| COUNTRY |
| Indonesia |
| EDUCATION |
| Bachelor of Motor Control and Power Electronics, Universitas Indonesia |
| COMPANY |
| A Japanese company specializing in automated material handling systems. |
| SUMMARY |
| Motivated by opportunities to learn more about Power Electronics, a young electrical engineering student from Indonesia sought opportunities to work in Japan. In this story, he talks about why he chose Japan to pursue his career, how he studied Japanese while still in Indonesia, and what it was like to face in-person job interviews in Tokyo. |
Why I Pursued Electrical Engineering
Fix it first, before you buy a new one. That has always been my motto, long before I became an engineer. In high school, I loved tinkering with broken toys — opening them up, searching for what had gone wrong, and feeling that fulfillment when they worked again. Soon, younger kids at my church began bringing me their broken toys instead of throwing them away. They knew I might be able to fix them. Seeing those toys come back to life brought me joy.
That was when I realized I didn’t just enjoy fixing toys, but I also wanted to make things better for a living through my skills. Signing up as an Electrical Engineering major in college felt like the natural next step.
On top of that, I appreciate how electrical engineering is a highly valuable skill that many industries need. In my opinion, it’s something that pretty much can’t be replaced by AI — this is why I chose this path.
Finding Work In Japan As An Electrical Engineer
Because electrical engineering is an in-demand specialty, I could pretty much be an electrical engineer anywhere. But why did I choose to find work in Japan as an electrical engineer?
It all started when I was doing my Final Year Project. I have a strong interest in Power Electronics, and the project I’m working on is to design the control system of a boat that uses a solar panel as its main source of energy to lower the cost of fuel. Speedometer, radio, air conditioner, microcontroller — my job is to integrate all of them into one system.
As I was researching how to do this, I realized that I actually need hands-on experience that I can only get abroad to make this solar boat a reality — specifically in Japan or China. In the end, I chose to find work in Japan as an electrical engineer instead because I already have some background in Japanese.
How I Learned Japanese While In Indonesia
Self-Studying Japanese
When I was younger, I came across the Japanese movie Your Name. It’s a very moving and popular anime movie about time travel and fate. Since watching this movie, I became interested in watching more anime. I loved watching anime so much that when the pandemic hit, I had so much time on my hands that I began learning Japanese. I bought books and watched online videos to self-study.
I quickly learned that teaching myself Japanese was no easy task. In the end, I managed only a basic grasp of hiragana, katakana, and a handful of kanji. After a few months, my focus shifted to preparing for a state exam. And, as the saying goes, what you don’t maintain, you lose. Little by little, my fluency began to fade.
Still, my interest in the language and culture never wavered. Whenever I overhear someone speaking Japanese, my ears instinctively perk up, and I think to myself, “Oh, I know what that means.” Even if much of it has slipped away, it never truly left me.
Taking N4 Japanese Classes In Indonesia While Completing College
One night, while scrolling through Instagram, I came across a poster offering free Japanese classes for Indonesian engineering students. At the time, I didn’t qualify. The program was only available for students graduating in 2024 or 2025, and my graduation was set for 2026. All I could do was wait.
When the opportunity finally opened for me a year later, I signed up without hesitation. Balancing Japanese classes alongside my engineering degree was challenging, but I stayed committed because I genuinely wanted to work in Japan as an electrical engineer. The class began with around 100 students. By midterms, only 30-40 remained, and I was grateful to be among them.
During this period, I received an email from a FAST OFFER career advisor requesting a meeting. We discussed my eligibility to pursue a career in Japan and whether my Japanese proficiency would be sufficient for a job interview. By our third session, the advisor told me that a company was very interested in my profile. But the best part is that I will be flown to Japan in August for an in-person interview. I was excited, and it would be the first time that I would travel by myself.
Going To Japan For The Job Interview
Flying to Japan for a job interview was both terrifying and exciting. It started with a small bump: I was held for questioning at immigration in Indonesia before my flight, which only heightened my nerves. After that, however, the journey went smoothly. I had a brief stopover in Malaysia, where I had about seven hours to explore and gather my thoughts.
But during the flight to Japan, my mind had been racing again. What should I do? What should I prepare? It was my first time traveling so far from home without my parents. I was completely on my own. When I finally arrived, I realized that the fear was inseparable from the excitement. After all, this was the beginning of something new.
Preparing for the interview
Here are the things I did to prepare for a job interview to work in Japan as an electrical engineer:
- Memorized technical and physics terminology in Japanese. Since I needed to explain my final-year project in Japanese, I focused on learning how to accurately express key technical terms.
- Practiced explaining concepts in simple Japanese. I was advised that clarity mattered more than advanced proficiency, so I focused on using straightforward language rather than aiming for the N2 or N1 level.
- Translated and refined my presentation slides in Japanese. I added final adjustments and repeatedly practiced presenting them aloud to ensure that everything went well during the interview.
My experience with a job interview in Japan as an electrical engineer
I was invited for one in-person interview, and so I gave it my all. This is my once-in-a-lifetime chance! Before the interview, my heart was pounding, and I was very nervous. I started to feel cold, and every single muscle in my body tensed up.
I had two rounds of interviews for the same company. The first was with a technical person from the factory, and it quickly became a highly technical discussion. I struggled to answer most questions because the language used was quite complex. I also relied heavily on the translator sitting beside me, who helped me understand the technical terms. Knowing he was there reassured me, but I couldn’t help feeling mentally drained afterward.
I felt a bit embarrassed about it, and so that night, I strived to step up my game. That evening, I dedicated myself to improving. I practiced more, corrected my manners, and rehearsed how I would speak in the next interview. I knew that in Japanese culture, proper manners are highly respected, and I wanted to present the best version of myself.
The second interview was with two executives and a manager. The stress was even higher than before, but to my relief, they tried to ease the tension. They asked simple, friendly questions such as why I liked Japan and whether I had tried sushi. They even spoke to me in casual Japanese at some point! It was far less formal than I expected, and I was able to show up confidently, with better manners and clearer speech. My FAST OFFER career advisor later told me he was proud of how much I had improved!
Getting The Job Offer
My final interview ended at 4 pm, and the results are expected to come out at 6 pm. During those 2 hours, I just waited at the FAST OFFER office and was just tinkering with my phone. My mind kept replaying the interview, imagining every possible outcome.
Then, suddenly, my current advisor approached me with a serious expression. My heart sank. I thought he was about to break some bad news. But it was just a prank, and he suddenly smiled as he told me the real result: I had passed.
I could barely contain my happiness. I immediately called my mom, my parents, my brothers, and my friends to share the news. I wanted to jump, scream, and celebrate in every possible way, but I was still in the office, so I had to contain myself. Even so, I couldn’t stop smiling. That moment was pure joy, the culmination of months of hard work and preparation.
My Advice To Engineers Who Want To Follow My Path
My advice is simple: try to speak as much as you can. And immerse yourself in the culture! I think many learners forget that learning a language means engaging with the culture behind it, not just translating from their own language in their head. Native speakers don’t need to translate because it comes naturally, but for learners, the key is to immerse themselves fully. This is especially important for a challenging language like Japanese. Surround yourself with the language, think in the language, and live it in small ways every day. I strongly encourage anyone learning Japanese to dive in and make it a part of their daily life.
My Hopes For My Future In Japan
I’m really looking forward to experiencing Japan beyond work as well. I want to visit an onsen and try as many Japanese foods as I can.
Another small thing I’m excited about is creating my own personal hanko, a stamp with my name engraved on it. It’s a simple thing, but it feels special and uniquely Japanese. I don’t mind the cost, I just want to have that experience for myself.
Career-wise, I hope the company I join gives me plenty of opportunities. I understand that, as a foreigner, my chances of reaching management are limited, but that doesn’t bother me. I’m passionate about being an engineer and working directly with Japanese colleagues.
