Mr. Filip Mintus is originally from Poland and has been living and working in Japan for almost 2 years. He is currently a Machine Learning Engineer with a background in mechatronics, and has been working on algorithm development for Battery Management Systems using Python, and Matlab for data analysis and visualisation. We had the chance to talk with him about his job hunting experience in Japan.

Read more to find out why he chose Active Connector, and his tips for when it comes to job hunting and choosing the right company.

When did you come to Japan?

August 2016 for the first time. I had the opportunity to do a one year internship with a big Japanese corporation. After that awesome experience, I went back to Poland for a year and came back to Japan for the second time in September 2018.

What did you do before coming to Japan？

I was actually just a student, studying at a university in my hometown.

Why did you want to work in Japan? 

When I came to Japan for the first time, I wanted to discover a totally different culture. For the second time, I thought that working in Japan would have a better impact on my career than working in Poland.

 

JOB HUNTING

When did you start job hunting after you decided to come to Japan?

My previous company from my internship decided to offer me a permanent position after I graduated from my studies. After a year of working in a big company, I had decided that it was time for me to look for new opportunities and work for a startup. I was looking for a company that was a better fit for me, and that offered a role that would take my career in the direction I was aiming towards. 

How was your job hunting?

To be honest, job hunting was very stressful and it put a lot of pressure on me. It took some time for me to strengthen my resume by studying more while working and getting online certifications.  

How long did it take to get a job offer after you started to do your job hunting?

I was job hunting for about 4 months. After I was contacted by Active Connector it took about a month until I got the job offer.

What are the difficulties you experienced in an interview?

I didn’t have strong professional experience to capture companies’ interest, which made it difficult.

 

Active Connector

How did you find this position/Active Connector?

I was contacted by one of their career consultants, Peter through LinkedIn.

Why did you apply for this position?

It looked like exactly what I was looking for, in terms of the field and the type of company.

Did you find any differences in Active Connector from other recruiting companies?

They had a very friendly approach. I have tried applying directly to companies and have spoken with recruiters from other agencies, but I really liked the quick and attentive response I got from Active Connector.

 

WORKING IN JAPAN/STARTUPS

What is your current job?

I am currently working as a Machine Learning Engineer.

How do you like your current job?

I like it a lot!

Did you find any cultural gap from your background after you started to work in Japan?

I found that you have to be a bit more formal with coworkers compared to how it was back in my home country.

What are the challenges you encountered while working in Japan?

I found that overtime work was very common in Japan. But it wasn’t something new because I was already aware that this was what the working culture was like in Japan.

What do you think is the advantage of working in a start-up?

I really like the idea of working at a startup, but the best parts are having less bureaucracy, a more aggressive learning curve, more flexibility with task management, having a more foreigner-friendly work environment, and the chance to work with more cutting-edge technology.

What are the difficulties you have experienced working in a startup? (In terms of Communication with boss, working within a team, salary constraints, overwhelming responsibilities, or other practices)

There were some parts of the big corporate life which I had gotten used to in the past, so I needed to change my mindset a bit. But it was not difficult since a startup’s character is closer to my nature.

How is the mentorship in a startup environment? Most of the companies at startups have flat organizational structures so I wonder what it is like, especially with someone who has a very technical job but also has to discuss realistic solutions.       

Communication is much easier compared to a bigger company and it is common to ask for advice from anyone.

 

CAREER PLAN

What is your career goal?

For now, since I have just changed my field, I want to learn as much as possible to catch up with the state-of-the-art.

Do you see your career flourishing in Japan?

I am sure that I can learn many things which I could not learn in other countries.

Please give a message/advice to foreigners who are having difficulties in looking for jobs in Japan?

Don’t be afraid of change;
Don’t give up easily;
Do your research about the company;
Be positive and show your passion!

Catch Filip on our upcoming Webinar session on July 8th!
Click the image for more details and registraton.

 

Are you ready to find the perfect company fit for you? If you want to work with innovative tech companies that value professionals with global mindsets and are passionate about working on exciting projects, register now and submit your updated resume!