【Event Report: Honest Opinions from Programmers Living Abroad!】 Le Wagon Tokyo Explores "The Reality of Global Careers and Survival Strategies in the AI Era"
【Event Background: Why this event, and why now?】
"I want to work abroad someday," "But I have no programming experience, so it might be impossible..."
This is for those who hold such thoughts, and I highly recommend you read this.
0. Introduction
Against the backdrop of the rapidly weakening yen and the spread of cross-border remote work, "working abroad" has become a more realistic option than ever for Japanese engineers. However, at the same time, due to the explosive evolution of AI tools, the hiring criteria and required skill sets in the global engineering market are currently in the midst of a major paradigm shift.
"How can I start from scratch and build a career that will be viable globally in the coming era?"—
To provide a reliable roadmap for future challengers facing this urgent question, the global tech community Le Wagon Tokyo organized this online talk session.
Crossing borders to work as an engineer on the world stage—
While many people aspire to such a career, there are not a few who cannot take the first step, wondering, "Don't I need overwhelming English proficiency?" or "How can I overcome the barriers of visas and academic background?"
The world-leading coding bootcamp "Le Wagon Tokyo" recently held an online talk session, welcoming two Japanese engineers who are active on the front lines overseas as guests.
Moderated by Ogawa, the two guests, who have built careers in different language and cultural spheres—Europe and North America/UK—spoke about the "reality of working abroad" without sugarcoating it, and "survival strategies in the AI-native era."
We will deliver the full content of this passionate session.
Speaker Profiles
Guest Speakers
・Shion Honda
Born and raised in Japan. About three years ago, she moved to Paris, France, when her partner started graduate school abroad, and she landed an engineering job there. Currently, she works fully remotely from Rome, Italy, while raising her newborn daughter.
・Reika Fujimura
Has a background in physical sciences. After working as a junior engineer in Japan for about a year, she moved to Canada and then to the UK (London). She has built a career on the front lines as an ML (Machine Learning) engineer for about four years locally, and is currently active in multiple roles as a Lead Architect. In addition to her role as an engineer, she also engages in artistic activities under the name "Cecili", demonstrating diverse talents that transcend the boundaries between technology and art.
Moderator: Ogawa (Le Wagon Tokyo)
1. Perfection is unnecessary. The truth about "English proficiency" and the importance of soft skills
One might think there was a unique and meticulous career strategy, but Shion Honda's trigger for jumping abroad was an accidental one: "moving to Paris to accompany her partner's studies."
On the other hand, Reika Fujimura intuitively felt that "the STEM (Science, Technology, Engineering, and Mathematics) culture suited me" when compared to the environment in Japan, and she won an offer with visa support from a UK company.
Although their backgrounds for moving were different, both shared a realistic answer that overturns the "illusion of perfect English proficiency" that we tend to hold.
Honda-san:
"I've liked English since high school, but it was within the framework of so-called Japanese English education. I started practicing English conversation desperately after the move was decided. At first, I was in a state where 'I could understand what the other person was saying, but I couldn't speak clearly in my own words.' Even so, I improved through hard work in practice. You don't need to rattle off fluently. If you can convey what you are thinking slowly and accurately, you can do your job sufficiently."
Furthermore, Fujimura-san cuts into the "essence of communication" that is valued even more than language proficiency itself.
Fujimura-san:
"What I realized painfully after going abroad is that 'soft skills' are valued more than language fluency. Can you structure your thoughts into a story (context) that is easy for the other person to understand? Can you put aside your pride and say 'I don't know' when you don't? And can you ask essential questions?
In job interviews, this emotional intelligence significantly influences whether you pass or fail. If I were to give one more practical piece of advice, it would be to reconstruct the technical knowledge you already possess into English terminology in your brain. If you have the vocabulary to accurately return the 'keywords' that the interviewer is looking for, the language barrier will be significantly lowered."
2. "Research" and "Gap Analysis" to conquer job hunting in a foreign land
Job hunting in an unfamiliar land. To increase their winning percentage, both thoroughly conducted "strategic research" based on data.
Honda-san analyzed that "the ecosystem of engineering jobs is completely different depending on the city, such as cities where major tech companies dominate the market or regions where the startup economy is active." She says she started by thoroughly investigating the job characteristics and visa situations of the target cities, and accurately grasping 'how much of a gap there is between my current skills and the expectations of the local market.'
Fujimura-san also agreed on the importance of preliminary research and introduced practical measures using platforms for mock interviews abroad, such as 'Exponent' and 'interviewing.io.' She revealed that thorough 'simulation of the plate appearance,' such as borrowing accounts from friends or asking them to be partners for interview practice, bore fruit.
Also, regarding the 'coding test' that many engineers are wary of, Fujimura-san sends a cheer to Japanese engineers.
Fujimura-san:
"You don't need to write academic and difficult code perfectly. What is important is whether you can show the 'thought process (story)' and the 'final answer' leading up to it. Japanese engineers have a very high level of basic knowledge and education, so you can be confident in your base ability. The rest is just how you express it."
3. Work-Life Balance of Freedom and Responsibility, and the Looming "Visa Wall"
The discussion touched upon the greatest benefits of working abroad—the "work environment"—and the "realistic barriers" that cannot be avoided.
Overwhelming efficiency in decision-making and diverse ways of living
Ms. Honda, who works at a European startup, introduced the culture where "taking a four-week vacation in the summer is the norm." She explains that this is possible because unnecessary recurring meetings, redundant reviews, and indirect tasks are thoroughly eliminated, making work processes extremely efficient. A flexible remote work system is also in place, and Ms. Honda is currently working fully remotely from Rome, away from Paris, balancing her career with raising her newborn daughter.
Meanwhile, what Mr. Fujimura, who has experience in Canada and the UK, witnessed was the "independence of professionals" that is a cut above Japan.
Mr. Fujimura:
"In Canadian companies, you cannot expect a reply to messages after 5:00 PM (laughs). But that doesn't mean they are slacking off; it's because everyone has strong ownership and a sense of responsibility to finish their work within the allotted time.
Whether it's a French colleague leaving a meeting at 4:00 PM saying, 'I have a social dance lesson,' or a Jamaican senior colleague going to volunteer on Wednesday mornings, everyone prioritizes their individual lives while delivering high performance. Including the bright atmosphere of enjoying pubs and karaoke to the fullest, it is a very healthy environment."
The cold reality of "visas and academic background"
However, behind such an attractive environment lies the cold "visa wall." Currently, the visa issue is unavoidable when seeking employment abroad, but the height of the hurdle and the situation vary greatly depending on the country.
While the barrier for visa support has generally been high for some time, whether it has "become even stricter recently" depends on the current administration and policies of that country. For example, while there is a clear trend of decreasing visa support under the current administration in the United States, there is no particular evidence that visa support for tech companies is decreasing in France, and opportunities remain. That is why it is essential to individually research the latest "current" policies of the country you are aiming for.
Because the difficulty level fluctuates drastically depending on the external environment, Ms. Honda stated that it is essential to have both "a mindset of waiting for opportunities (timing) by continuing to step up to the plate without giving up, even if your skills are incomplete, and the preparation to instantly seize them when a good opportunity arises."
Also, to reliably capitalize on such limited opportunities, one must break through the company's selection process. The discussion then moved on to more candid opinions regarding the "signals" that recruiters prioritize when screening candidates from a vast pool of applicants.
Ms. Honda:
"To win visa support, signals that give recruiters peace of mind (such as your university major and track record) are inevitably important. In that regard, Le Wagon is a powerful weapon because it has overwhelming name recognition and trust in France, but if you are from a bootcamp that is unknown locally and have zero practical experience, the hurdle for a company to take the risk of issuing a visa becomes extremely high."
Mr. Fujimura:
"A university degree (especially in STEM fields) is seen as a baseline, but the most important thing at the junior level is 'what you specifically did after graduating.'
Rather than the number of 'years' of work experience, the 'content'—how many tasks (tickets) you handled in past projects and how you contributed to the product—is evaluated. Whether you can turn personal projects into a polished portfolio and speak sharply about them in an interview should be your breakthrough."
4. The "Light and Shadow" of Japanese Engineers as Seen from the World
Within global, diverse teams, where do the advantages and challenges of Japanese engineers lie? The analysis by both was extremely clear.
Strengths: High-level fundamental knowledge and sincerity
Japan's educational standards are very high, and the fundamentals of technology are solid. The sense of trust in quality—that you "thoroughly understand what needs to be understood"—is a major weapon.Weaknesses: Hesitation to "assert oneself" in discussions
Due to cultural background, there is a tendency to avoid clearly stating opposing opinions. However, in global tech culture, it is positively perceived that "clearly communicating your own logic, even if it is a conflicting opinion, leads to efficient and healthy product development."
5. In the AI-native era, how will junior engineers live from now on?
Toward the end of the session, the discussion turned to the "paradigm shift that AI is bringing to the engineering market."
Currently, the difficulty for juniors to find employment is a serious social issue in the UK and Canada as well. Due to the spread of AI tools, the expectations companies have for juniors (the quality and speed of results produced within a one-hour interview, and the ability to build larger systems alone) have jumped dramatically.
However, this is also an opportunity to leapfrog traditional career steps.
Ms. Honda:
"This is an era where knowledge of simply writing code as instructed is no longer sufficient. From now on, the ability to 'use AI as your strongest right-hand man, shape products on your own, and further grow them while receiving user feedback' will be required.
There are definitely startups that are specifically looking for young 'AI-native' talent who are not bound by existing methods. In any case, use AI as a weapon, get your hands dirty, build many things, and learn from practice. That is all there is to it."
Conclusion: Advice for those challenging the world
Mr. Fujimura:
"There is no single 'correct' way to approach 'immigration' or a 'global career.' However, by taking that first step outside, you can encounter deep-level connections and life-changing opportunities that you would never find in Japan. As a life choice, there is nothing more exciting than this. If you take action, a path will surely open up!"
Mr. Honda:
"The experience of being challenged abroad and learning within a different culture will become an absolute asset to your life, regardless of where you end up living in the future. It is definitely worth the challenge. Finding a job abroad is not easy, but for those who are about to study CS, I think you can build differentiating skills by not just acquiring knowledge, but also by developing your own products while utilizing AI."
📖 [Recommended Reading] Stories of Graduates Who Achieved Overseas Employment from Scratch
If you have such questions or anxieties, please take a look at the footsteps of our actual graduates. The official Le Wagon Tokyo blog publishes real interviews with graduates who went from having zero programming experience to going through our bootcamp and taking flight into tech companies in Japan and around the world.
From obtaining visas and preparing for English interviews to working locally, the stories of our seniors who truly embodied this advice and paved their own paths should give you the great courage to take that first step.
👉 [Graduate Interview] From Le Wagon Tokyo to the World! Click here for stories of those who achieved overseas employment: https://note.com/lewagontokyo/n/n0831ce95695d
🚀 About Le Wagon Tokyo 🚀
Le Wagon is one of the world's leading coding bootcamps from France, operating in 40 cities across 5 continents and having produced over 31,000 graduates.
In Japan, we launched our first '9-week full-time Web Development course' in 2016, and a '24-week part-time program' in 2019. We have produced over 1,000 graduates in the past five years, and our alumni are active as web developers, project managers, and designers at major tech companies in Japan.
Our main employers range widely from top-tier global companies like Apple, Google, Amazon, and McKinsey to mega-ventures like PayPal and Uber. Additionally, since 2016, Le Wagon Tokyo has hosted over 300 tech events and boasts a community of over 8,000 people, making it one of the largest tech communities in the country.
Why not polish your skills in a global environment as a first step toward working abroad?
👉 Click here to learn more about the Le Wagon Tokyo campus: https://www.lewagon.com/ja/tokyo
👇 Check out past articles from the link below! 👇