| COUNTRY |
| Malaysia |
| EDUCATION |
| Bachelor in Mechatronics Engineering, Universiti Sains Malaysia |
| COMPANY |
| Japanese manufacturer of material handling dealing with logistics systems, automated warehouses, etc |
| SUMMARY |
| Their journey began with a passion for robotics in middle school, leading to a major in Mechatronics at Universiti Sains Malaysia. Inspired by Japanese technology, they joined FAST OFFER International, learning Japanese and preparing for job interviews. Despite anxiety about their language skills and first solo trip abroad, they persevered with the help of a mentor. Their dedication paid off with a job offer in Japan, where they plan to continue improving their Japanese, explore the country, and embrace new challenges. |
I’ve always loved Robotics. My interest began sometime in middle school, which led me to major in Mechatronics at Universiti Sains Malaysia. During my stay there, I was involved in the local Robocon competitions, where I researched the different Robotics teams from all around the world. That’s when my awe of Japanese technology began. The Japanese Robotics team was a world away from everyone else—they were so advanced!
Around the same time, FAST OFFER International came to my university for an information session. They talked about how Japan constantly looks for engineering graduates to bolster their booming tech industry. That planted the idea that I could work in Japan one day, so I signed up with FAST OFFER International’s free Japanese classes. I also began watching more Japanese content and talked to ChatGPT in Japanese for practice.
My Beginner Japanese Made Me Anxious About Japanese Job Interviews Way Before They Even Happened
After a little over a year and a half of learning Japanese, two Japanese companies were interested in interviewing me. This let me fly to Japan for free thanks to FAST OFFER International. To be honest, though, I was extremely worried because I felt my Japanese was still very lacking. It would also be my first trip abroad without my family so that added to the anxiety.
I used my anxiety and worries to do my best before I even went on the trip. Thankfully, I had a mentor from FAST OFFER International who helped me prepare. My mentor helped me practice for the interviews, gave me a thorough orientation on the interested companies, and gave me a list of anticipated questions.
Instead of dwelling on the things that made me nervous, I decided to take it one day at a time and focus on the task in front of me. I worked diligently on the list of questions, researching and refining my answers.
The Japanese Job Interview in Japan
I was nervous about my trip to Japan initially. It was my first trip abroad without my family. I ended up enjoying my time in Japan though it was very hectic. One time, after an interview round, I rushed to the Tokyo Tower just to take a quick photo then had to run to the second round of interviews. The pace though, helped me focus and kept me from dwelling on my worries as I had to constantly move on to the next step.
The first round of Japanese job interviews were casual conversations about who I was and how much I wanted the job. The second round was more critical. This was when companies were seriously deciding on whether or not to hire me. Before every round though, I felt my heart beat against my chest with nerves. I didn’t let my nervousness get the better of me though! Instead, I saw my nervousness as a sign of how much I cared about what I was doing. Being nervous was normal. When my interviewers saw my nervousness, they also saw it that way: This applicant must care a lot!
Job Interview Anxiety Tips for Extra Nervous Applicants Like Me
- Embrace Your Nerves as Part of The Experience. Caring about something will always feel this way. Your hands may get cold, your heart may go over time. This isn’t a bad thing! It’s all normal! You’re just excited.
- Bravely Go Forth Despite Your Nerves by Focusing on One Thing At a Time. Focus on what you need to do one thing at a time. Concentrate on one company at a time. Listen well to every question being asked. Stay in the present. My experience helped me do this more mindfully.
- Absorb the Kindness of the People Around You. Don’t let your nervousness distract you from the fact that so many people are helping you and want to help you. From FAST OFFER International’s staff, fellow applicants who became my new friends I met through FAST OFFER International, to the interviewers themselves—they were all helpful. They all met me halfway in expressing myself. They were patient with my shortcomings and helped me express myself better.
- Show Your Passion from Your Research to Your Interview. The best way to make you a little less nervous is to make sure you’ve done the necessary preparations. Passionately research the companies and envision yourself working there. Imagine how you can contribute to those companies specifically. During the interview itself, let your passion show in your expressions. If you come off a little nervous, it just shows you care.
- Perfection is Not Required. Knowing my Japanese was far from perfect made me anxious. I have news for you though: no one expects you to be perfect. The Japanese companies interviewing international talents know you are still studying Japanese and do not expect you to be perfectly fluent.
- You Can Gain Confidence Step-by-Step. I started the journey a bundle of nerves but witnessing myself conquer every step boosted my confidence. Even losing isn’t as bad as you imagine it would be as it can allow you to learn and improve. Seeing myself
I Was Prepared For Everything Except for Success
A lot of things surprised me from my trip. I expected going to Japan on my own for the first time would be challenging, but it was much easier than I thought. FAST OFFER International was extremely helpful and the natives were all welcoming and nice. Experiencing Japan for myself let me see how I could acclimate easily.
I was so hard on myself that I didn’t expect to succeed. I did my best every step of the way, but when I finally succeeded, I was so surprised. I’d prepared for everything except for success. When I was given the job offer with 7 days to sign, I was still putting myself down. Can I handle working in Japan? I thought to myself.
Thankfully, I got to go on a company tour. This let me see the Japanese technology that inspired me to go on this journey in the first place. I was reminded of my dream and my purpose. Seeing the company convinced me they were exactly who I was looking for. This was the opportunity to be part of Japan’s amazing technology scene.
Beyond My Job Interview Anxiety to Bravely Opening Up to New Challenges in Japan
I still have a year to prepare for life in Japan. At that time, I still have plenty of time to improve my Japanese. I’ll also start learning how to cook which I’ll have to do once I’m living alone in Japan.
When I get to Japan, I’ll concentrate on doing my best at work. On the weekends, I’ll have plenty of time to explore Japan, see robots, and Gundams, and make new friends.
As I prepare for my new life there, I’m a little more aware now that some worries are not as big as they seem. During my trip to Japan, I was actually also nervous about the cost of things because Tokyo is known to be expensive. My trip there showed me there were a lot of reasonably priced options. I’m sure they’ll all seem more relatively affordable once I become a working expat with a Japanese salary!
This experience of finding a job in Japan as a Malaysian has helped me grow as a person. From learning how to handle job interview anxiety to opening myself up to possibilities. It’s shown me what it feels like to pursue something you really want. The journey to an unknown future will always be filled with nerves and anxiety but that’s not necessarily a bad thing. I’ve also realized that as scary as the unknown can be, it can just as well mean great things waiting to happen!
FAST OFFER CAREER GUIDE: Job Interview Anxiety Number One Tip
Your Nerves Are An Automatic Response You Can’t Calm Away
In a study by Harvard Business School entitled “Get Excited: Reappraising Pre-Performance Anxiety as Excitement”, trying to “calm down” doesn’t actually help! It’s near impossible to try calm down because the feeling of anxiety is a an automatic response. What you need to do instead was reframe that feeling of anxiety. You’re not anxious, you’re excited!
While anxiety can harm your performance, excitement can improve it. If you reflect on the physical and mental experience of excitement and anxiety though: your heart beating loudly, your shaky cold fingers–there’s actually a lot overlap.
The experiment conducted by Alison Wood Brooks at Harvard Business School explored reappraising pre-performance anxiety as excitement. Across several studies involving tasks like karaoke singing, public speaking, and math performance, participants who reappraised their anxiety as excitement performed better than those who tried to calm down. This reappraisal was achieved through minimal interventions such as self-talk (e.g., saying “I am excited” out loud), which led participants to feel more excited, adopt an opportunity mindset, and improve their performance.
The Number Job Interview Anxiety Tip: Tell Yourself You’re Excited
Applying this to job interview anxiety, candidates can reframe their nervousness as excitement to enhance their performance. Instead of trying to calm down, they can use self-talk to say “I am excited” before the interview. This shift in mindset can help them focus on the positive aspects of the interview, boost their confidence, and present themselves more effectively, ultimately improving their chances of success.
Check out our career guide for more tips on how to find a job in Japan as a Malaysian?
