Hey, I will be moving to Japan, more specifically Tokyo, in the next couple of months (we are currently waiting for my COE (spouse of Japanese national), which should arrive soon-ish). I have about 4.5 YoE currently, but depending on when I move it will be closer to 5 YoE.
I had already researched a bit before we made the decision to move, and I feel like I'll be able to find a job with decent pay. Currently I'm preparing a bit for the upcoming job hunt, i.e. LeetCode, System Design interview prep, etc., and I've been thinking about any other skills that I could strengthen before this process.
I do speak Japanese, and it is the language my wife, and I use to communicate at home (mostly), but I am not certified yet. If the timing permits I'd like to take the N3 exam in Tokyo this December, which I am confident I could pass, but of course N2 would be better. I feel like taking the N2 exam could go either way, depending on how I prepare, so getting at least the N3 certification should be the safer bet.
On the technical side of things I mostly do Backend Engineering in Java (currently), and C#. I also have experience with both AWS and Azure, as well as some Frontend experience in various frameworks, although I'd rather focus on my Backend career at the moment (Fullstack if the position is interesting enough). I also have limited experience with Kotlin, but I feel like landing a Kotlin position with professional Java experience should already be doable.
From my (so far limited) research it seems like C# is not sought after in the Japanese job market, but Java should be fine. However, I wouldn't mind switching to another language at this stage in my career. Are there any languages/frameworks/etc. that are very in demand in the current job market? I'm thinking about stuff like Go, Rust, Kotlin, and so on. Of course I don't need to pick up another language right now, and it might not even be the best way to prepare, but I've wanted to try some newer languages anyways, so this seems like a good timing to do so.
I will be starting my job search after arriving, and receiving my visa in Japan, as it would help me stand out from other applicants. I'll try to target western companies with locations in Tokyo, but am not opposed to other opportunities.
Excited to hear about your insights, and suggestions. Thanks!
by occasionally_smart