My chances of finding an IT job in Tokyo?

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Hi all, I’ve recently obtained a bachelor of computer science degree in Australia and I’m currently working as a software tester in Australia. I plan to achieve N1 before 2023/7 then start applying. By then I will have two years of post-study experience as a QA.

My main concern is that there aren’t many companies willing to hire testers from overseas so my chance of landing a job from AUS is significantly less than someone who has work experience as a developer. I do have programming experience as an intern and I took a few FE and iOS online courses before (React, Swift, JS etc.). And I’m writing automation tests in Java in my current position. But I assume this level of experience is not satisfying for most employers in Tokyo who are looking for experienced professionals.

What do you guys think I should be doing on top of learning Japanese? I don’t think taking online courses will be sufficient for employers in Japan but I can’t really change my job in Australia either… I’m also open to work as an IT consultant, or other business roles as long as there’s an opportunity. But if I switch to a non-IT role, I assume I won’t be able to get 10 points from getting IT certificates in order to apply for HSWV.

I’m aiming to work in a company that offers a western-like work culture and pays at least 4000,000 yen/yr.

I’m native in Mandarin and English if that helps at all.

Any advice would be greately appreciated :slight_smile:

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A salary of ¥4 million per year is on the low end for someone with a couple years of experience. Companies may list years of experience in a job posting, but it usually is not a hard requirement. So I’d think you’d be eligible for any non-senior position by then.

With that experience, plus N1 Japanese ability, plus native Mandarin and English language skills, I’d think it shouldn’t be too hard to at least land some interviews.

If you’re wanting to increase your employability, I’d focus on things that do so generally. For instance, assuming you want to continue to focus on QA, you could do something like write articles. about your on the job learnings, or get involved with one of the open source test automation projects.