Advice on other options or programmes

[MakesSense]

Hello everyone!

Like most of you, I was super stoked when I found this programme. It hits all my checkmarks since it provides me an internship which is financed and I would get to live in Japan for one whole year which is a dream come true. My major is Information Technology but I do lack working experience, so I thought an internship would be ideal. Anyway, I applied with high hopes and didn't get shortlisted which really bummed me out. I still have one last chance next year and I will apply again, but at this point I'm not really expecting anything.

So my question would be, are there any other ways of getting to Japan for an internship or something similar? I heard about MEXT scholarships for PhD studies but those seem really hard to get and I don't think I'll study for a PhD. My country doesn't have a working holiday visa for Japan so that's out of the question as well.

Does anyone have any other suggestions or options besides Vulcanus? Thanks for reading this wall of text I think this topic should be somewhat relatable to some of you.

[mario_meissner]

Hi!

Some companies, especially young ones or foreign ones, are looking towards hiring from abroad and sponsoring visas. Although they are usually not internships but full time positions, they could serve you as a first step. Of course, these job positions are more difficult to get since they usually ask you for some experience. I know that sometimes you can get by with showing that you have worked on related projects, etc, instead of actual work experience.

I know this website (https://www.tokyodev.com/jobs/) with several interesting IT jobs. Maybe you fit into one of those?

[Cristii96]

My case is exactly the same as yours and i've searched everywhere for another way to go to Japan.
Fortunately, this week there's a study fair where i live which includes a postgraduate section. I will go on Friday so if i find something interesting i'll post it here!

[mario_meissner]

Joining a graduate school is probably one of the best ways to get in. Universities in Japan are eager to get more international students, so there is plenty of opportunity there. The top 5 or so are quite competitive to get in, but anything else should be quite feasible. You could do either a masters, a PhD or even a research student position. Once you have a foot inside Japan, companies are much more willing to consider you, especially for internships if you are in a Japanese graduate school. Start going to job fares, do interviews, build a network, etc.

[MakesSense]

My case is exactly the same as yours and i've searched everywhere for another way to go to Japan.
Fortunately, this week there's a study fair where i live which includes a postgraduate section. I will go on Friday so if i find something interesting i'll post it here!

Ah I see, so I'm not the only one! Great, fingers crossed that you'll find something!

[MakesSense]

Joining a graduate school is probably one of the best ways to get in. Universities in Japan are eager to get more international students, so there is plenty of opportunity there. The top 5 or so are quite competitive to get in, but anything else should be quite feasible. You could do either a masters, a PhD or even a research student position. Once you have a foot inside Japan, companies are much more willing to consider you, especially for internships if you are in a Japanese graduate school. Start going to job fares, do interviews, build a network, etc.

Thank you very much for the website you provided, I think it will come in handy in the future for sure once I graduate and gain some work experience!

Regarding graduate schools/Universities, it also seems like a good idea. But are they treated like regular University studies which I have to fully finance myself or are those supported via scholarships? I'll look it up and post if I find something!

[mario_meissner]

The two most popular scholarships for foreign students looking to join Japanese universities are MEXT and JASSO. But if you don't get any, then you'll need to fund yourself. It's not exactly cheap, but nothing compared to the US!

Check at the Japanese embassy website of your country for funding options

[MakesSense]

The two most popular scholarships for foreign students looking to join Japanese universities are MEXT and JASSO. But if you don't get any, then you'll need to fund yourself. It's not exactly cheap, but nothing compared to the US!

Check at the Japanese embassy website of your country for funding options

Thank you for all your effort! I already know about these, but I'll look more into them!