Hello all!
After thinking it through I adjusted my plan to move to Japan in April 2026. When I’m there I want to go to ISI to get to the N2 Japanse level. Since the school is business focused I will also learn business Japanese there, and they help students to find a job. So why do I make this post?
I’m 27 (from The Netherlands) and I’ve worked for a small US based game studio (remotely) for 2,5 years fulltime and an additional 3 years on a parttime basis before working fulltime (while studying).
I have a bachelor degree in Animated & Illustrated storytelling and another diploma in Animation & Audiovisual design. Unfortunately I never specialized in something specific, like 3D modeling, so I might be a jack of all trades, but I will never be at the same level as someone who is specialized. So realistically it will be very difficult to get a creative job in Tokyo.
That’s why I want to get another 1,5 year of work experience before moving to Japan to start at ISI. There are a lot of job opportunities in NL, and with my eyes on the future, I think it’s realistic to say that most creative jobs will be taken over by AI. So I’m on the fence of switching to another profession.
I’m a person that is able to adapt easily and also likes a lot of things. So I’m thinking about doing a traineeship business IT (finance). This is a job where you work to learn it. I think this would open a lot of doors for me in Tokyo if I can add this to my CV.
But! I’m still worried about a couple of things:
1. Is that 1,5 year of work experience in finance going to be enough to get me a job? (It doesn’t have to be the exact same job/work).
2. Do they see the 1,5 – 2 years at ISI, a gap on my CV as an issue?
3. Is there a better way to spend the 1,5 year before moving?
4. I’ve seen the lists of students and the types of jobs they got, most of them being hospitality work, I’m worried ISI won’t get me a well paying job. I don’t want to live uncomfortable.
Thank you in advance for helping me out!
by B-Company