#3 Zero to $100k as a Software Engineer in Japan (No Degree)

Episode #3 of the Japan Dev Podcast is with Kei Yamashita! He shares his inspiring journey from part time jobs in Osaka to software engineer — first in Canada and then back to Japan 🚀

Kei discusses how he overcame a challenging upbringing, learned English through part-time jobs and started his software engineering career from scratch.

Despite initial setbacks — including a disappointing language school experience — he discovered a passion for software development through self-learning and persistence.

From working at Starbucks while learning English to landing his first tech job, Kei's journey is a testament to the power of helping others, being proactive, and adapting to new environments.

After gaining permanent residency in Canada, he worked at several North American startups, which accelerated his career growth. Eventually, he returned to Japan to work as an engineer in Tokyo, bringing valuable international experience with him.

In this episode, we dive deep into:✅ The challenges of switching careers into tech✅ How to negotiate your first salary✅ The importance of networking and leveraging opportunities✅ Cultural differences between North American and Japanese work styles✅ The evolving landscape of Japan’s IT industry

Thinking about working in tech in Japan? Or curious about how international experience can shape your career? This episode is packed with valuable insights! 🎙️

👉 More from Kei

🐦 Twitter/X: https://x.com/kei_english_ca

🎥 YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCVyBDawnEGc8SXRrMhdH-JQ

✍️ Blog: https://note.com/kei726/n/nc674049f61f8

Timestamps:

00:00 - In this video

00:55 - Meet Kei ( His story )

06:42 - Exploring work abroad through visas.

08:43 - Considering Canada for better opportunities.

13:16 - Career pivot from language struggles to software development.

19:30 - Two-year college journey into software engineering.

25:16 - First software job and early challenges.

30:59 - Hardships and growth in the industry.

37:12 - U.S. companies hiring Canadian developers.

39:16 - Salary growth and financial freedom.

43:24 - Gaining permanent residency for career flexibility.

49:48 - Job referral leads to return to Japan.

55:34 - Japan's evolving tech industry and work culture.

1:06:48 - Japan’s affordable and superior food.

1:08:47 - The value of working abroad for growth.

1:12:53 - Cross-cultural collaboration in Japan’s tech scene.

1:18:41 - Building a software career through networking.

💬 Have questions about tech jobs in Japan? Drop them in the comments — we’ll read them. And we’ll do our best to answer them!

🌟 Don't forget to like, subscribe, and hit the notification bell 🔔 so you never miss a new video from Japan Dev!

👉 Find your dream tech job in Japan:

🔗 Website: https://japan-dev.com

📸 Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/japan.dev

🐦 Twitter/X: https://x.com/jpn_dev

💼 LinkedIn: https://linkedin.com/company/japan-dev

Tags :

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