Cover photo by https://unsplash.com/@themcny
This is a follow-up to Part one. This is an English article - I will only use Japanese when not using...
For further actions, you may consider blocking this person and/or reporting abuse
I was patiently waiting for this article. Thank you so much for providing so much detail and value. I'm inspired by you very much!
I plan on following a path very similar to yours. I also have an unrelated degree(accounting). I've been studying programming already and by the time I go to Japan I'll have roughly 8 months of self taught experience(studying fulltime and working on portfolio etc). Im planning on going as an english teacher and then switching after a year or so.
There's mainly 2 things I'm slightly worried about;
Do you believe that someone, after gaining work experience in tech as you did, can still be successful going remote freelance whilst living AWAY from the big cities in Japan? E.g living in insert random 田舎 here.
By the time I switch jobs into tech in Japan I'll be roughly 25/26 years old. Will I be disadvantaged coming in at an older age as compared to those new grads out there? What was your experience and how old were you when you made the switch?
Thank you so much ,Rob.
I'm glad that it helped and that you found it inspiring!
1) Yes, absolutely. Remote freelance is super popular right now and I see no reason why that would change. Full remote can be done from everywhere, and a lot of country towns are hoping that remote work will bring in more young money.
The two main advantages new grads have are because they have no work experience.
1) Being more easily "moldable."
2) Being cheaper.
People in their mid-20's with work experience are a bit more worldly because they understand what working for a living feels like.
Let me know if this was helpful / incoherent.
Awesome! Looks like picking ruby was the right choice after all!
Yes, this was very helpful! Thank you!
Oh, Ruby is super popular here. You should have no problem at all getting a job.
I also recommend learning Typescript if you don't know it - knowing both will make you a powerhouse candidate.
Hi Rob, very detailed article. I am sure it will be a help for many people.
Hey Rob, I have another question after re-reading both your articles on working in Japan.
What has been your experience and observations about the operating systems being used in Japan over the years in both your work with companies and as a freelancer?
Do a majority of system engineers/web developers use MacOS? Linux or maybe even windows? When working with teams, whats the recommended OS you advise someone who wants to do programming over in Japan to use?
Thanks so much for your time, Rob.
I would say that OS isn't really an issue, to be honest. I've noticed windows for game dev, MacOS for web dev, and Linux for servers. Because I do web dev, the majority my dev time as been on a mac.
I'd say that in reality the only thing that has really been consistent is - if you're going to deploy to a server, get somewhat comfortable with Linux and docker. Everything else you can just adapt to. Most places will let you choose your work station.
I really wouldn't worry about OS-specific dev, though. I have never seen that be an issue.
Thanks so much for your answer! It was very helpful!
I was surprised how easy is to start freelancing. Just knock at the right door and ask to freelance. Cool.
Yeah! It's really surprising because everything I had read online made me feel like I'd have to go to business eventsand slowly build a network, but fortunately it turns out that wasn't the case!
This article just doesn't bear any relation to my reality as a freelancer in Japan. I speak Japanese reasonably well, I have two degrees - one related to computer science, I've wasted my time in a completely unsatisfying English teaching job, but I've made the effort to get a coding bootcamp training in Tokyo, build loads of Linkedin contacts with Japanese tech sector recruiters, and force my way out of the TEFL sector and into coding, but the job search is without end. The idea that I could even be aiming for 1,000,000 yen/month is way beyond realistic, and I'm often working until 3am 4-5 days per week. The reality of trying to build a freelancing career is lacking here. As a freelance programmer just starting out, what I'm really asking myself each day is: "Can I earn above the minimum wage today?", and "How long can I continue pursuing a desired profession before this just becomes untenable?".
I'd like to hear more about your experience - I totally get that every situation is different, and I appreciate you sharing yours!
Out of curiousity, what bootcamp did you go to? And would you recommend it? I'm always looking for good recommendations to give people when they ask!
I started making 1,000,000/mo after about 5 years of programming experience. Right out of the gate I made significantly less (my salary progression is listed in my other major Dev article). I agree that starting out, it won't be nearly that high. I think that if you have solid Japanese skills and a robust portfolio, you're looking at 400,000/mo as a freelancer. That being said, freelancers are hired almost exclusively when they have experience, so working as a regular employee might be easier to land while builing experience.
Hello
I am interested in your post
I am a fullstack developer
I have rich experience website and blockchain projects development
I wanna hope to work with you
thank you
Thanks for sharing . どうも ありがとう。
I just want to know in japan industry , does vocational school IT certificate and bachelor degree have a huge difference ?
I'm not sure because I don't come from that background, but I don't see how it could hurt!