On December 10, 2021, Tokyo Techies held “Techies Talk: Scoring a Tech Job in Japan!”, a tech-focused career seminar for international students in Japan.
As part of the company’s CSR efforts to promote Decent Work and Economic Growth, the event was held in-person at the Tokyo Techies office in Higashi-Ueno, Tokyo. With COVID-19 prevention measures such as mandatory-mask wearing, alcohol sanitation, and open windows in place, the event welcomed more than 20 enthusiastic students and recent graduates of Japanese universities and language schools.
Speaking at the event were Victor Torres, a Technical Solutions Engineer in Google Cloud Japan, and Dhiyasha “Dhisha” Stamboel, Tokyo Techies’ very own Product and Visual Designer.
Victor, a master’s graduate from Tokyo Institute of Technology, shared his career journey leading up to his current position in Google, one of the world’s largest tech companies. He described his experience interning for TeamLab, a renowned “art-meets-technology” collective, and also his brief tenure as a member of the Tokyo Techies team. One of Victor’s general advice for the participants is to always be interviewing, and to never lose faith when job-hunting, as the job market for Japan’s continuously growing tech industry is hungry for new talent.
Dhisha, who just graduated with a bachelor’s degree in engineering from Sophia University in September 2021, has a fresher take on the job-hunting process. Initially a design hobbyist, Dhisha decided that she wanted to pursue a career in the tech field as a UI/UX designer. Her advice for fellow designers is to have a detailed and unique portfolio that could be published on job sites such as LinkedIn. Dhisha also emphasized the importance of having a support system during job-hunting as the process can take a toll on a person’s mental health.
The panel discussion and Q&A session saw many participants engaged in asking detailed questions to Victor, Dhisha, and moderator Ujjwal Mishra about the importance of internships and certain skills needed to work in the tech field. The session was eventually extended longer than planned to accommodate all important questions from the audience.
The event ended with an hour-long networking session. Tokyo Techies members and participants mingled while enjoying pizza and soft drinks served on the house.
According to the United Nations, around 255 million jobs have been lost worldwide due to the pandemic. A Sustainable Development Goals Report mentioned that the pandemic may lead to an increase of youth unemployment, which pose a threat to Goal 8 of the SDGs: Decent Work and Economic Growth.
By holding the career event, Tokyo Techies is committed to helping young talents, especially foreign talent, find good and fulfilling jobs in the Japanese tech industry.
As the first in a series, Tokyo Techies looks forward to holding another tech-focused career seminar in the future.
