Hello! I’m Kotaro Muramoto, CEO of JOBs Japan. Over the years, I’ve supported 100+ foreign engineers from more than 15 countries to make successful transitions into tech roles in Japan. Here’s a recent success story from one of our candidates from Myanmar.

Candidate Profile

• Background: Originally worked in Myanmar as a web programmer for ~2 years, building systems like cloud-based attendance management and card management using C# and Angular. 

• Experience in Japan: From 2020 onward, employed by a system contracting firm in Tokyo; working mainly in Java, involved in many phases — from basic design → development → integration testing through to system testing. 

• Qualifications:

  • Japanese-Language Proficiency Test N2 (obtained July 2021) 

  • Oracle Certified Java Programmer Silver (March 2023) 

  • IT Passport (Myanmar)

What the Candidate Was Looking For

• More upstream work: “I want to experience more of the early phases: design, system architecture, requirements gathering.” 

• Larger, more stable environment: projects with greater scale and more structured process. 

Why This Role Was a Great Match

• The candidate already had hands-on technical experience (Java, plus prior work in C#/Angular) and had participated in multiple project phases. These skills meant less onboarding “lag” = quicker impact.

• Japanese ability (N2) and relevant certifications helped demonstrate commitment and reliability.

• The company offered what mattered: scale (large enterprise with 20,000 employees), stable benefits, clear growth opportunities. 

• Other offers had drawbacks: some were SES companies with pay drops during waiting periods; some required being open to transfers across the country. The candidate preferred stability and higher guarantee. 

Outcome

• Role: System Engineer in Tokyo, contributing in design-to-testing phases.

• Salary: ~ ¥4,200,000/year 

• Company: Large enterprise (~20,000 staff), revenue ~¥130 billion; works in web services (development, infrastructure, mobile, etc.), consulting and engineering. 

What You Can Take Away

1. Build breadth + depth
   Experience in multiple phases of development (design, integration, testing) plus working with different technologies strengthens your case. Even if you specialize, showing some frontend, full stack, or alternate stacks helps.

2. Secure and show language & certification credentials
   Japanese N2 + recognized certifications (e.g. Oracle Java) signal both ability and seriousness to employers here.

3. Know what you value in offers
   Salary is important, but so are stability, project scale, company size, benefit structure, role responsibilities (including “upstream” tasks). Don't just take offers — compare with what aligns with your goals.

4. Communicate clearly about where you want to grow
   Saying “I want to move from implementation to design & architecture” or “I want to work on larger-scale systems” helps companies see you as someone thinking long-term—and that can tip the scales.

Are you ready to step up?

If you have Java experience, some Japanese ability (N3/N2), maybe some certifications, and you’re ready for more responsibility & scale — there are roles here that value all of that. If you want help updating your resume, prepping for interviews, or matching with companies like this, I’d love to talk.