New throwaway for another one of THOSE parts. I currently work remotely for a non-teaching non-software position, and make a salary I can’t complain about (between 7m-9m /year, late 20s/early 30s) I generally enjoy my job, but I’m considering switching to software/web dev.
My job is very niche, and my thinking is that if my job were to vanish, there are no competitors that I’d like to work for, and I don’t really love the idea of continuing to work in this field until I retire.
I speak Japanese fluently. I’m self studying programming through udemy and my own projects, but am weighing the option of doing the code chrysalis 6-month remote program (I’m not in Tokyo).
What I’m really wondering is, what are job prospects like for entry level non-shinsotsu programmers at a gaishikei, is it realistic to find a fully remote job like this, and how long do you think it would take to get back to/surpass my current salary level?
Feels like I’m asking a lot, so I’d love to hear some honest opinions.
7 comments
When making a new throwaway, why give ambiguous info? Why not give your exact age, salary and other specifics?
There are about a million threads here from people with no experience in development asking how to get into that industry if you search for it..
I would say now is a bad time to be an entry level dev. Almost all of the top gaishikeis I know are having various level of layoff/hiring freeze/hiring slow. I recommend you wait until the current storm blows pass.
Also, I don’t see top level gaishikeis take in non-shinsotsu entry level devs all that often. Mine for example, only accept a limited number of interns from top universities (think Todai) every year. And even then they are not guaranteed a hire.
If you manage to get in though, it doesn’t take all that long to reach 10M TC. At mine, junior devs with 1~3 YOE generally start around 12M~15M TC (salary + bonus + stock).
Don’t quit just to slash your salary by 70%. That money invested now will be hundreds of thousands of dollars at retirement. Make your transition as gradual as you can
Interested in platform support? How much technical background do you actually have?
https://static.spacecrafted.com/b13328575ece40d8853472b9e0cf2047/r/bf165076cae84903860cd499e9441435/1/Code%20Chrysalis%20The%20Immersive%20Bootcamp%20H2%202019.pdf
Most graduates make around 5M. That would be about a 2M to 4M paycut assuming you give up remote. Will take you 3-6 years to get around your current salary. By then you realise that you do not want to look at code 8 hours a day. So you will get some management qualifications. Then I guess you will be okay?
I’ve done interviews at companies I’ve worked at in the past and if I saw I was interviewing someone who graduated from a code boot camp, I would already decide not to hire you before even talking to you.
You’re going to learn very limited basic knowledge there and essentially be a lower level than someone who graduated from college. It’s a big investment to train someone like that and you’re really only able to fit into specific roles at the company. You don’t have a background where you are expected to know data structures and algorithms where I can put you on different teams and let you learn. You’re going to know basic web dev and mostly focus on learning how to use javascript libraries, not write your own code.
You should keep your job because it’s a good salary and sounds like a nice spot for you. Keep learning to code on the side in your spare time and make some projects you can show in a portfolio. Then apply to jobs. It’s slower but you’ll be better off and not waste thousands on a code boot camp. If you have any questions about working as a software engineer or going about learning any kind of programming you can message me.