, he still went out of his way not just to keep her safe, but to make her feel secure.
As the precious eldest daughter of my parents, the first engineer in the family, when I told them I wanted to work in Japan, they were happy and encouraged me. Because of stories from my university seniors, and my friend’s story, they also know how safe Japan is. THese stories allow me to imagine having fun safely traveling around Japan, solo or not, even as a woman. It made me resolute about my dream. I asked my friend how she got to Japan, and that’s when I found out about her path with FAST OFFER International.
ASIA to JAPAN‘s FAST OFFER International Gave Me the Concrete Steps to Fulfill My Dream
Before I met FAST OFFER International, I wasn’t sure how I would find my way to work in Japan. I had my doubts! Those doubts melted after I got to talk with them. When I signed up with them and they interviewed me, they asked me about my studies, my goals, and the Japanese companies I wanted to work with. They even taught me how to research Japanese companies and how to learn about their corporate culture.
It was my first time speaking to a Japanese native. It felt great to converse in Japanese with someone for the first time, like all those months of self-studying were paying off. I was praised for my Japanese but was recommended formal Japanese classes to improve. Luckily, FAST OFFER International had free classes. My dream was suddenly so attainable thanks to that conversation. I quickly completed the requirements for my profile.
Attending FAST OFFER International’s Free Japanese Classes
After a year of studying with FAST OFFER International in partnership with Hirameki classes, I underwent a mock interview to test if I was ready for the actual interviews. To my surprise, I passed! Soon, a company shortlisted me but I didn’t pass their interview. They gave me positive feedback though, and it was just a case of skill mismatch. I also took it as a chance to further improve my Japanese and improve my PR Video (a video introducing myself to Japanese companies). I don’t think most do that, but I felt like I could do better. The next company to shortlist me though, I wasn’t too keen about the job description, so I didn’t proceed with them. I didn’t want to compromise my goal.
Perhaps it was just my luck, that the next opportunity came when two very good Japanese companies became interested in my profile simultaneously. This made me part of FAST OFFER International’s regular week-long sponsored trips to Japan. My friend was able to secure her job only through an online interview and I thought it would be the same for me. This was such a wonderful surprise!
Flying to Japan for the Japanese Interviews
Experiencing Japanese Kindness for Myself
I was ecstatic to find out I was going to Japan. Admittedly, I was worried because it would be my first trip abroad and I had to prepare a bunch of things. So, I studied and prepared until finally, the day came to fly to Japan.
One of the highlights was when we were picked up by FAST OFFER International staff. I had this really heavy luggage with me that I was struggling with. None of my friends helped me but immediately, FAST OFFER International’s staff helped carry my bag for me to the hotel. All this time I’ve been hearing friends, family, and other people talk about how nice Japanese people were. It was great to experience Japanese kindness for myself. I was deeply moved.
It’s Not a Competition, But about Finding The Perfect Fit
During the first round of interviews, I learned my skills were mismatched with one of the companies. That means I had one viable company left. It just so happened that this last company I was still in the running for was only hiring one person. There were a lot of us going for that one opening. A lot of my peers had a higher level of Japanese than my JLPT N3 certificate which made me feel insecure.
I expressed my fears over the tight competition to my mentor. They in turn urged me to change my perspective. They told me not to think about it as a competition. I just had to do my very best and believe in myself. My mentor assured me it was all right whatever happened, whether I went home to India with a job offer or not. Whatever the final results would be, it would still be a great experience for me. They told me to focus on the process and that lifted the pressure off me. I just focused on my gratitude for the great opportunity.
Always Doing My Best Despite The Odds
So, I proceeded to the interviews intent on doing my best. My mentor later gave me positive feedback from my interviews. However, my peers also got positive feedback so that didn’t mean I already succeeded. I was convinced I didn’t get it, to be honest, but I was still hoping and praying to god that he let me have this. There was hope, but I was managing my expectations. When I got back to the hotel, I called up my parents and also tried to manage theirs. I told them that I was probably not going to get it. Just as I said that though, my mentor called me.
“You got the job!”
I was ecstatic! I had to call my parents again, this time with the best news. Having stood by me throughout my journey, watching me go through sleepless nights to prepare, through all the circumstances and personal problems that happened throughout, this good news held so much weight for my parents. I could feel their joy ripple through the phone.
The answer that may have swayed my interviewers was when they asked me how I felt about working overtime. I told them that I was more than willing to work overtime for as long as I felt that it was worth it. If overtime will help me significantly progress, improve myself, and advance professionally, then I can work as much as they want me to. This was, in fact, the Japanese corporate culture of dedication to excellence I was keen to emulate.
My Tip for Indians Who Also Want to Be Part of Japan’s Corporate Culture: Don’t Give Up
The timeline for finding the perfect job for you in Japan differs from person to person. Some folks take just a month, I took a year, and some take even longer. For some people they give up during the arduous language learning journey, for some, they give up during the actual job hunt, and for some, they give up after experiencing failures.
Don’t Give Up When You’re Learning Japanese, Instead, Find Fun Ways to Study
Learning Japanese can take a long time. It’ll be helpful to keep the journey fun. For me, it was using helloTalk and watching a bit of anime. It’s rewarding to watch Japanese shows without subtitles and to talk to Japanese natives freely.
Don’t Give Up When You Fail, Instead, Find Ways To Improve
Failing can teach you a lot of things. Failing can be an incredible learning experience. Failure is simply part of the journey and nothing to be ashamed about! It’s important to assess your situation and understand how to do better next time.
Don’t Give Up When You’re Rejected, Instead, See That Sometimes It’s Not Personal
When a company rejects your application, or when you fail at an interview, you’ll be tempted to take it personally. It is admittedly a blow. But sometimes the reason isn’t personal. Your skill set is sometimes not a match for what they’re looking for. Sometimes, it’s just because of the kinds of jobs that are currently available and not your fault. Be aware that this can happen. It’s worth waiting for the right company to come along! After all, you’ll be spending a chunk of your life with them, so you need to choose the right Japanese company who are looking for your skills and have the corporate culture you’re looking for.
Gratitude for My Journey and Everyone Who Supported Me
I think about everything that awaits me in Japan, and I’m not only filled with excitement, but also gratitude. I couldn’t have reached this point without a community behind me. I was able to make brave decisions because I knew I was fully supported.
My Japanese classes with Hirameki not only got my skills up to par, but their wonderful and kind teachers boosted my self-confidence, kept my morale up, even when I was having a hard time with my studies. My FAST OFFER International mentor who guided me in the path that has made me into the person I’m proud of today.
My Future Jumping into Japan’s Culture: Corporate and Beyond
I’m excited about my future. I want to do my best and excel within the Japanese corporation I’ll be working with, reaching career heights that would make my parents even more proud. During my whole journey, my parents were steadfast in their belief in me, that I could do whatever I set my mind to. Their belief in me convinced me that anything is possible. They motivate me to always do my best and to work from my heart.
When I get to Japan, I’m excited about exploring the local culture and living as an independent woman. I want to make more friends who speak Japanese and casually watch anime with them without subtitles.
Already, this journey has greatly changed me. The person before all this wasn’t this confident. My experiences of learning a language, going to Japan on my own, and landing a highly coveted job, have fueled my self-esteem. This experience has taught me that whatever I set my sights on and give my whole heart to, I can achieve.
I’m looking forward to seeing my next evolution. Perhaps I’ll be more positive and even more confident then. I’m crossing my fingers that my Japanese will be as fluent as the natives! Japanese corporate culture will for sure mold me into my best version!
