From the 60-second Short
My best advice for finding a job in Japan
I spent months trying to find a job in Japan. I tried job boards, contacted companies and spent a fair amount of time waiting for replies that never came. Eventually, something worked. Here is what I would tell you before you start.
You have more options than teaching English.
There is nothing wrong with teaching English if that is what you want to do. But it is not the only way into Japan. Focus on three things: your language, your skills and your experience. What can you actually bring to a company?
Your first job does not have to be the dream job.
It can be a starting point. Something that lets you build experience and work towards better opportunities. Just make sure the pay, conditions and actual work make sense for you. Being in Japan does not automatically make a bad job amazing.
Start learning Japanese. Today, preferably.
You do not have to wait until you are fluent before doing anything else. In the Short, I suggest N3 as a useful goal to work towards. That is my advice, not a hiring rule: different jobs need different levels. Here is some help getting started.
Language school is an option, if it fits your plan.
If you want to improve your Japanese, language school might be worth looking into. But work out the cost and the study commitment first. Getting a place at a school is not the same as getting a job, and any part-time work still needs the right permission.
Stop treating applications like a gacha game.
I tried applying to anything remotely interesting and hoping something would happen. A lot of silence happened. Put real effort into the roles that fit you. Show why you are worth speaking to, rather than just adding another application to the pile.
Talk to people who already do the work.
The opportunity that eventually helped me get to Japan came through a person I connected with. Follow people in your field, talk to them and share what you are working on. Build actual connections. You never know where one might lead.
Do not send everyone the same CV.
Look at the job, look at the company, then show them the experience that actually matters. Make it easy to understand why you fit this particular role. They should not have to solve a puzzle to work out why you applied.
Show your work. Show what changed.
Instead of only listing what you were responsible for, show what you made or improved. A project, a portfolio, an honest result. Give the company something concrete to look at. Saying you are very passionate can only do so much.
Know why you want to work for them.
You will probably get asked this. Prepare an answer about the company and the role, rather than only explaining how much you love Japan. What interests you about their work? And how can you help?
Give them a reason to hire you.
Loving Japan is a perfectly good reason to want to move. But a company still needs to know what you can do for them. Show how your skills solve a problem they actually have. That is the part they are hiring you for.