I am an international first-year student studying materials science and engineering in the US (hence the username, ignore the typo lol). I plan to graduate with a Bachelors of Science degree in 2025 and enter the job market if my plans don’t change (eg: going for graduate school). I have, for a long time, considered casting my net not only over the US, but also beyond to Japan.
Browsing subs like r/japancirclejerk and r/japanlife scared the shit out of me the first few times I saw posts from there but they were great wake-up calls in getting my act together.
A bit of research online tells me that engineers are in decently high demand in Japan and that once I get my bachelor’s and some work experience (easier said than done, yes, but I have still have 3.5 years to get some), chances for getting a cushy job are non-trivially high.
I’ve also been teaching myself Japanese over the past year and a half and am currently doing stuff like JLPT N3 material and taking part in language exchange programmes with natives and conversation pods on campus. I like to think of myself as pretty good for self-taught but do intend on taking a few intermediate and advanced classes at my uni to formalise what I know. By the time I finish uni, I plan to have passed the N2. N1 is honestly a bit too much to study for in combination with my course load.
I’ve lived in Japan for 3 years in the past but it was a decent while ago so I don’t know how much weight it holds, but I loved every second I spent there and would love to do it again, possibly for the rest of my life. I plan to kill two birds with one stone this summer and get placed for an internship in Tokyo where I can get some work experience – in Japan – and a two-month long language immersion period. I will also have another opportunity for a summer abroad in the future but that is more competitive and still more than a year and a half away before I am eligible.
As for the visa stuff, that’s way too far in the future and counting my eggs before they hatch so I’ll leave that to the side for now.
Now for my questions: what is some advice current or prospect engineers in Japan have? Is there anything that’s not obvious that I should be doing? Anything more I should be preparing for? Backups? I still have about 3 years before I set any decisions in stone so I have plenty of time to do things and want to get started early.
Thanks in advance!
2 comments
As an entry level engineer you’re going to need a high level of Japanese. Especially in materials science. Good degree to have though.
It’s possible to get an entry level job as an engineer at a major company with little to no Japanese. I know for sure because I got hired as an engineer at a major Japanese auto manufacturer with very limited Japanese language ability. I interviewed and received my offer at the start of my Master’s year, then started work straight after graduating. However, I fulfil quite a specific set of criteria:
1) Bachelor’s and master’s from a global top 100 university in the UK.
2) A master’s degree directly specialising in something my company needed, down to a “T”.
3) A (very successful and decorated) year of work experience at another (related) Japanese company in the UK.
4) Experience studying abroad at a top Japanese university.
As you’re at the start of your degree, if you can focus yourself towards filling these criteria as closely as possible (+ the Japanese language, of course), then you’ll be in a pretty good position.
However, don’t specifically study to get yourself to Japan. Being an engineer is not easy, and being an engineer in Japan is even less so. There’s little room for taking initiative and you’ll be expected to just do what your manager tells you, most of the time. I’m extremely passionate about what I do, and even I’ve been beat down to the dirt by the way things are done here. The only reason I managed to keep going is because I’m lucky to have very understanding superiors who put up with my BS when I just lost my mind and started to kick up shit by doing whatever the hell I want (not to mention that I’m good enough at my job that I’m always bringing results faster and better than expected). And when I say lost my mind, I mean it – I legit fell into depression due to how different reality was to my expectations (both in my mind, and based on what was told to me by the recruiter). It’s a lot better now, but I know so many who weren’t as lucky as I was.
My career goals and path changed vastly between the time I started my degree and when I put on the graduation gown. You’re gonna do a lot of different modules, different projects, talk to different lecturers, professors and professionals, and see many different new things. All of these may just ignite a new spark in your mind, years down the line. Hell, I only decided I wanted to study abroad in Japan about 9 months before I got my offer to work here – and that too was because it was just a sensible option (my employer at the time offered to keep me on the payroll if I went to Japan instead of Canada, which is where I wanted to go).
Basically, what I’m saying is this: don’t do things specifically for the goal of getting to Japan. Do things for the goal of being a good engineer and getting the most possible out of your time at university. That way, you’re not putting all your eggs in one basket, both practically (i.e. by making yourself employable in places other than Japan) and mentally (so that you don’t get crushed if you don’t make it here). If you have a fulfilling, happy student life, get a good degree, become a well rounded engineer with work experience and references, then you’ll be set to go wherever you want, regardless of how your goals may change in the future. This includes Japan, of course!