Hello everyone! I've been thinking about moving to Japan next year. After exploring all of my options, I'm even more at a loss to what's the best way to do so considering my situation. I'd really appreciate if you could give me your perspective, and how would yo procceed if you were me.
A little background:
- Spanish dude, 22 (so you can imagine my economic situation…) I have my savings, but I can't afford to waste such an amout of money.
- Bachelor in CS and Engineering, graduated in June 2024.
- Got into an internship at the very start of 2024, for 6 months, as a Data Engineer. After that, I had the chance to continue working with the same company to this day, so little bit over a year of working experience in total.
- Started learning japanese 2 years ago, though I was not as diligent as I should have been. Since mid 2024 I've been properly studying japanese (mostly self-taught), aiming for the N4 in the upcoming July.
- Already been to Japan once.
After all my research on how to get to Japan, I've come to the conclusion that following the language school route might suit me the best, then transition to a working visa. Naturally, I've been looking at reviews, opinions, and reading fellow dreamers' experiences with a bunch of different schools, and that's exactly where doubts arise: can't decide which school to attend. Heck, I can't even decide wether Tokyo, Osaka or any other place…
My requirements are:
- Intense, but not unbeareable. Any workload is good for me, I don't mind doing my study pre/post-class, as long as the pace isn't unsustainable and I can work a part-time. I want to make my money worth it by, at least, learning the most I can.
- Either 6 months or 1 year. Although I think the best way for me to go would be to do 6 months, and extend it if I feel like that's not enough.
- I'd want to start on April 2026. (I'm kinda flexible with this tho, might postpone it)
- Not insanely pricey.
In the end, I just want to maximize my chances of landing a job and staying long-term.
So far, I've only looked at schools in Tokyo, purely because I'm guessing it's easier to land an IT related job there rather than other cities.
The 2 schools I've come up to that kind of fit my criteria are:
- ISI Takadanobaba. From what I've read, this campus is more centered towards finding/building a career in Japan. They even offer a "Career Japanese Course", apart from the typical "General Japanese Course". I think both are good for me.
- Akamonkai. Intense as well, with the positive side of being a little cheaper. They offer some guidance with job hunting in the General Course.
With all that being said, what do you all think? How can I maximize my chances of landing a job? Does studying in Tokyo vs any other part play a big role? Does the school really matter that much? Which school would you choose? Is it better if I just give up on this route and start applying for japanese companies?
Thank you all.
by iMortaal_