The spread of coronavirus infection has led several businesses into a temporary halt, and some completely shut down. The work environment has also changed as the government encourages companies to make their employees work remotely.Moreover, businesses in Japan are moving their efforts to online marketing. Industries greatly affected by the pandemic are also creating new business strategies as the country plans to open its doors again for tourists to help kick-start the economy. As such, the number of IT-related projects continues to soar and Japan still needs more IT engineers to cope with the demand for workforce in the industry.Impact of Corona in the IT IndustryAccording to IDC Japan, the ICT market in the country is forecast to decrease by 4.5%. This is due to the postponement of the 2020 Olympics, the sluggish service industry, and the supply-chain disruption. Despite the forecast, IDC believes that it will have less impact in the IT industry due to digital transformation and system updates for businesses which opens up a new market for the IT industry.Companies are expected to lose some revenue due to the pandemic but system support and maintenance are indispensable. They are necessary to stabilize business operations or help them transfer to digital marketing as consumer behaviors are seen to rise during the pandemic.Unlike other businesses, IT companies can work remotely which is shaping up to be the new normal. In-house services are also needed recently for digital transformation in businesses.Remote WorkCompanies are recommending a work from home or remote work setup to keep employees safe and businesses afloat. Remote working is not only limited to working at home but it also includes working in satellite offices.Remote work can reduce long travel hours and eliminate the stress from commuting. Transportation costs are also reduced for companies. This type of setting will also improve the work-life balance of IT engineers. However, remote work can also cause delays in confirmations and consultations which can easily be done face-to-face in an office-based setting.RecruitmentThe job market in Japan has seen a downward trend but the hiring of IT engineers has not decreased under these circumstances. IT companies in the country are still looking for new candidates and have adopted online applications into the interview and screening process.IT companies are motivated to continue hiring and training engineers in response to the implementation of system improvements for businesses to grow. Companies are expected to request system replacements and maintenance in 2020 which can potentially continue in the next year.IT Industries and Job Titles Needed in JapanThe IT job market continues to look for IT engineers to fill in available job titles for remote and in-house work during these circumstances. Here are a few IT industries and job titles IT companies are looking for:Internet industryCompanies in this industry deal with various web services and developments on the internet such as server management, site management, and internet advertisement. Most IT engineers working in this industry can work anywhere as long as there’s an internet connection. Web designers and programmers fall under this industry.Telecommunications industryThey deal with maintenance and improvements in mobile phones, landlines, internet, and communication lines. Sales engineers and network engineers work for the telecommunications industry. They also do product planning and development.Software industryCompanies under the software industry develop a wide range of operating systems of basic software and applications. The industry needs systems engineers, application engineers, and programmers.Hardware industryIt is an industry that plans, designs, and develops hardware such as smartphones and PC peripherals. They also handle IoT which is currently included in home appliances. Sales engineers, systems engineers, and hardware engineers fall under this industry.Engineering Work OutlookIT Engineers in Japan are requested to work on various system-related services, contractual development projects, and in-house products and services. Here’s the outlook for the three working styles of IT engineers in Japan.System Engineering Service (SES)Engineers working in this field develop and maintain information systems of companies. An engineer is assigned to a company and stays resident there to get used to the system design of the company. During this period, engineers can work remotely and access the system environment with VPN but communication is less and it may be difficult to provide the service they need. Moving forward, SES contracts may change and will require engineers to learn new skills. Contract Development ProjectsIT companies are responsible for the system development of companies. Multiple engineers are assigned and work together as project members along with the development team in the company office. Engineers working in this field can work remotely, but efficiency is expected to become lower due to work schedules risking the delivery time of the development system. In the future, there is a need for change in the working style of engineers involved in contract development projects.In-house ServicesEngineers belonging to the in-house services develop and maintain operations to improve company products. Development and maintenance are scheduled and contracts are based on the services needed. As engineers need to work remotely, requesting reviews and communication with leaders can be difficult and engineers need to learn skills to work around this.Skills Needed from IT Engineers in the FutureThe coronavirus has eliminated close contact work. As more IT engineers seek jobs in the industry, remote work is expected to continue even when the pandemic is over. Employers are also looking for qualities that will best fit IT talents while doing remote work. Here are two important skills that IT engineers need in the future.Great Time ManagementCompared to working in the office, there is less interruption when working remotely. IT engineers should utilize this opportunity to practice managing their tasks and setting clear goals such as finishing a part of a task within a day or scheduling a review of ongoing work once a week.Employers will be looking for candidates and trainees that are reliable and can balance their work and life while working remotely.Online CommunicationUnlike talking with your teammates in a conference room or meeting room, online meetings right now are moving in a systematic approach. Always listen to the host and write down everything you want to ask and make them simpler so when your turn comes, you can ask questions precisely and promptly to avoid delays in the meeting. For emails and other business communication platforms, explain all the things you need to convey in easy sentences or in precise sentences. Fillers are not needed in business communication as it will only cause problems. This will also give your employer your professionalism and respect for time. ConclusionThe IT job market is continuously looking for IT talents to fill the demand of the workforce in the country. The work-life balance is expected to improve among IT engineers now that companies are transitioning to remote work. With the current technology and problems related to remote work, IT engineers also need to improve their skills moving forward. Sources:https://xtech.nikkei.com/atcl/nxt/column/18/00001/04125/?P=2https://www.java-career.com/column/industry-knowledge/influence-of-coronavirus-to-it-industory/https://arvo.showcase-tv.com/140081/https://www.java-career.com/column/industry-knowledge/engineer-and-telework/

In recent years, the number of foreign students studying in Japan continues increasing. In this article, We would like to explain the reasons and merits of studying at a Japanese university, and which universities in Japan have numerous international students for foreign students who are currently thinking of studying at a Japanese university.Why study in Japan?Why choose Japan as a study abroad destination in many countries? First, We would like to give you some reasons why Japan is chosen as a study abroad destination.High educational standardCareer development at Japanese companiesFinancial support for studentsHigh educational standardEvery country is focusing on education, but according to a survey on international learning achievement called PISA (Programme for International Student Assessment) conducted by the OECD, Japan keeps in the top 10 Except for some countries, it can be said that it has a high level of education worldwide. In other words, besides the Japanese language, studying in Japan has great merit.Reference:National Institute for Educational Policy Research/Survey resultsCareer development at Japanese companiesDue to the globalization of Japanese companies, many Japanese companies have bases around the world, and in particular, many companies have subsidiaries in Greater China and other Asian countries such as Southeast Asia. By making the most of the Japanese skills acquired in Japan by foreign students, when they join a Japanese company in their home country, they can expect to receive higher positions and treatment than students who do not have language skills.Also, if you stay in Japan as it is and work for a Japanese company, you may be able to acquire advanced technology and get higher salaries than in your home country.Financial support for studentsIn the first place, the tuition fees of universities are not cheap in every country. Moreover, studying at a Japanese university means studying abroad, and many people think that it is more expensive than going to a university in their home country.Currently, the Japanese government and Japanese universities are actively accepting international students, and therefore have various scholarships. The details of the scholarship are detailed on the website of the Japan Student Services Organization, so if you are interested, please refer to it.（Japan Student Services Organization / Scholarships）Perhaps by getting a scholarship, you may be able to get to college more cheaply than in your home country. The contents of the scholarship may differ depending on the university, so we recommend that you check the website of the university you are interested in.National universities with more international studentsAccording to the Japan Student Services Organization data as of May 1, 2018, the universities with the most international students are listed below. School NameNumber of International StudentsUniversity of Tokyo3,853 studentsOsaka University2,480 studentsUniversity of Tsukuba2,457 studentsKyoto University2,387 studentsKyushu University2,313 studentsHokkaido University2,101 studentsTohoku University2,087 studentsNagoya University1,981 studentsTokyo Institute of Technology1,689 studentsHiroshima University1,659 studentsReference： Japan Student Services Organization / The Major Universities in terms of Accepting Highest Number of International StudentPrivate universities with more international studentsCurrent as of May 1, 2018, the universities with the most international students are as follows. School NameNumber of International StudentsWaseda University5,412 studentsTokyo University of Social Welfare5,133 studentsJapan University of Economics3,348 studentsRitsumeikan Asia Pacific University2,867 studentsRitsumeikan University2,446 studentsKeio University1,908 studentsMeiji University1,506 studentsDoshisha University1,397 studentsSophia University1,395 studentsToyo University1,375 studentsNihon University1,277 studentsNihon Wellness sports University1,275 studentsJosai International University1,210 studentsTakushoku University1,067 studentsKansai Univerity1,060 studentsReference： Japan Student Services Organization / The Major Universities in terms of Accepting Highest Number of International StudentConclusionIf you are considering studying in Japan, please refer to this article and do some research yourself to find a university that accommodates you. We sincerely hope that studying abroad in Japan will help you build the career you desire.Furthermore, if you want to study abroad in Japan and want to get a job related to IT in Japan, please register with GTalent, a recruitment agency specializing in foreign IT engineers. A professional consultant will support you in changing jobs for free.

“Interested in Japanese culture”, “Want to work for a Japanese company to improve my career”, “I don’t have any problems with everyday conversational Japanese, but I’m not confident in business Japanese”, etc. There are various reasons why people want to study Japanese.In this article, We would like to introduce the advantages and disadvantages of the online Japanese learning service that has recently increased, and some recommended online Japanese services.Advantages and Disadvantages of the Online Japanese Learning ServiceWith the increasing number of foreigners and international students working in Japan in recent years, the number of companies offering online learning services is constantly increasing.First of all, I would like to introduce various advantages and disadvantages of learning online.AdvantagesBelow, We would like to explain the four main advantages of online learning services.Lessons fee are cheaperOne-on-one lessonsThe instructor can be selected by yourselfFlexible hoursLessons fee are cheaperSince there is no physical school, the cost of administration is low and students can be provided with learning services at a low tuition fee. Language schools in Japan have high lesson fees, so it is recommended for those who want to study at a low tuition fee.One-on-one lessonsIt is quite important to “talk” as a method to learn a new language.In the case of studying in a group, depending on the lesson time and the number of people in the group, the case where you can speak is greatly different from the one-on-one case.one-on-one lessons is an advantage with you can improve your level more efficiently in a shorter time than group lessons by monopolizing the instructor during the lesson and speaking a lot.The instructor can be selected by yourselfJapanese schools generally assign teachers based on their language level. Even though it is level-based, it doesn’t mean good chemistry with the teacher. This can be one of the reasons why you may not be able to attend a language school or your motivation to study may decrease.One-on-one learning can eliminate this “trouble”.In online language service, the teacher’s profile, personality, career, learning method, etc, are included in the teacher’s profile.Students can take lessons with instructors who are interested, and in the unlikely situation that they do not match, it is also attractive that the online service is able to choose another instructor for the next lesson.Flexible hoursThere are many other reasons why you can’t attend a language school, such as wanting to study Japanese but not having time to go to a language school or wanting to practice the Japanese you’ve learned because of your work.By studying Japanese online, you can book even during the hours from early morning to late at night. In other words, you can take Japanese lessons before going to school or even after work.DisadvantagesOn the other hand, We would like to explain the three main disadvantages of online learning services.Quality of the InstructorIt is not a Face-to-Face conversationDifficult to keep motivationQuality of the InstructorAmong companies that offer online learning services, we appeal to the low recruitment rate, but some instructors teach with a professional attitude, but unfortunately, many do not.Of course, the service provider should improve so that this kind of phenomenon does not occur, but because it is online, it is ok to book another instructor in case of such an instructor.It is not a Face-to-Face conversationIt is said that the concern about learning Japanese online is “different from a face-to-face conversation.” The atmosphere you can enjoy by having the other person in front of you is different from when you talk with the instructor who is watching the screen.We think it’s ideal to absorb a lot of information through online learning, where you can input information and practice how to express so that you can communicate things as you think during a face-to-face conversation.Difficult to keep motivationThere are positive aspects such as making reservations at any time you like, but this is one of the reasons why students are not motivated to continue. In a physical language school, the days and times generally are fixed, so it is possible for those who cannot actively learn by themselves, can continue forcibly. Because of the flexibility of online services, you need to be motivated and self-learning.Guidelines for choosing an online Japanese learning serviceContent enrichmentBe sure to check not only the teacher and the lesson method, but also what other content is providing.For example, in addition to learning Japanese, Zipan/Online Business Japanese Lessons, which is described below, also provides services such as interview preparation for businessmen, business communication, and checking Japanese emails and documents.Number of teachersTo study online, you have to reserve your own time and its teachers. Although it is time-consuming, there are many other cases where the teacher’s reservations are full and it is not possible to make reservations. Therefore, when choosing an online Japanese learning service, make sure that the number of teachers who can easily make a reservation is not too small.Recommended online Japanese learning serviceWe would like to introduce some recommended online Japanese learning services. Feel free to refer to it.Zipan  ONLINE BUSINESS JAPANESE LESSONS | ZipanONLINE BUSINESS JAPANESE LESSONS | Zipanhttps://www.zipan.jp/en/Zipan is an online business Japanese language service dedicated to helping business people from around the world SUCCEED IN JAPAN by teaching effective communication strategies and Japanese business culture.  This is an online Japanese learning service provided by Bizmates, the No.1 online English conversation company specialized in business English. All trainers have the characteristic of being business people, following the slogan of “high quality” Japanese learned online. An online Japanese conversation school that you can learn from polite Japanese spoken in the Japanese workplace to business etiquette, effective communication, Japanese business processes, and culture.Classes are prepared according to the Japanese level of each person, and it is a recommended service when learning Japanese that can be used for business.J-OS  new-hpLearn Japanese Online | Japan Online School | Top Page for Corporationhttps://www.jos-corp.com/top-enOnline Japanese School, Japan Online School, offers Japanese language programs such as trainings for non-Japanese and prospective employees and business Japanes  It is an online Japanese conversation school that offers online Japanese learning services for foreigners, but also services such as Japanese training for companies. It is also used by many Japanese companies for foreign employees, and some courses can also support Japanese qualification tests such as JLPT.Japaneasy  jpnsy.comLearn Japanese online | Japaneasy（ジャパニージー）https://jpnsy.com/index.htmlJapaneasy is an Online Japanese school for those people who don't have a Japanese school nearby, don't have a teacher to teach them Japanese, are not able to attend a Japanese class with high fees. Japaneasy offers a practical learning service where anyone can easily learn one on one with native Japanese teachers. Please feel free to take a free trial lesson!!  Online Japanese conversation school with contents for kids and adults. Besides, it will be a service that provides substantial Japanese language support for job hunting and business.ConclusionApart from the online Japanese language learning service introduced here, there are many other schools, including face-to-face Japanese schools. There are advantages and disadvantages to learning Japanese online, but the important thing is to make the most of these advantages.We sincerely hope that you will come up with a suitable Japanese conversation school, thinking again about the level of Japanese that you’re aiming for and how you want to influence the Japanese language in your career.Also, if you are looking for an opportunity to work in IT-related work because you want to use Japanese for business, please register with G Talent a recruitment agency specializing in IT engineers. A professional consultant will support you in changing jobs for free.

In recent years, Japanese companies have come to see a lot of agile development including scrum development when developing web applications.Even in GTalent, which is a Japanese recruitment agency for foreign IT engineers, the requirements for people who have experience in Scrum development are increasing for job offers requested by our client’s companies.In this article, “How much agile development is prevalent in Japan? and “Which method is mainly used compared to overseas?”. We would like to explain the prevalence of Japanese agile development compared to overseas.If you are an IT engineer thinking about changing jobs and want to check the trends of Japanese company development methods or, if you want to know the usage situation of Scrum development in Japan, please use it as a reference.WEB Application Development MethodsFirst, We would like to explain the development methods that are used mainly in Japanese system development sites.Waterfall Model DevelopmentWaterfall development is one of the oldest development methods used by engineers. It is a method to proceed to the next process while checking all the functions added to the application step by step according to the following flow.Requirements ⇒　Design　⇒　Implementation ⇒　Verification ⇒　MaintenanceIn this type, all of the processes are divided when making one system, so the biggest feature is that you cannot go back if you need to make corrections. Due to this feature, it is often used when quality is required from the beginning rather than speed.For example, it is used for products whose specifications are completely determined by large-scale system development such as business systems and large-scale services, and which are unlikely to be changed in the middle, or projects which delivery date or fixed budgets.Agile Model DevelopmentUnlike the waterfall type, agile type development is a flexible development method. The objective of this method is to release the product as quickly as possible and then proceed to improve it.Reference image: Medium.com / Agile&Waterfall Model DevelopmentWith the agile model, once the specifications have been decided to a certain extent, the greatest feature is to complete the product by repeating the above process several times in anticipation of subsequent requirement changes and modifications and according to the needs of the business.Scrum type developmentScrum type development is the most famous development method among agile development, and for Japanese companies scrum development = agile development.Scrum development is one framework for agile development that has been proposed to eliminate “waste” in application development.Elements of Scrum-Model DevelopmentThe basic flow of scrum-model development is briefly summarized below.Prioritize products and proceed with development in that orderThe process is done by separating development within a fixed period (1 to 4 weeks, this period is called “Sprint”)The task is managed by the development members daily, and reviews are made to stakeholders in sprint units.Repeat steps above 1 to 3, and make confirmations and corrections to the stakes holder each time.Deliver the productAs mentioned earlier, this is a development method used to reduce the “waste” of the process of application development, so it is difficult to read the end period of the product.Status of Development Methods in Japan and OverseasMany people could think that the same method is used in IT-related system development all over the world. There are some cases where the development methods used in Japan are different overseas, and of course, they’re cases the overseas methods are slow than Japan.From now on, We would like to talk about what is a mainstream in application development methods in Japan and overseas.Japanese Development MethodsAccording to a survey conducted by Gartner Japan, 43% of Japanese companies use a waterfall type development method for application development.One of the reasons for this is that Japanese companies focus not only on the results but also on the process, another one is they think that the waterfall type is easier to grasp the period and budget than the agile type. However, to secure a large number of engineers to carry out the work, in Japan, where IT engineers are currently in short supply, big companies are reconsidering the waterfall type development method.Translation from Japanese to English at above graph.ウォーターフォール型開発手法 → Waterfall Developmentアジャイル型開発手法 → Agile Development反復型開発手法 → Iterative and Incremental DevelopmentIT部門関与しないビジネス主導の開発 → Business-led development without IT involvementReference ：Gatner Japan / Application Development SurveyOverseas Development ethodsAccording to Lvivity, which develops custom software for business, the mainstream overseas, unlike Japan, is agile development, which can flexibly satisfy the demands of the business side.The most popular agile framework is Scrum development, which teams up with customers and the business side of the company to get regular feedback. In the US and other countries, there are many cases where in-house development is performed, so it seems that the method that allows easy software changes is selected.Reference：Lvivity / Software Development MethodologiesConclusionThese days the main development methods are different between Japan and overseas, but the number of companies using agile type in Japan is increasing year by year. Given that tendency, it seems important to have experience with Scrum-type development methods to build a career as an engineer.If you are an application engineer or a foreigner who is looking for IT-related jobs in Japan, please register with G Talent, a recruitment agency specializing in foreign IT engineers. A professional consultant will support you in changing jobs for free.

I believe foreign engineers are good at many different programming languages. It is said that there are over 200 programming languages that are changing rapidly and attracting attention as new languages appear one after another. If you work as an IT engineer in Japan, you’ll be less likely to get the job you want to do if you don’t master the programming languages that are often used in Japan.This article summarizes the rankings and trends of popular programming languages in Japan for foreign engineers who want to work in Japan, as well as languages that can be targeted for high income.Ranking of programming languages in Japan“Programming Language Survey 2018 (Nikkei xTECH)” presents the survey results of programming languages that are actually used in Japanese system software development sites. The survey was conducted in a way that allowed IT engineers to answer up to three programming languages. The results are as follows.Popularity ranking 1st place, C/C ++! What is attractive?C is a programming language developed in the United States in 1972. Many programming languages in use today have been developed under the influence of the C language and can be said to be the source of programming languages. It is characterized by excellent versatility and is widely used in everything, from OS development to systems that control machines, desktop applications, and embedded systems.C / C ++ is an object-oriented programming language developed in 1993 as an extension of the C language. Like C, it is highly versatile and widely used in familiar systems such as OS, games, browsers, and robots. Because it can effectuate high-speed processing, it is a language useful for system development that requires image analysis.Popularity ranking 2nd place, JavaScript! What is attractive?JavaScript is a script-type programming language developed in the United States in the mid-90s. It is an indispensable language for web system development and is widely used from website creation to web application development. The feature is that it runs on the browser without depending on the OS, and it is possible to express more interactivity by incorporating it into the web page.Popularity ranking 3rd place, C #! What is attractive?C # is a programming language developed by Microsoft and runs on Microsoft’s own .NET Framework. It is widely adopted in Windows system application development, and it is also used for game programming. Using Visual Studio, an integrated development environment (IDE) provided by Microsoft, enables a more powerful and efficient development.Popularity ranking 4th place, Java! What is attractive?Java is an object-oriented programming language developed in the United States in the early 90s. Java, which has the concept of “Write once, run anywhere”, can run on a virtual machine called “JVM”. It runs on any computer. Besides being good at developing enterprise systems and embedded systems, it is widely used for Web application and Android application development.Popularity ranking 5th place, Python! What is attractive?Python is a programming language born in the Netherlands in 1991. It has been a popular language overseas, but in recent years it has become increasingly popular in Japan. The main features of Python are that it has a simple grammar, is easy to write and read, and has an extensive library. Although it is a language used for web application development, it is increasingly used in fields such as AI, big data, and IoT.Japanese programming language trends by Industry!Trending languages in the game development industry are C++ and C #As mentioned above, C ++ is a programming language that has been extended to further enhance the C language. C ++ has a high processing speed because it is easy to understand for computers, is suitable for game programming, and has abundant libraries for developing games.C # is also a programming language suitable for game development and can be used to create games efficiently. The game application development environment “Unity” that can use C # has spread worldwide, and there are a lot of game engineers who program in C #.The trend language of the Android application development industry is from “Java” to “Kotlin”As mentioned above, Java is a programming language that has been adopted in a wide range of development sites because of its excellent versatility. Suitable for Android app development, but also used for web app and desktop app development. Kotlin, which will be described later, is also gaining popularity, but Java still accounts for the largest number of projects and jobs.Kotlin is a programming language developed in 2011 and became a hot topic as Google added it to the official language for Android application development. Some advantages include the ability to write simpler code than Java and the ease of ensuring safety in development, and an increasing number of companies are adopting Kotlin for Android application development.Trend language of iOS application development industry is from “Objective-C” to “Swift”Objective-C is a programming language developed by Apple and is known as the iOS application development language. An object-oriented language based on the C language. There are many iOS apps written in Objective-C, but in recent years, the role of Swift, which will be described later, is being transferred to the main role.Swift is a programming language announced by Apple in 2014. More and more companies are moving iOS app development to Swift because of the benefits of easy-to-read and write code.Annual income ranking by programming language in Japan“Annual Income Ranking by Programming Language 2018” is a ranking announced by “Standby”, a job search site operated by Bizreach. This ranking is based on job postings for full-time employees posted on standby. This is the total of the median annual salary of job information that includes each programming language name. The results are as follows.Source: Annual Income Ranking 2018 by Programming Language [Research on Job Search Engine “Standby”]Best 3 programming languages ranking with high salary1st place “Go”Go is a programming language for open source projects developed by Google in 2009. All major operating systems such as Linux, Windows, MacOS X, Android, and iOS are supported, and the number of companies that use Go as their development language is increasing due to their simple specifications.In Japan, companies like LINE, Mercari, Hatena and Gunosy have introduced Go, and in the last few years, the attention has been rising rapidly. If you want to learn a new programming language for high income, Go will be your best choice.2nd place “Scala”Scala is a programming language published in 2003 that combines the characteristics of object-oriented and functional languages. It is highly compatible with Java and can write code that is shorter and smarter than Java.Worldwide, Scala is used on Twitter, LinkedIn, etc., and in Japan, it is also used on Chatwork and Bizreach. While more and more companies are using Scala, there are not enough engineers to handle Scala, so it’s a programming language worth learning in the future.3rd place “Python”Python is a programming language that has been used in recent years in fields such as AI, big data, and IoT. Python has a rich library for machine learning and deep learning.Famously, Youtube, Dropbox, Instagram, etc. are also built with Python. Analysis and transactions using AI and big data continue to increase, and companies seeking Python engineers are increasing.ConclusionJapanese language skills are important for foreign engineers to work in Japan, but programming skills and development achievements are indispensable. Those who are highly motivated to grow as IT engineers, such as improving the programming language skills that Japanese companies need, or acquiring new programming languages, should be able to find a favorable job in Japan.

In recent years, Japan has been suffering from a shortage of IT engineers, and not only large companies but also small and medium-sized companies have been hiring foreign engineers. Also, an increasing number of companies are focusing on international students in Japan and prospective university graduates from overseas when hiring new graduates.In this way, fields where foreign engineers can play an active role, are expanding in Japan, but the “language barrier” is something that must be cleared when foreign engineers work in Japanese companies. If you want to work under favorable conditions and aim for a high income, you will need not only development skills and experience but also Japanese language skills.In this article, we will explain the background for Japanese companies to seek foreign engineers and the Japanese Language Proficiency Test (JLPT), which is a way to measure foreigner’s Japanese ability.An increasing number of Japanese companies want to hire foreign engineers!In recent years, the recruitment of foreign engineers is progressing at a rapid pace in Japanese companies. In the past, it was a noticeable trend for large companies, but recently, small and medium-sized companies have also begun to acquire foreign engineers.Why are foreign engineers getting more attention now than Japanese engineers? There are various factors, but I think it can be summarized into the following two points: Human resource shortage due to the declining birthrate and aging population and as a response to globalization.Human resource shortage due to the declining birthrate and aging populationJapan’s declining birthrate and aging population are entering a very serious phase. In the future, there is a concern that IT engineers will become more scarce than ever because of the declining birthrate, the aging population, and declining of the working population. The Ministry of Economy, Trade and Industry announced a forecast that “it will be short for about 410,000 (optimistic) to 790,000 (pessimistic) IT human resources in 2030”. The lack of IT engineers in all industries cannot be made up only by Japanese human resources, so the hiring rate of foreign engineers is progressing.Response to globalizationIn recent years, Japanese companies have expanded into overseas markets, but recruiting activities that are particular to Japanese people cannot keep up with the trend of globalization and slow down corporate growth. Japanese companies that felt a sense of crisis were actively recruiting foreign personnel. As for IT engineers, can not only complement the workforce by recruiting outstanding foreigners but also lead to the development of the company by fusing multinational human resources.The Japanese Language Proficiency Test (JLPT) should be preferably N2 or higher!For foreign engineers who want to work in Japan, it can be said that the current situation is favorable, but the language problem is unavoidable when working in a foreign country. If a foreign engineer wants to work in Japan, not only skills as an IT engineer but also “Japanese language skills” are required. A common standard for measuring the Japanese language skills of foreigners is the Japanese Language Proficiency Test.What is the “Japanese Language Proficiency Test” that measures Japanese language ability?The Japanese Language Proficiency Test (JLPT) is a test for measuring Japanese language proficiency for people whose native language is not Japanese. Tests are held twice a year in July and December.* There is a similar name test called “Japanese Proficiency Test”, but this test is for people whose first language is Japanese.In the first year of the Japanese Language Proficiency Test (1984), there were approximately 7,000 people worldwide, but in 2019 it was held in 47 prefectures in Japan, 239 cities in 86 countries, and approximately 900,000 people. Is taking the exam.There are 5 levels of the Japanese Language Proficiency Test.The Japanese-Language Proficiency Test is an exam that mainly asks you to read and listen to Japanese. Levels are divided into five levels, N1 to N5, and the test questions are different for each level. N1 has the highest level of difficulty and N5 has the lowest level of difficulty, so you can take the test according to your Japanese language ability.The level of the Japanese Language Proficiency Test is an important indicator for measuring the Japanese language ability of foreigners. N1 to N5 levels are used in various situations such as employment/change of employment, salary increase/promotion, study abroad, entrance examination, etc.Japanese language skills required for foreign engineers are N1 and N2.In the recruitment information for foreigners, you may see a statement such as “Required skill: Japanese Language Proficiency Test Level 2 (N2)” or “Preferred Skill: Japanese Language Proficiency Test Level 1 (N1)”.The level of Japanese language skills required of foreign engineers varies from company to company, but generally level “N1” or “N2” is required. Recently, some companies are recruiting even at the N3 level because of the growing shortage of engineers, but the N1 and N2 levels are desirable for finding and changing jobs under favorable conditions.N1 is very difficult, and it is said that the number of kanji required to pass is about 2,000 characters and the number of words is about 10,000. This level is for foreigners who use Japanese on a daily basis. The number of kanji required to pass N2 is about 1,000 characters, and the number of words is about 6,000, which is much more difficult than N3.Below is the official website for the Japanese Language Proficiency Test in which it sets the standards for N1 and N2 certification.>>Click here for the Japanese Language Proficiency Test guidelineIncreasing your Japanese language skills will increase your value as an engineer!There are cases where Japanese companies do not have English-speaking employees …One reason why foreign engineers are required to speak Japanese is that few Japanese employees can speak English.As long as the IT engineer can communicate in English, there will be no major problems in project management. However, there are few Japanese who can speak English, and there are cases where it is difficult to communicate in English depending on the company. From the recruiting companies who are not good at English, foreign engineers need to be able to speak Japanese; it is best if their Japanese ability is high.In the future, it will also serve as a bridge for foreign engineers!Foreign engineers who can speak Japanese can work while communicating with Japanese engineers. If you can work well, you can improve your project efficiency and minimize the risk of trouble.Definitely, it makes it easier to work with a Japanese speaker engineer rather than with an engineer who can only speak his native language or English. Also, it is helpful when thinking about career advancement. In the future, it can also be used to work as a project manager or as a bridge SE for foreign engineers.Show your speaking skills at the interview!People who have acquired the N1 or N2 of the Japanese Language Proficiency Test, tend to be from China and Taiwan, because of the common use of Chinese characters in their language. On the other hand, it seems difficult to read and write kanji for people from non-Kanji culture countries, so the score on the Japanese Language Proficiency Test might be low.However, since the Japanese Language Proficiency Test does not ask “speaking ability”, the level of the exam may not be proportional to the ability to speak. For example, even if the Japanese Language Proficiency Test is N3, there may be people who do not have a problem with communication. Such people may try to appeal to the recruiter at the interview.If it is a Japanese company rather than a foreign company, hiring interviews will usually be conducted in Japanese, and if you can communicate well, it may open the way for you to be hired.ConclusionIt seems that the current situation is that foreign engineers with a high level of Japanese seem to have a low set of development skills and experience. The opposite situation also happens when experienced foreign engineers with rich development skills and experience have a low Japanese level.In any case, Japanese language skills are a major point in order to be active as an IT engineer in Japan. Increasing your Japanese language skills will increase your rarity as a human resource, which should lead to a higher annual income and career advancement. Above all, if you can improve your Japanese, your life in Japan, including your private life, will become more fulfilling.

At G Talent, our bilingual career advisors who are well versed in the IT industry will assist IT engineers from around the globe with their career change. We have many interesting stories to tell from our past candidates who were successful with their job hunting through our support and today we interviewed Mr. G.S to share his experience. Coming to Japan after building a career as an infrastructure engineer ―Could you briefly tell us about your background? After graduating from university, I worked for eight years at the same university as an infrastructure engineer. At the same time, I also worked as a freelancer for a biotech company in the Netherlands and took a part in a couple of start-ups in my local city. I was responsible for building pipelines and automating different parts of infrastructure, as well as operating and maintaining Linux servers as a Linux engineer.To be able to grow faster I wanted to work in a larger team and also wanted to try different areas, so I started working in a hosting company with a team of great SRE engineers. I worked there for a year before coming to Japan in May 2022. It was a meaningful time for me. I can definitely say that I learned a lot during that time. ―What made you decide to work in Japan in the first place? My wife is Japanese. We met in Russia and lived there for quite some time, but we wanted to try living in another country. New Zealand was initially on the top of our list of places to move to, but after some discussion, we decided to try moving to Japan, my wife’s home country.  Reliable, considerate, and supportiveThat’s how my career consultant was like at G Talent ―Could you tell us why you chose G Talent?Actually, I was not actively looking for a job when we first came to Japan in May 2022 because I had a part-time job. But after living in Japan for a while, I decided to open my profile on LinkedIn. Various recruitment agencies immediately contacted me, including G Talent, which I already knew as a professional IT recruitment agency that helps foreign IT engineers find professional jobs in Japan. What was really appealing to me about G Talent was the professionalism of the career consultant who contacted me. As an IT-savvy bilingual career consultant, she paid close attention to my experience and desire to find a job that would allow me to make the most of my skills in Japan. This is the main reason I decided to register with G Talent. She answered my questions carefully, one by one, and was very considerate and supportive. Because of her, I was able to move forward with my job change with peace of mind. Thanks to all her efforts and support, I was able to find the perfect company for myself. Inspiring passionate team members and the company’s future vision ―What factors made you decide to join the current company?Out of four companies that I received offers from, I chose the one that is a leader in its area and has a team of very passionate engineers. I met with them in person and found them to be very friendly. I also thought the relaxed atmosphere in the office suited me.Another major factor was that the company’s technical direction matched the skill areas I wanted to enhance from then on. I signed on with them on September 1, 2022, thinking that the company would enable me to grow further as an engineer while learning new technologies.―Tell us about your current job and work environment.As a Linux Server Engineer, I am primarily responsible for the maintenance of Linux servers. If there are any additional management requests or user issues which need to be resolved, working closely with my team members, I also help in identifying potential issues.The current company introduces a hybrid work style that combines working from home with coming to the office. Currently, I work from home once a week and come to the office four days a week. But starting next year, I will be working from home three days a week and coming to the office only two days a week. The company’s official language is Japanese, including most of the documents. So, it is sometimes a little difficult for me because my Japanese is not very good yet. However, whenever I don’t understand something, people around me explain it in English. Thanks to their support, I have been able to proceed with my work smoothly. Before joining the company, I met with my current team and was told, “Language is not a problem. You can always communicate in English if you have difficulty with Japanese.”. Our team has non-Japanese members, including myself. We communicate with each other using whatever language (English or Japanese) is suitable at the time. We also have a lot of interaction within the team, such as going out to eat sushi together after work.In terms of living, Japan and Russia have many cultural differences, so I had to get used to that. It was fun to learn new things one at a time. It has been about eight months since we moved to Japan, and I have been enjoying a fulfilling life with a good work-life balance. Dedicated to further growth as an engineer ―Where do you see yourself in the future?I think there are two main career paths for IT engineers. One can either switch to management after gaining experience, or specialize in a particular field as an engineer. From now on, I aim to grow as an engineer by acquiring various new skills and knowledge, rather than driving the team as a project manager. Although I don’t have a specific goal, I want to develop my skills in automation, virtualization and cloud, and eventually become an engineer well-versed in those areas. The company provides us with access to an online learning platform where we can learn the skills we want to acquire through videos, and I plan to use it proactively.ーFinally, do you have a message for foreign IT engineers considering a career in Japan?Based on my experience, I can tell you that G Talent is one of the most reliable recruitment agencies for finding jobs in Japan’s IT industry. As I mentioned earlier, their career consultants carefully pay attention to your experience and desires, and evaluate the company culture, desired conditions, and other fine details to find the optimal match for you. You don’t have to be afraid if you’re not good at Japanese. There are more options to leverage your abilities than you can imagine. So, just follow your passion! After the interview What did you think? We hope that this article will be of help to those who are looking for a new career in Japan, and for those who are currently working in Japan, considering a career change.G Talent/GitTap supports global talents with their job search. Please click the banner below to learn more about our services. Please feel free to contact us as well.

At G Talent, our bilingual career advisors who are well versed in the IT industry will assist IT engineers from around the globe with their career change. We have many interesting stories to tell from our past candidates who were successful with their job hunting through our support and today we interviewed Mr. K.H to share his experience. “I wanted to acquire advanced skills from the leading source of technological advancement in Asia.” ―Could you briefly tell us about your background? After graduating from a Bangladeshi university, I came to Japan in May 2006 and studied Japanese at a Japanese language school in Hyogo Prefecture for two years. This was followed by further education at an IT vocational school, and in 2014, I graduated from the Graduate School of Applied Information Science at Hyogo Prefectural University.In April of that year, I joined a company in the same prefecture and worked as a web director for two years. In 2016, I wanted to further utilize the skills and knowledge I had cultivated, so I moved to a system development company based in Ibaraki Prefecture, where I was involved in web application development for about six years. In October 2022, I joined a company that provides technical human resource services. ―What made you decide to work in Japan in the first place? I first became interested in Japan when I learned about Japanese culture at school as a child. I often wondered what kind of country it would be like. The main reason I decided to come to Japan was very simple – I wanted to acquire advanced skills from the leading source of technological advancement in Asia.Japan and Bangladesh have completely different cultures, so I had a very difficult time acclimating to the new living environment. In the beginning, the hardest part was the food. As I’m a Muslim, I don’t eat any pork or drink any alcohol. But just before leaving for Japan, I was disappointed to hear from a friend that there are many foods in Japan that contain pork. During the first three days, I could not eat anything. After that, I subsisted only on milk and bread until I adjusted to my situation. After living in Japan for almost 17 years, this experience has become a fond memory. Nothing is more reassuring than receiving support from an IT-savvy professional in both languages ―Could you tell us why you chose G Talent?I found out about G Talent when I was starting to think about changing jobs, and I looked at its website. I was very interested to know about the support I would receive from their bilingual career consultants who are well-versed in the IT industry. I have lived in Japan for a long time, but since Japanese is not my mother tongue, I sometimes have difficulty in understanding when it comes to complicated topics. There are times communicating in English is so much easier. I thought it would be a great help if I could get support in both languages, so, I decided to contact them.The career consultant at G Talent exceeded my expectation. Not only did she explain everything in detail switching between Japanese and English depending on my level of understanding, she was also able to read between the lines and showed a deep understanding of what I was trying to say. I was pleasantly surprised, and at the same time, I decided to register with G Talent, thinking that with her support, I could proceed with my career move with confidence.I was also grateful for the fact that she remembered me even after a period of time had passed.　To tell you the truth, I had my first meeting with her in February 2021 and was referred to several companies for interviews, but I had to pass on the opportunity as we couldn’t reach an agreement for several reasons. After that, I took a break from career change for a while. However, when I received a New Year’s greeting e-mail from her, I made a promise to myself, “In 2022, I will definitely work on a career move once again”. When I called her a while later, there was another surprise. Even though it had been more than six months since we last spoke, she remembered me immediately, just by giving my name, and I was so thrilled. It made me even more determined to do my best. Subsequently, I managed to get an official job offer from the company I wanted to join. It happened only two months after the phone call. Thanks to her extraordinary support, everything went so smoothly this time. The decisive factors were: a work environment that allows skill improvement & work location ―What factors made you decide to join the current company?Among the job offers that I received from three companies, I decided to join the current company that focuses on the technical human resource services business for two reasons. First, the company could provide an environment where I could enhance my skills and knowledge in the software field while making use of them.Another deciding factor was the work location, which also affected my decision t change jobs. There was no international school for my five-year-old child in the vicinity of my former workplace and home. I did a lot of research and found a suitable school in Kanagawa Prefecture that I really wanted to send my child to. It would be great to move and work for a company near there if possible, and surprisingly, G Talent’s career consultant found me a perfect position that matched my background and skills in the same area. With a lot of luck coupled with happy coincidences, I was finally able to join my current company.―Tell us about your current job and work environment.I am currently working as a reverse engineer and have two main roles. One of them is to convert an existing desktop application into a web application. The other is to decipher the desktop application program and create a basic design document in Japanese.Basically, every application has a basic design document, and engineers use it as a basis for coding and other tasks. But this desktop application doesn’t have one. I never thought I would be in charge of this project, and it is so challenging to write everything in Japanese, but I am finding it very rewarding. In parallel with these tasks, I also share the knowledge of web applications that I acquired through previous jobs for many years with other IT engineers.I am very satisfied with the work environment. Employees are friendly and helpful, and if I have any questions or concerns, they are always willing to be of assistance. I am especially grateful to my boss, the group leader, for taking great care of me from day one so that I can work with peace of mind. As for working style, each employee can decide at his own discretion. I like the fact that I can flexibly make my own decisions, such as coming to the office if I want to and working from home if I prefer to do so. Aiming to be an IT engineer who can complete the entire software development process alone ―Where do you see yourself in the future?As an IT engineer specializing in software, my primary goal is to be able to complete the entry-exit process of software development on my own. In the future, I would also like to work for a Japanese company that is expanding into the global market.What I find attractive about Japanese companies is that the people working there all have a spirit of harmony. People at ｔhe Japanese companies I have worked for so far have all fostered an attitude of mutual respect for differences in position and values while working together to achieve a common goal. I thought it was wonderful that even when cleaning the office, the CEO himself proactively participated in the activity with employees.I would like to take the next step when I am able to fulfill my duties at my current company and make significant progress as an IT engineer. At that time, I would be happy to consult with the career consultant at G Talent again.ーFinally, do you have a message for foreign IT engineers considering a career in Japan?When you catch a cold or feel unwell, you go to the hospital. If you don’t describe your symptoms, the doctor will not be able to determine the cause. The same is true of the relationship between a recruitment agency and a job seeker. If you don’t tell the truth about your skills and background, there will be a mismatch between you and the company, and this could lead to a major problem. I think the first step to a successful job change is to draw a clear line between what you can do and what you cannot do, and to present your true self without trying to make yourself look good. At the same time, I think it is very important to clarify what you want to do in your new job and tell your career consultant about that. After the interview What did you think? We hope that this article will be of help to those who are looking for a new career in Japan, and for those who are currently working in Japan, considering a career change.G Talent/GitTap supports global talents with their job search. Please click the banner below to learn more about our services. Please feel free to contact us as well.

At G Talent our bilingual career advisors who are well versed in the IT industry will assist IT engineers from around the globe with their career change. We have many interesting stories to tell from our past candidates who were successful with their job hunting through our support and today we interviewed Mr. M.H to share his experience. Seeking a place to demonstrate and further enhance his skills and abilities ―Could you briefly tell us about your background? After graduating from Mawlana Bhashani Science & Technology University in Bangladesh with a Bachelor of Science (Engg.) degree in Information & Communication Technology, I started working at a domestic company as an iOS engineer in 2013. I worked for several companies in Bangladesh for about five years. After that, I received an offer from a Japanese company and came to Japan for the first time in 2019. My stint with that company lasted for two years. I then made a career move to another Japanese company and lived and worked in Fukuoka city for some time. However, I had to make a hasty decision to leave the company and return to Bangladesh temporarily for some of my personal family-related issues.Fortunately, I received an offer from another Japanese company around the same time. It was a short-term contract that allowed me to work remotely from my home country, so I worked for them for about 8 months. In 2022, I decided to return to Japan and seek new employment, and in November of the same year, I moved to a Japanese fintech company where I am working now. ―What made you decide to work in Japan in the first place?  The reason why I choose Japan in the first place is that there are far more opportunities for IT engineers than in my home country. Recently, there have been some new developments, such as a Japanese firm launching a software company, but the IT industry itself in Bangladesh is not that large at this point. I chose to work in Japan because I was seeking a place where I could demonstrate and further enhance my skills and abilities. Working in tandem with the career consultant to create a new career path ―Could you tell us why you chose G Talent?I have heard that some recruitment agencies do not understand the details of the positions that companies are looking for and end up contacting candidates who are not a good match. The career consultant at G Talent was completely different. She scrutinized my profile on LinkedIn before contacting me and fully grasped my experience and skills, thus finding the optimal position that would allow me to make full use of them. I felt confident that I could rely on G Talent and decided to register with them right away. I felt like it was destiny calling because I received the email from the career consultant about the same time I returned to Japan. She was very supportive and responded to my questions in a timely manner. It was like I was working in tandem with her on planning my career path, which was very reassuring, and I am grateful for that. Moved by appealing work environment & business areas with great potential ―What factors made you decide to join the current company?I received offers from three companies, including one that provides QR code payment services and another that sells a mobile messenger application. I chose the fintech company with cryptocurrency as its core business for two main reasons. First, the friendly and comfortable work environment that I was able to perceive through the personality of the person who interviewed me. This man, who is now my boss, was positive, friendly, cooperative, and very pleasant to talk to. I felt that his character reflected the atmosphere within the company. Second, I thought that by joining the company, I would be able to create something new by utilizing my expertise and skills. In the fintech industry, which has been growing rapidly in recent years, cryptocurrency requires extremely advanced technology to ensure strong security. It is a field with great potential, not only in terms of business growth, but also in terms of dramatic technological advancement.I never imagined that I would be involved in cryptocurrency, but it has always been my hidden desire to work in a field where I can enhance my technical skills by tackling difficult issues. I am very happy that my dream has come true through this new job.―Tell us about your current job and work environment.I am currently working as an iOS engineer, while also taking on the role of managing the team. I am also involved in the hiring of engineers and interviewing candidates on a weekly basis. In addition, I actively participate in meetings where the company makes decisions.The work environment is just fantastic and far exceeds my expectations before joining the company. At work, we are encouraged to come up with and develop new ideas and try them out on a trial basis. The development team members and all the other employees are very supportive and friendly, while the company itself is a great place to work. What I find wonderful about this company is the culture of mutual respect and care for each other as individuals, which transcends the relationship between company and employee, or boss and subordinate. I am especially grateful to my boss, who was very understanding of my decision to continue working from Fukuoka. The company is headquartered in Tokyo, but I had been used to working in Fukuoka since my previous job, and I wanted to continue living there if possible. When I discussed this with my boss, he suggested, “Then how about working remotely from Fukuoka?”.I joined the company in November 2022, and for the first week, I stayed in Tokyo and worked in the office. After that, I started working from home in Fukuoka. Daily communication with my boss and team members is done via Slack. 40% of our engineers can speak English, so we communicate in English at meetings. Some Japanese members are not very good at English, so we sometimes use translation tools to communicate with them. Making steady progress in career at the current company ―Where do you see yourself in the future?I am very satisfied with my current company, including the salary and benefits provided, and would like to work there for a long time. I would also like to improve my skills as an IT engineer, and in the future, advance my career and become a manager. I believe that in the not-too-distant future, cryptocurrency will become a new standard comparable to currencies such as the Japanese yen, US dollar, and Euro. Even in the stock market, I expect that many people will be interested in investing in it as well. The company I work for now is one of the leading firms in this field in Japan, and I am confident that we will eventually become the top company. I am determined to strive for a bright future with them.In my spare time, I run a community for university students in Bangladesh remotely, where I teach programming for free for an hour every Saturday. I teach them how to prepare for job interviews as well since they are aiming to work as IT engineers for companies in Asia like Japan, Singapore and USA, Europe after graduation. I would definitely recommend G Talent to any competent person who is looking for a job in Japan.ーFinally, do you have a message for foreign IT engineers considering a career in Japan?Regardless of your field of expertise, years of experience as an IT engineer is just a number, and it is meaningless unless it is accompanied by skills that you can be proud of. This is something I always try to keep in mind, and I always remember to keep on learning and working to improve my skills. Another important thing is not to chase after rewards. I can tell you from experience that as long as you continue to grow, the rewards will follow. If you are willing to take on new challenges and improve yourself, I am sure you will find a job that is perfectly suited for you. After the interview What did you think? We hope that this article will be of help to those who are looking for a new career in Japan, and for those who are currently working in Japan, considering a career change.G Talent/GitTap supports global talents with their job search. Please click the banner below to learn more about our services. Please feel free to contact us as well.

At G Talent, our bilingual career advisors who are well versed in the IT industry will assist IT engineers from around the globe with their career change. We have many interesting stories to tell from our past candidates who were successful with their job hunting through our support and today we interviewed Mr. H.W to share his experience. Studied NLP while working as a support engineer ―Could you briefly tell us about your background? I majored in computer science at a university in China. After graduation, I came to Japan to study NLP (natural language processing) in the master’s program at Waseda University and received my master’s degree in March 2022. As for research on NLP, I worked on the theme of “how to turn difficult sentences such as academic papers into simple sentences at the level used in daily conversation” and developed a text generation model.Wanting to acquire not only skills as an IT engineer but also business skills necessary for practical work, I accepted a job as a support engineer for a foreign telecommunications equipment manufacturer for a year while I was still in school. I was in charge of the entire process from inquiries from major telecommunications carriers about router malfunctions and other problems to analyzing and identifying the causes and reporting them to the client in cooperation with overseas IT engineers.I was responsible for a number of projects that rivaled those of my seniors on the team, and I started my career move when my most challenging project was successfully completed. Consequently, I met with G Talent and was introduced to Japan’s leading AI company, and I have been working as an AI engineer at that firm since August 2022. ―What made you decide to work in Japan in the first place? The first reason was language. When I was a second-year high school student, I became interested in the Japanese language and started studying on my own. I continued my studies and in my first year of college, I took the Japanese Language Proficiency Test (JLPT) and was able to pass the N1, the most difficult level. I then decided to come to Japan to study NLP at a Japanese university while making use of my language skills.I have been living in Japan for four years now, and I was surprised at times in the beginning because the culture and business practices are different from those in China. For example, Japanese companies are paid after developing and providing products and services, but in my county, payment is generally made in advance. I sometimes imagined that if I were to run a company in Japan, it would be difficult to manage cash flow. A job offer in just two weeks and efficient support ―Could you tell us why you chose G Talent?I learned about G Talent while doing research on job transferring. I was very interested in G Talent because the company could introduce carefully selected vacancies at global and venture companies to people like myself who are seeking an opportunity in Japan. It all started when I contacted them, the job-transferring agency for high-class global engineers.I sent an email and was surprised to receive an immediate reply from a career consultant. As we continued to communicate with each other, she always responded promptly, which was very reassuring. After paying close attention to my experience, skills, and desires, she introduced me to the most suitable company. Thanks to her efficient support, I was able to receive an official job offer within a short period of two weeks. Encountering the optimal company where he can use all his acquired skills ―What factors made you decide to join the current company?I strongly felt that the AI company was the best possible place for me because I could leverage my knowledge in NLP, programming skills, and the business skills I had cultivated in the field. I was deeply moved by the company’s vision of realizing a future society where everyone can share values through universal design that combines natural language processing, speech recognition, and image analysis technologies with data structuring technology. I have been able to apply the various business skills I acquired in my previous job, such as how to work in a team, report writing skills, and customer relation skills, to practical use. I am happy to be working for a company that promotes the research and development of cutting-edge AI technologies.―Tell us about your current job and work environment.As an AI engineer, I am involved in the development of our company’s unique high-precision information search service. Let’s suppose that there is a natural question such as “What kind of services does G Talent offer?”. With this service, you can get an answer that collects and processes highly similar information from accumulated knowledge and information.If the answer derived by the AI does not meet your expectations, you can also navigate the pull-down menu of the response rankings to find the next possible answer. It’s a completely new service, so there are a lot of things to do, such as learning new knowledge and applying it to practical work. However, it’s the only area I want to master further in the future, and besides, I enjoy the hard work as well.In terms of working styles, except for meetings with clients, we basically work remotely. The location and hours of work are left to the discretion of each individual, so I am able to work in a very flexible manner. I am currently having a relationship with a Japanese woman, and she has a job that requires her to take weekdays off. In order to make time to spend together, I often take weekday afternoons off and work on weekends instead. My immediate goal is to improve NLP skills ―Where do you see yourself in the future?My main goal is simply to hone my NLP skills, and when I am able to grow further as an IT engineer, I would like to advance my career to the next stage.On a personal note, I have not been back to China in the four years since I came to Japan, and I hope to return with my girlfriend soon for a trip. Just as I chose to study in Japan because of my interest in the Japanese language, she is studying Chinese and has a strong interest in Chinese culture. Depending on her wishes, we may move to China in the future. Having met someone I want to share my life with, I am even more motivated to work, and I am able to spend my days fulfilled both professionally and personally.  After the interview What did you think? We hope that this article will be of help to those who are looking for a new career in Japan, and for those who are currently working in Japan, considering a career change.G Talent/GitTap supports global talents with their job search. Please click the banner below to learn more about our services. Please feel free to contact us as well.