Hi Folks! first time posting here. would really appreciate it if you could spare your free time and help me with my situation. So around 3 months ago a recruiter (from an agency) reached me to offer me an opportunity to work in Japan as a Software Engineer. I didn’t really put high hopes on it since most of the company requires JLPT N2, while I barely pass N3. So, I just went along with the application and hand my documents. oddly enough I passed the document screening.
after that, they proceed with an online test that mostly covers math & logical thinking. The problem is the questions were all in Japanese. I tried my best with my very limited kanji comprehension and **guess** my way up and answer every question. Then, they asked me to have an interview with the user (Tech Lead) which tbh I feel more confident in this part because my listening & speaking abilities are better than my writing/reading.
Now here is the first problem. After I finished the interview, the recruiter says that the company are happy with the interview and they would like to proceed to make an offering. The only problem is my online test result is a bit under their standard (obviously), so they want me to retake the same test. I know I could’ve turned them down (since my reading skills won’t improve overnight) but instead, I **cheat** my way by using a translation app in order to correctly answer the questions. And as expected, I passed the test and receive an offering letter.
Now for the second part of the question. Idk if it’s common in Japan, but the company not only sent me an offering letter but also schedule an offer meeting. They confirm the salary and working conditions, and they specifically mention that they don’t provide any support for relocation except VISA registration. I thought it was weird, but I think I’m financially able to support myself so I accept the conditions.
sorry for the long post, now here are my questions:
1. What is the general expectation toward foreign workers when the company said JLPT N2? as a software engineer will I be able to survive by using translation apps when I’m doing my work?
2. is it common for Japanese companies to not provide any relocation support? is it considered a red flag? the only thing I can say is that the company is listed Tokyo Stock Exchange with a capital market that’s on par with popular startup/e-commerce in Japan.
I really need some advice on this. Even though I’m capable of supporting myself for the relocation, The financial loss would still hit me hard if I were to fail the probation. I also thought of canceling the application, but I already accept the offer and they also have already begun processing my visa. any feedback would be greatly appreciated.
3 comments
Be careful what you wish for.
I knew someone who embellished on their resume and got the job. Called me the day before it started and asked, “how do you do Excel?” Yup, they listed Microsoft Excel as one of their skills and literally had no idea what it was or how to use it. That job turned out to be awful for numerous reasons – so much so, in fact, that we developed a case study about it for business school. The karma factor was not lost on our team nor on the audience.
Sounds like this company is expecting your Japanese to be at a certain level, and yours isn’t there yet. It’s not just the content of the work itself; it’s also things like internal communication (both written and verbal), team rapport, etc. You could find yourself quickly falling behind. If you do well with language, adapt quickly and have a “fake it till you make it” approach, you might be able to get by. But it’s risky. Good luck, either way.
You will almkst certainly get by with N3 and a dictionary for software development. Now if they expect you to speak like that it’ll be hard but i doubt that.
Study between now and your start date? Whats the big deal? Going from N3 to N2 isnt that hard its doable in a few months.
1. It would depend, but you probably be mostly fine with N3 if you actively study. You may have some issues, but N2 is far from fluent as well, so they hopefully don’t expect perfection when it comes to Japanese.
2. It varies a lot. Some companies provide nothing, some provides the flight ticket, some provides more extensive relocation packages. I wouldn’t call it a red flag, but I guess it means that the company also don’t offer much more benefits than required by law.