2024-10-25

Learning Japanese Helped Realize This Indonesian ITB Graduate’s Childhood Dream to Work In Japan 

Summary

An Indonesian graduate from Institut Teknologi Bandung (ITB) is set to begin his engineering career in Japan. Inspired by Japanese culture from a young age, he started self-studying Japanese in high school through anime and YouTube videos. While studying Electrical Power Engineering at ITB, his dream to work in Japan solidified, particularly after working on a project involving Japanese engineering excellence. Discovering FAST OFFER International on Instagram, he joined their free Japanese classes, which significantly improved his language skills. After thorough preparation, he successfully secured a position at a Japanese automobile manufacturer. Although he has concerns about living and working in Japan for the first time, he is eager to contribute to the future of the automotive industry and encourages other students to pursue their dreams with persistence and dedication. 

Interested in Working in japan?

Profile

Countries & Regions
Indonesia
University
Institut Teknologi Bandung (ITB)
Major
Electrical Power Engineering
Education
Bachelor
Company
A Japanese public multinational conglomerate manufacturer of automobiles, motorcycles, and battery-powered equipment.

My Childhood Dream of Working in Japan Inspired Me To Learn Japanese as an Indonesian

Ever since I was young, I dreamed of working in Japan. Inspired by this dream, I began self-studying Japanese in high school, learning vocabulary and grammar, and improving my language skills through YouTube videos and anime.  I felt like learning Japanese as an Indonesian drew me closer to Japan.

However, since I was self-taught, I was not sure if my pronunciation was correct. As a solution, I listened to a lot of Japanese media. The more I listened, the more I understood the pronunciation and the more I could speak Japanese. Later, I used a language app to talk with Japanese people. Japanese people speak very fast, and at first, it was difficult for me to catch up with the conversations. However, as we talked, I gradually began to understand.   

Unfortunately, I couldn’t spend a lot of time studying Japanese every day in high school because I had other subjects to study. Still, I made it a point to study on weekends and in my free time.   

ITB Studies Solidified My Dream to Work in Japan 

Balancing my academics with studying Japanese was challenging but the more I learned about engineering and technology, the more I was inspired to do well in both.   

The more I learned about Japan, the more I was fascinated. These factors are the reasons why I choose Japan as a place where I can apply my skills and vision on a larger scale:  

  • I experienced the excellence of Japanese craftsmanship through their products. For my final year project, I worked on optimizing BLDC motors for use in electric bicycles. Through this project, I was exposed to the excellence and innovation of Japanese engineering, which convinced me even more that a career in Japan would be the perfect place to take my skills and knowledge to a higher level.  
  • I learned how it’s home to both advanced technology and traditional culture. In Japan, these two things don’t clash, but they harmonize. I hope I can also emulate this perspective in my personal and professional life.    
  • I learned about how top-notch their work environment was. I am attracted to Japan’s efficient work environment, emphasis on teamwork, and honest communication style.   

Everything I know about Japan has convinced me how ideal a place it could be for me as an engineer and person looking to be challenged, and to grow. It’s somewhere I can continue to build my knowledge, experience, and career. It’s somewhere I can hopefully contribute to the advancement of technology.   

I Took Part in FAST OFFER International’s Japanese Classes

When I chanced upon FAST OFFER International on Instagram, I at once signed up because it offered free Japanese classes and a chance to work in Japan. My childhood dream of working in Japan was fully awakened.  

At that time, I hadn’t spoken Japanese for a long time and had forgotten a lot of it. So, when I first took part in FAST OFFER’s free Japanese classes for six months, I learned vocabulary, and grammar, and practiced conversation, and my Japanese language skills improved considerably.   

I also put a lot of time into learning Kanji, which I found was the most difficult part. It takes time to learn them and there are few chances to use them. I simply made up for it by giving myself extra time for it.   

Learning Japanese as an Indonesian Paid off: From Preparation to Success

As soon as I finished my Japanese classes, I started interviewing with Japanese companies. I took part in three company interviews thanks to FAST OFFER International. Since I value the opportunity to work in Japan, I am seriously prepared for the interviews.  

First, I made a list of questions often asked at interviews, such as introducing myself, why I want to work in Japan, and why I applied for the job. Then, I conducted self-analysis, industry research, company research, etc., and looked up how to answer those questions in Japanese. Thanks to this, I was able to answer most of the questions smoothly. However, I found it a little difficult to answer questions about technology because I had to explain in detailed technical terms. Also, I was not confident about asking questions for the first time.   

Fortunately, however, I was still able to pass the exam without incident.  Learning Japanese as an Indonesian really paid off!

Ready for New Challenges 

Learning Japanese as an Indonesian to find a job in Japan is just the beginning. I’m ready for the next challenges!

I am joining a Japanese automobile manufacturer in October this year. It will be my first time working overseas, so I am worried about my living environment. I am also worried about whether I will be able to do my job well since I am going from being a student to a working adult. That’s why I’m doing my best as I wait for the day to arrive. I am improving my Japanese language skills, learning more techniques, and getting more knowledge related to my job.   

But more than my worries, I am looking forward to being part of a company that would allow me to be part of the future’s rapidly developing battery and automobile industries.   

I believe that there are many students like me working in Japan. Indonesians will greatly benefit from getting work experience in Japan. I want to encourage them to do their best and keep learning Japanese. It may be difficult to learn Japanese as an Indonesian, but it’s worth all the effort! Some so many people are keen to support you! You can do it!  

Read More Success stories!

India
Electronics and Telecommunication
Savitribai Phule Pune University
India
Electronics and Telecommunication
Savitribai Phule Pune University
Malaysia
Computer Science
Universiti Putra Malaysia
Malaysia
Computer Science
Universiti Putra Malaysia
India
Mechanical Engineering
Savitribai Phule Pune University
India
Mechanical Engineering
Savitribai Phule Pune University