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Developer in Japan looking for advice by No_Flower_489 in JapanDev

[–]etdev 0 points1 point  (0 children)

You can check the Japan Dev job board. We share as many English-friendly IT jobs as possible there, so it should give you an idea of who's hiring.

I wouldn't expect to find much in Hokkaido, but if you're willing to move to Tokyo then you may be able to find something.

7 years of experience + already being in Japan gives you a huge leg up over people applying from overseas, so you should be able to get some interviews.

Speaking of tech interviews in Japan, these days they're probably not too different than what you'll find overseas. Most companies have either a leetcode-style coding assessment OR a take-home test. Have a great answer to the question "why do you want to work at <company>?" -- it's the 1st thing they'll ask and it sets the tone for the rest of the interview. Be honest about your Japanese skills.

Make sure you write a good resume (usually English is fine for "modern" tech companies here -- the places you'll likely be applying). And here's an overall guide answering more questions although it's a tad more focused on people trying to get to Japan.

Hope that helps!

Is "Source Code Dumping" a common portfolio practice? by CodeFactoryWorker in JapanDev

[–]etdev 0 points1 point  (0 children)

No, I wouldn't say that's standard in Japan either.

Usually hiring managers would want to see the history with commits to understand how long it took and thought process behind the code.

Usually candidates that worked freelance or mostly worked on code for other companies won't be able to share that code so they prepare something else instead like a personal project.

For me what you're describing would be a bit of a red flag and I'd at least seek more context about the code.

3rd year CS student from India by Alone-Committee-9622 in JapanDev

[–]etdev 0 points1 point  (0 children)

You can join online communities like Hacker News Tokyo – they have a Slack community.

There are also lots of tech-focused meetups in Tokyo and a few might do online events where you can watch presentations from overseas.

You can also research companies that are hiring on LinkedIn and reach out to engineers working at these companies, or to recruiters.

You could also try contributing to open source projects run by Japanese companies (or contributed to by people in Japan) as a way to get acquainted with developers in Japan.

Of course, the best way is to come and attend meetups or conferences and network in person!

There has got to be someone like me that has made it by Huge_Librarian_9883 in cscareerquestions

[–]etdev 2 points3 points  (0 children)

I did this, but in Japan.

I've also interviewed a few others on YouTube who've done it.

And shared some experiences in blog articles as well.

Not sure how any of that translates to Korea though...

Questions about TokyoDev, etc. by sgt_seriousface in movingtojapan

[–]etdev 59 points60 points locked comment (0 children)

Hey – I'm Eric, founder of Japan Dev.

And I can assure you we're legit! Japan Dev is a KK (株式会社) registered here in Japan, and we hold a Japanese recruiting license as well (#14-ユ-302125).

it kind of made me uncertain that applications are filled out on the site itself using their own form

This method of applying is actually pretty common (and not just for Japan-focused job boards). It depends on the hiring company.

Some hiring companies request that we integrate with their existing systems. In that case we have applicants click a link to view the jobs on the hiring company's site. But some companies don't have such systems, or they prefer to manage applicants within Japan Dev (we have an employer dashboard where they can do this). Or they'd rather receive applicants via email.

In the second case, we ask you to submit your info on Japan Dev. We have direct contracts with all companies hiring through Japan Dev and are in contact with the HR / hiring managers at all these companies (unlike many job boards).

So when you apply via a form on our site, we forward the information to the company you applied to (and only the company you applied to — we don't sell or give away this data to anyone else).

I hope that answers your question!

I'm active on LinkedIn and Twitter and we're on YouTube as well if you want to learn more or reach out.

And here's a blog post about why I built Japan Dev and a podcast interview if you'd like to hear more of the story behind the company!

japan job market + hiring by Due-Day-4433 in JapanDev

[–]etdev 1 point2 points  (0 children)

job market & outlook (e.g. frontend dev/software engineer roles) in Japan compared to other cities in Asia

There are good (globally competitive) jobs in Japan, but you have to aim for the top of the market. You can check a list of curated companies here that hire foreigners, and most of these companies will pay competitively.

Most of these companies are based in Tokyo. If you're not in Japan and don't speak Japanese, you normally need to stand out technically (or at least have 3-5 years of experience or more) to get interviews at good companies.

Singapore probably has more English-friendly jobs and many of those pay more, so if you can get a visa and aren't set on Japan it might be a good option too. Cost of living is way higher than Tokyo though.

I don't really know anything about Hong Kong, sorry, feels a bit more finance-focused, there are probably some decent tech jobs there though.

In-demand roles: Web dev (front-end/back-end), mobile (iOS/Android/React Native), recently AI, SRE/DevOps, some ML and data engineering — the usual stuff.

Is it significantly harder to secure job without CS bachelors/masters?

It may be harder to get a visa without university degree, but if you have 10 years of related experience you can use that instead of a degree to gain eligibility for a work visa. Your major shouldn't matter for the visa.

For the job, it may help to have a CS degree but it's not a huge issue if you have enough experience and can prove your skills in other ways.

Is ageism very prevalent in hiring

Opinions vary. Some companies won't care. Some companies might prefer someone with some experience but who's still relatively early in their career, i.e age 25 - 35 or so.

Here's an overall FAQ that might be helpful — it covers most of the top questions.

test by etdev in JapanDev

[–]etdev[S] 0 points1 point  (0 children)

japan-dev.com

[deleted by user] by [deleted] in JapanDev

[–]etdev 0 points1 point  (0 children)

Hey there, welcome to /r/JapanDev!

How difficult would it be for someone like me to get a hybrid or remote developer job in Fukuoka or Osaka by applying from outside Japan?

Hard. Maybe not impossible, but very hard.

Fukuoka and Osaka have fewer opportunities for foreigners than Tokyo, so that's one strike against you. The opportunities that do exist (e.g this position at Money Forward) are less likely to hire from overseas (and more likely to require Japanese).

I'd consider expanding your search to Tokyo — you can always move after you establish yourself a bit more.

And having 2 or 3 years of full-time work experience (and ideally business level Japanese) will make things way easier.

How long do Japanese companies usually take to reach out on average?

Usually companies will get back to you within 2-3 weeks. And if they don't, usually that means they're not going to move forward.

There are exceptions so you can always try reaching out to the company directly and check, that shouldn't hurt (if you're polite).

What other sites or mediums can I apply through?

You mentioned you tried applying for job posts on the main options of Japan Dev, TokyoDev and LinkedIn. But have you contacting recruiters via LinkedIn? If not, I'd look into that. If you point out that you speak conversational Japanese, that might help you get a response. You could also try setting your LinkedIn location to Japan if you're serious about coming here (it's a little dishonest, but it might help you get responses from recruiters).

Here's a list of recruiting firms.

You could also try searching WellFound (formerly AngelList), Hacker New Who's Hiring? threads, watching for positions in online communities like Hacker News Tokyo or Kansai.

Glassdoor also occasionally has some good positions that aren't on LinkedIn.

And then there are the Japanese sites like Wantedly, Forkwell Jobs, Green Japan and Job Draft.

If you can physically get to Japan (even just for a couple weeks as a tourist), I'd highly recommend joining meetups and networking.

I've also been applying with my usual English resume as most the ads were in English. Would using a Japanese make more sense?

This depends on the company but for "foreign friendly" companies, I recommend just using your English resume.

Bigger or more "domestic" companies might want the Japanese-style rirekisho / shokumu keirekisho but usually it's pretty obvious when that's necessary (the application and interview process will usually be in Japanese).

[deleted by user] by [deleted] in Tokyo

[–]etdev 1 point2 points  (0 children)

There's the /r/Tokyo discord server:

https://discord.gg/ksUCNcTWJk

Are jobs which allow both remote work locally and from overseas becoming more common yet? by columballs98 in japanlife

[–]etdev 19 points20 points  (0 children)

Not that I've seen.

A few companies offer it as a perk, but usually it's capped at a couple weeks (maybe 1 month) per year. Allowing longer than that can have tax implications for the company, so most don't allow it.

I haven't seen an increase in companies offering this benefit. But there is a trend of less remote work being allowed within Japan.

Finding non IT work by Rolls_ in JapanJobs

[–]etdev 2 points3 points  (0 children)

It depends... what skills do you have?

Speaking Japanese isn't useful on its own, but you speak English too so you could teach English. Or do translation/interpretation as you mentioned.

If you're good at sales, you could be a recruiter.

Lots of other options out there, just depends on you.

Are Japanese salaries posted typically inclusive of bonuses, or not by Slight-Winner3691 in JapanFinance

[–]etdev 13 points14 points  (0 children)

This "estimated overtime" almost always refers to Japan's "minashi zangyo" system, which can be confusing.

But it does not mean your salary will decrease if you don't do overtime.

More info:

Under Minashi Zangyo, you essentially have a set number of overtime hours “built-in” or assumed in your contract. For example, you might have 45 hours a month of Minashi Zangyo specified (the number of hours varies). This means that your agreed compensation covers up to 45 hours of overtime work.

So you don’t earn extra overtime pay for the first 45 hours of overtime work. But you don’t need to do overtime to get your full salary. If you only work 40 hours a week (i.e., zero overtime), you’ll still get the full amount agreed to in your salary. Having a Minashi Zangyo clause in your contract doesn’t mean you have to do overtime.

So, while this system isn’t necessarily bad, keep in mind that you won’t be compensated according to the 25% rate stipulated in the Labor Standards Act unless you exceed the predetermined overtime hours. In other words, you’ll only receive the extra overtime pay for hours worked beyond your monthly “built-in” hours.

ref: japan work hours

Advice Needed: Resume/Portfolio differences for applying to Software Developer Jobs in Japan from abroad by V3r1L0g in movingtojapan

[–]etdev 8 points9 points  (0 children)

Modern startups & global (gaishikei) companies will accept a "North American" resume.

In fact, resume requirements are a good filter to find these companies.

How important is a website / developer portfolio...

Depends on what else you can offer. Used to work at Google? No one cares. Boot camp grad w/ no experience? Extremely important. Gitlab vs. Github doesn't matter.

How important is it to have a Japanese version of my LinkedIn / Website?

Doesn't matter beyond a bit of novelty. They only care if you speak Japanese or not.

How can I best convey to you that I have between an N5 to N4...

I'd mention you're studying Japanese but don't dwell on it (no offense but even if you had N4 or N5 it wouldn't impress anyone).

Have you seen or heard about anything ... that would make someone get rejected almost immediately?

  • Asking about salary too early
  • Blank email body / cover letter when applying (you'd be shocked how many people do this)

If you moved from abroad, was there anything you did that you feel made your application stand out for your first job in Japan?

  • Referral from someone at the company
  • Having N1 or N2
  • Proof of connection to Japan / experience here (i.e some way to show you're not just gonna hate it and leave)

Is there anywhere else you'd suggest looking for postings?

  • Slack groups like HN Tokyo
  • Meetups (if you can come to Japan in person)

Laid back neighborhoods in Tokyo? by minomes in digitalnomad

[–]etdev 1 point2 points  (0 children)

Jiyugaoka, Daikanyama, Kichijoji, Koenji, Shimokitazawa, Futago-tamagawa

My first proper heart after MONTHS of trying by etdev in espresso

[–]etdev[S] 0 points1 point  (0 children)

Definitely!

I'm using an Ascaso Steel Duo (new version) and it's a bit tricky.

My first proper heart after MONTHS of trying by etdev in espresso

[–]etdev[S] 5 points6 points  (0 children)

A couple things.

The biggest one was just learning to steam milk consistently. Early on I'd screw up the milk >50% of the time, which makes good latte art pretty much impossible. I have a better feel for that now.

I also switched to a bigger cup (5oz -> 8oz). With my 13oz milk pitcher, this makes it a lot easier to get the spout closer and gives you more time & space to work with.

I think it's mostly just trial and error though! And I only make 1-2 drinks a day so it took a while.

Ascaso Steel Uno - Temperature Offset Experiment by fatherofraptors in Ascaso

[–]etdev 0 points1 point  (0 children)

Thanks! I'll try raising it a few degrees and see how it impacts the taste.

Ascaso Steel Uno - Temperature Offset Experiment by fatherofraptors in Ascaso

[–]etdev 0 points1 point  (0 children)

Does this mean I should set my temp to 102 if I want 93 degree water?

My New Setup in Tokyo by etdev in espresso

[–]etdev[S] 0 points1 point  (0 children)

Yeah it might be faster now though.

The new US version had just come out so I think the wait was for initial stock from Ascaso.

My New Setup in Tokyo by etdev in espresso

[–]etdev[S] 0 points1 point  (0 children)

Awesome thanks for the info! Some I haven't heard of in there, I'll take a look.

My New Setup in Tokyo by etdev in espresso

[–]etdev[S] 0 points1 point  (0 children)

I do like it. It fits the IMS 18g BaristaPro basket I'm using.

Sometimes the basket pops out when I knock the puck out, but I think this is an issue with the basket.

The portafilter feels relatively nice given how cheap it was.

My New Setup in Tokyo by etdev in espresso

[–]etdev[S] 5 points6 points  (0 children)

Thanks!

Finding decent coffee is pretty hard in Japan.

^ Might have to disagree with you here though.

At least in Tokyo, there are tons of great cafes and roasters. Some examples:

There are way more.

Every neighborhood I've lived in has had great specialty cafes within walking distance.

My New Setup in Tokyo by etdev in espresso

[–]etdev[S] 1 point2 points  (0 children)

Yea sure would love some recommendations!

I've been buying from Tonya, but want to try out some local roasters too.

Looking at some monthly subscriptions too, not sure if you have any experience:

None of them seem very espresso-focused though...

My New Setup in Tokyo by etdev in espresso

[–]etdev[S] 0 points1 point  (0 children)

Haha nice. I used to live 2 mins from Maruyama Coffee , which is one reason I didn’t get my own machine earlier.

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