Getting a Software Development Job with JLPT N3 and Foreign Language (Japanese) BA

Is this possible? I've tried looking for a long time but no one offers relocation. I've even had one company saying that they can't do Skype interviews and only can use Japanese phone numbers. I've been to Japan twice through study abroad for two months total so I know what I'm getting into. I'm working on JLPT N2... failed twice but I just need 20 more points to pass the whole test. I also don't want to relocate without a job because I've heard too many horror stories about people not finding any work after they moved. After all, no job is ever guaranteed, even if you relocate. And no, I don't have work experience in the SE field.

Is it possible? Well, anything is possible.

Is it possible with no experience in the SE (software engineering?) field? Even less likely. What makes you think anyone would hire you anywhere in the world for such a job with no experience?

BTW, have you even glanced at this recent thread?
Find software development related jobs

Think of it from the recruiters point of view for a moment. Recruiting from overseas is costly (time and money), even if everything goes smoothly. Why would I go through the bother for an entry level position if I can get plenty of suitable applications by just advertising for people already in Japan - preferably people who already have the right to work in Japan and can start next week if I need them to. What's in it for me?

Now, for a higher level position where there are not that many people with the right qualifications/experience, it makes sense to put that effort in. (Even then, if I'm in a big international company I might prefer to transfer someone in from the US office rather than recruit someone new).

Actually, I'm not sure if you'd even qualify for a work visa in the right category if your degree is not in a related field. My impression was that for IT/engineering type visas you had to have qualifications (and/or experience) in the field in which you are supposed to be employed.

nekojita said:

Think of it from the recruiters point of view for a moment. Recruiting from overseas is costly (time and money), even if everything goes smoothly. Why would I go through the bother for an entry level position if I can get plenty of suitable applications by just advertising for people already in Japan - preferably people who already have the right to work in Japan and can start next week if I need them to. What's in it for me?

Now, for a higher level position where there are not that many people with the right qualifications/experience, it makes sense to put that effort in. (Even then, if I'm in a big international company I might prefer to transfer someone in from the US office rather than recruit someone new).

Actually, I'm not sure if you'd even qualify for a work visa in the right category if your degree is not in a related field. My impression was that for IT/engineering type visas you had to have qualifications (and/or experience) in the field in which you are supposed to be employed.

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I'm sorry, I do have a Computer Science BS. I forgot to mention that.

What's in it for them? Well, I'm bilingual and know more about the job than other candidates.

Glenski said:

Is it possible? Well, anything is possible.

What makes you think anyone would hire you anywhere in the world for such a job with no experience?

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Well if they don't state it, then no experience is fair game. Besides, people hire entry-level SE and interns all of the time.

It's definitely possible, but unlikely if you're asking them to relocate you and sponsor you for a visa. You're better to look for a teaching position in the area you want to live in, put in a year, and keep an eye out for a job in your field during that time. You might be better off to get a bit of experience at an English company first though, to pad your resume. I don't know your personal skills. Maybe you're a super star, and don't need the experience on your resume.

John61590 said:

I'm sorry, I do have a Computer Science BS. I forgot to mention that.

What's in it for them? Well, I'm bilingual and know more about the job than other candidates.

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You're bilingual? Why didn't you mention that before? What is the other language?

Mike Cash said:

You're bilingual? Why didn't you mention that before? What is the other language?

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Just English and Japanese a tiny bit of Spanish though

Getting a Software Development Job with JLPT N3 and Foreign Language (Japanes...

John61590 said:

Just English and Japanese a tiny bit of Spanish though

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If N3 were sufficient proficiency to rate the label "bilingual" you wouldn't need to be here asking these questions about how to get hired with inadequate Japanese proficiency.

The lower levels of the JLPT serve to provide learners with some visible mark of having made some progress in their studies and generally shouldn't be taken as indicative of an ability to function in Japanese in business/workplace settings.

Think of it as the difference in being able to function and carry out tasks where your own money is involved (ordering food, buying something at a store, etc) and where somebody else's money is involved (working with monolingual coworkers, customers and clients, including being able to keep up with written communications).

There is a huge jump between N3 and N2 (and an even larger jump between N2 and N1) and, quite frankly, the N3 passers I have known in real life here have had such poor comprehension and production skills (and near non-existent reading skills) that I could never help but wonder what actual practical value there was to even offering a test at that level. You can often find N2 who have been predominantly book learners with little to no real-life Japanese experience who are but little better (especially the passed-by-the-skin-of-my-teeth crowd) and who would rather take a beating than have to sit down with a dictionary and decode their way through a hunk of Japanese text....which is what they think "reading" Japanese involves, when in fact they should be able to cruise through reading a great variety of native materials with no great difficulty if they had actually learned to read and spent time developing reading skills instead of treating it like an onerous chore that they're going to do just the bare minimum of to get them through the JLPT exam so they can get a meaningless certificate to hang on their wall and brag about to their friends.

Well, I'm bilingual and know more about the job than other candidates.

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I hope you put more effort into your 自己PR when you actually apply for jobs. I'm fairly sure that people who are bilingual to varying extents and have a CS degree are not altogether rare in Japan.

people hire entry-level SE and interns all of the time.

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But generally from the local population, because they don't need visas and speak the language of the office fluently.

The most sensible option I think would be for you to try and find a job in the US with a US branch office of a Japanese company, or with some big multinational with offices in Japan, and then keep an eye out for the possibility of a transfer while getting some relevant experience under your belt.

Yes, you should have told us up front your qualifications (degree and bilinguality). Treat us fairly, and we'll be able to help you better, without wasting either of our time.

Now, even if you are bilingual but have no work experience, you are still going to be competing against fresh college grads who are fluent in the language but also fully aware of all the cultural aspects of life and work here. (Or are you also that? If not, they will be preferred over you because they are the type of person they can easily mold.)

I'm bilingual and know more about the job than other candidates.

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How is that possible?


And, to what degree are you bilingual? That is, spoken on all levels of politeness? How good are your reading/writing skills?

Are you from a famous university (as in really famous, like Harvard)?
Then maybe... (still unlikely).

You have no experience in SE field and not a fresh grad, so highly unlikely.
Also don't do the 1 year teaching English thing, it'll put you further from your goal.

First get a SE job in the States and get some experience and results to put on your resume.
And work on your Japanese. In terms of JLPT, if you can interview smoothly in Japanese it should be fine. If you cannot communicate effectively in Japanese, you won't get the job no matter what your JLPT score is.

biscuit00 said:

Are you from a famous university (as in really famous, like Harvard)?
Then maybe... (still unlikely).

You have no experience in SE field and not a fresh grad, so highly unlikely.
Also don't do the 1 year teaching English thing, it'll put you further from your goal.

First get a SE job in the States and get some experience and results to put on your resume.
And work on your Japanese. In terms of JLPT, if you can interview smoothly in Japanese it should be fine. If you cannot communicate effectively in Japanese, you won't get the job no matter what your JLPT score is.

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No

I kind of am a fresh grad (graduated in December) but haven't been so lucky...

I never planned on teaching English. I feel like it is one of those "beneath me" jobs.

Yeah, I have JLPT N2 coming up in July. It's tough to want to study though since I'm trying so hard to find a job. I am also forgetting a lot since I am not in school and not in Japan.

I also thought about getting a masters so I can stop all of this nonsense for at least two years and hopefully be more competitive with more skills. Hopefully from a top 10 CS school this time instead of a 200+ rank local one.

I've also pondered moving to Japan for 3 months and HOPEFULLY finding someone I can stay with while I find work. The hard part is finding someone since most people I know are married or have girlfriends.

OK, if you are fresh grad with no experience maybe you have a shot...

There's 2 types of people who can get jobs in Japan.
Fresh grads with no experience... or experienced people who are very accomplished.

You should come for the Tokyo Summer Forum then. (yes, over the Boston Career Forum, because you are not from top uni, Boston will be much more competitive for the spots.)

From now on you need to work on your Japanese interview skills.
Here's a tip: ask for an interview to be done in English = auto fail. It just tells the HR that you are not even trying. Broken Japanese will be much better.

The first interview will be very very short, around 10-15 minutes.
Prepare the following 3 questions:

Your self introduction.
What you worked the hardest on during your university years. ( &#2 3398;&#2 9983;&#2 6178;&#2 0195;&#3 8929;&#2 4373;ったこと） This question is very important, prepare this well.
And then, why this company, why Japan etc.

#2 study math. Because before you get to the interview, they will ask you to take a written exam. Now since you are foreigner, you can explain to them about your Japanese they will either overlook the Japanese section or not ask you to take it at all. However, you must be prepared to score very well on the math sections.

Also most companies will also ask you to take a very very long and boring personality exam. Also, almost all of the companies use the same test I think. What's important in this test is to answer consistently. Practicing it with companies you don't like first might be helpful.

#3
The entry sheet. Don't just fill in random stuff there, that is like your resume. Spend time answering each question.

After your first interview, whether you advance or not will be based on a combination of
Entry Sheet + exam + first interview/group interview, etc.

biscuit00 said:

OK, if you are fresh grad with no experience maybe you have a shot...

There's 2 types of people who can get jobs in Japan.
Fresh grads with no experience... or experienced people who are very accomplished.

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And everything in between.

From now on you need to work on your Japanese interview skills.

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maybe. or just learn what a typical interview is like/ I'd say learn that first plus some of the language.

before you get to the interview, they will ask you to take a written exam.

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not usually, I think.

Also most companies will also ask you to take a very very long and boring personality exam.

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where are you getting this nonsense!?

John61590 wrrote:

I never planned on teaching English. I feel like it is one of those "beneath me" jobs.

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Congratulations on insulting most people who have ventured out to teach English anywhere in the world. Yeah, I thought working at 7-11 was "beneath me", too, but it turned out to require certain responsibilities like balancing the daily books, working a dangerous time of day, etc. But, hey, it earned me some money. I also thought working construction in summer was "beneath me", but it paid significantly more than anywhere else, and it was something to put on a resume that showed I wasn't a snobbish lazy ****. I thought working supermarkets was "beneath me", but it paid for my car and more.

Get over what's "beneath you", and fixate on getting here properly.

I also thought about getting a masters so I can stop all of this nonsense for at least two years and hopefully be more competitive with more skills. Hopefully from a top 10 CS school this time instead of a 200+ rank local one.

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Like I wrote earlier, you don't have to concern yourself with a highly ranked uni if you plan to work in Japan. Any will do. Perhaps the high ranks will look more favorably when you return, though.

I've also pondered moving to Japan for 3 months and HOPEFULLY finding someone I can stay with while I find work. The hard part is finding someone since most people I know are married or have girlfriends.

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Take this from someone old enough to be your father. Grow up. You don't have to sponge off other people. Stay at a gaijin house (guest house) and pay by the week or month. You'll be in daily contact with other people staying there, and they might provide potential job leads or at least information on how to get around the city.

before you get to the interview, they will ask you to take a written exam.
not usually, I think.


Also most companies will also ask you to take a very very long and boring personality exam.
where are you getting this nonsense!?

Glenski, This guy specifically said that he is new grad, and I think he will be applying as new grad and what I said is from personal experience and it will run like this. Maybe some lower tier companies do not have written exams, but I've never seen a company without the personality exam for new grads hires.

Process almost always goes like this:
Entry sheet -> Web test -> (for some companies) on-site written exam or center exam --> Interviews (multiple rounds)

Now, most of the recruitment for Japanese companies have already closed but just take a look at this+、the so called web exam generally includes the personality exam.
ﾅ?Cﾅ?Oﾂ催敖住窶堙娯?｢ﾃｻ窶堙 | 窶露ﾂ考窶堙俄?堙や?堋｢窶堙 | DENTSU RECRUIT 2015

WEBで適性検査を受検して通過された場合、必ず4月に日本国内でこれ以降の選考を受けていただく必要がありますのでご了承ください。

I think very few new (foreign) graduates are going to have the Japanese skills to compete through the normal graduate entry routes alongside native speakers, though. From the same website:

外国人向けの募集はありますか？
特に外国籍の方の採用枠を設けているわけではありませんが、受験資格を満たすのであれば選考を受験することができます。現在電通ではグローバル領域の業務も増えているため、外国語を話せる方の活躍の場が増えています。ただし、通常業務では日本語を使用する機会が多いため、日本語に堪能なことが採用の絶対条件となります。

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Despite what JREF people tell you, yeah... It is possible.

There's a massive IT labor shortage in Japan right now. If you don't believe me ask people in recruiting and staffers. SE is classified as one of 25 positions by the Japanese government that can qualify for special visa entry. So yes, you can find a job. Just don't expect a 40 hour work week, reasonable pay or the like.

Japanese work conditions in Tokyo are fairly bad compared to how engineers in the US or UK are treated. JREF has some well-intention people, but many don't actually work in Japan anymore (or at least not recently). I recommend using many sites to research the market realities of Japan, then make your own informed decision.

Edit:

About the labor shortage -- it's projected to get worse for old Japan here in the next 20-40 years. The nation is literally dying -- both shrinking and aging. Companies won't be able to stay picky for long regarding language and cultural requirements. It's already starting to shatter.

When I got here 4 years ago, Microsoft and eBay wouldn't even touch people with non-native level Japanese. Now I've been interviewing with both despite being at N3 or so level. Times are changing quickly in Japan, it isn't 1999 anymore.

edogaijin said:

The nation is literally dying -- both shrinking and aging.

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It literally isn't dying.

The pool of new workers is shrinking, making the competition change for the better for staff, but it's not like the country is "The Children of Men" and there are no more babies. The country will continue, just with a reduced population.

But the rest of what you wrote wasn't inane! Good job!

I'll take that as a compliment haha, thanks. I've been doing haken keiyaku work for the last 2 years, and I've seen a slightly noticeable shift in the market. More companies are willing to interview foreign laborers, and linguistic requirements are slowly softening (they're still high, for sure).

I think the powers that be in Japan understand that increased immigration is an eventuality, and while not ideal, that they need to account for it. It might not be Children of Men bad yet, but it's not so far off either. Some politicians are talking about immediate immigration reform.

As some positions go unfilled or they cannot find local talent, they'll switch to importing labor. Or outsourcing. My friends in HR tell me that outsourcing is losing some popularity among the large corporate families in Japan. Probably due to the currency exchange rate evolving plus a genuine biz need for domestic development.

Regardless of what direction this all goes, I think that Japan in 10 years will look radically different than what we see today. My 2 yen.

@OP: I would suggest looking into Rakuten (楽天) and DeNA. They are companies looking to hire more native English speakers (there are many others, actually). Rakuten has a TOEIC level 700 or 800 requirement for new recruits. They're consider to raise that requirement. My point is there are many companies that will require N2 level Japanese, but there are some that have a biz need to hire foreigners. In this case, they'll shell out the extra quid to keep some bilingual Japanese and foreigners on staff.

If you're coming here with that close to N2 you're doing better than myself and many other foreigners in Japan, actually. Many companies will overlook your lack of SE experience, depending where you went to university. If you don't have a 4 year degree, you might be straight flushed as far as getting a visa.

Get in touch with some corporate recruiters (PM me for a list). They can help you apply to Rakuten and similar companies from America. My friend was relocated from Georgia and is working at Rakuten now. Some companies here are really serious about hiring foreigners. Others... yeah, not so much. It is still a very 'domestic market' so to speak...