Hello, I’m currently living in Japan in Kanagawa with my wife. I recently graduated with a degree in mechanical engineering from the states this past June and am around an N5 level from self studying. I have a few internship and research experiences but have been struggling to find roles here in Tokyo and Kanagawa.
I’m looking for advice – if it’s better to continue searching for jobs that don’t require much Japanese knowledge (I’m not sure where to look for these as most require years of experience) or commit to going to a language school to open more doors for me.
For those who have gone to a language school in Japan (preferably intense courses), what would be a realistic level one would achieve after 6 months? From what I’ve seen on job listings, conversational/business level fluency is required for most jobs. Can this be easily achieved in 6 months?
I don’t need visa support, my biggest hurdle to finding an engineering job is the language barrier and possibly not looking at the best places to apply for jobs, I’d appreciate any advice.
by WetPaint21