I moved from a South Asian country to Japan 5.5 years ago as a fresh graduate Software Engineer in a traditional Japanese company’s IT department, now working in a top IT company for last 4 years as a Senior Software Engineer (My core Tech: Java/Kotlin-spring boot, JavaScript- reactjs, Kafka, MongoDB, K8S- Azure).
Despite leading projects(architecting+Project Management + implementation+ cross team communications) successfully and
mentoring team members , I’m not officially recognized e.g Tech-lead/Assistant Manager or compensated for it.
My manager deflects discussions about promotions or more than typical raises based on “age” (in my late 20s) and “budget issues” even though I achieve my goals. Last year, I earned total around 7.5m¥ before tax but could earn more elsewhere with what I can bring to the table.
Balancing the financial responsibilities of supporting a family of two in Japan, with overseas dependents (parents+2 siblings), I find it challenging to meet my savings targets, typically managing to save only 1-1.5 million ¥ annually. With the increasing cost of living in Japan, I anticipate this figure may decrease further this year.
While I value the familiarity and stability of my current position (almost “ZERO” hour of overtime), I feel underpaid with my skills and experience.
However, navigating the cultural nuances of discussing salary raises in Japan poses a challenge. I seek advice on how to broach this topic with my manager in a manner that conveys my value without appearing overly assertive or demanding, considering cultural sensitivities.
by H3nna_San