Software Engineering Job Prospects

3 comments

1. This is a copy of your post for archive/search purposes.

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   **Software Engineering Job Prospects**

   Hey there,

   I’m trying to move to Japan as I’ve always wanted to live there and my girlfriend is Japanese. I have a degree in mechanical engineering, a software bootcamp certificate and I currently work in a FAANG company as contractor research engineer. I’ve got about 3 years work experience, plus research experience from college. My Japanese level is conversational, as I can talk with my girlfriend in Japanese with no issue. I plan on taking the n2 exam next summer and I’m prepping for that.

   My question is, do I have a shot in getting a software job in Japan? If I’m not currently employable in Japan, what do I need to work on?

   Thanks!

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2. If you have a college degree and FAANG job experience in your CV you could get a job in every single country in the world without any issue. N2 and a Japanese GF is a massive plus too. Congratulations!

3. Yes, but there are a few considerations.

   1. You must get into the Japanese arm of any of the FAANG companies, although your salary will take a hit, but it is not as bad as working as a SWE in a domestic Japanese company where IT workers are paid less than half of what you should be earning in the US.

   2. Japanese skills are not important because there are so many Indians here working in IT here with no Japanese skills, although this can prove to be a ceiling if you seek to rise up here in ranks.

   3. Consider that your gf is just your gf, not your wife. Your future with her and with this country are far from certain. Japan faces a very challenging future with rising costs and a depreciating currency that will very likely continue till 2024 and 2025 and you may end up not earning much money in USD at all. You will be much better off earning USD and then spending in Japan rather than earning JPY and then spending in the USD.