u/Desync14

I’m a first-year Aeronautical Engineering student from the Philippines, and I’m trying to plan my career as early as possible.

One of my long-term goals is to work in Japan if the opportunity comes. I genuinely enjoy learning Japanese, so I’m aiming to reach JLPT N2 by my second or third year while maintaining good grades in university.

I know that language skills alone won’t get me hired, so I’m trying to understand what Japanese employers actually value when hiring engineers.

I’d appreciate any advice on questions like these:

How much does JLPT N2 help when applying for engineering positions? Is N2 generally enough, or is N1 expected?

For fresh graduates, what matters more: GPA, internships, technical projects, certifications, or Japanese proficiency?

Is it realistic for a foreign graduate to be hired directly from university, or do most employers prefer candidates with a few years of experience first?

If you were in my position, what would you focus on during university to become a stronger candidate for engineering jobs in Japan?

Are there any common mistakes international students or graduates make when preparing for engineering careers in Japan?

I’m not looking for guarantees or shortcuts... I know it’s a competitive path... My goal is simply to use my university years wisely and build the skills and qualifications that will actually matter in the long run. I’d really appreciate any realistic advice or personal experiences. Thank you

I’m currently a first-year Aeronautical Engineering student at Mapúa Malayan Colleges Laguna, and I’m trying to plan my career as early as possible...

One of my goals is to study Japanese and hopefully reach JLPT N2 by my second or third year. I genuinely enjoy learning the language, but I also want to know whether it would provide a meaningful advantage in my career.

I’m curious about a few things:

Does having JLPT N2, along with maintaining good grades, make an Aeronautical Engineering graduate more competitive?;

Is Japanese proficiency actually valued in the aviation or aerospace industry, or is it just a nice bonus?

Are there companies in the Philippines that value engineers who can speak Japanese?;

If I continue improving both my technical skills (like coding and electronics) and Japanese proficiency throughout college, would that open up more career opportunities in the future?

I’m also interested in hearing from graduates or professionals in the field about what the career path realistically looks like after graduation. What skills or certifications ended up being the most valuable? Is there anything you wish you had known while you were still a student?

P.S
I’m not expecting learning Japanese alone to guarantee better opportunities. I just want to understand whether it’s worth the time and effort as a long-term investment alongside my engineering studies. I’d really appreciate any realistic advice or personal experiences. Thanks

I only have a phone and I can't download anki mobile because it cost money, and also all immersion apps cost money too for their subscriptions...

Well I have 200 flashcards in my quizlet, Those 200 words is just some things I just thought in my daily life... well right now i'm running out of words that I could think of to make them flashcards...

So i'm trying to find a good source on where I could find more common words that I could add in my quizlet flashcards. I honestly prefer making my flashcards by myself not a already made one too...

What i'm thinking about is youtube, is watching easy japanese and taking all words that I'm not familar with efficient? This is what I'm gonna do if this is the only way I could move forward...

Also the reason why I tried to find immersion apps that lets me translate the word by just one click is because its much more convenient than watching youtube and manually getting the word and translating it in another app... I only have 1 phone and nothing really much...

It's been months since I'm studying japanese, but I mostly study in my phone reading short passages, flashcards, and listening practices.

Well right now I wanna do something with a notebook because I want to have a new way to study japanese, not because my methods is not working but I kinda get bored sometimws... so I want a new method in studying using a notebook—for me to have more options in studying.

Well actually I have started to use my notebook for my japanese studying, but I mostly only do is practicing writing kanji a lot by writing the same character 14 times in 1 row... I practiced writing kanji for me to get comfortable in writing japanese sentences, but now I want to step ahead and trying to find a routine to help me learn more.

Maybe I could do something to increase my vocab or something...

I want to understand how people start their vocabulary journey and how it sticks to them.

I have made flashcards on my own, like 50 words per set, and I have like 3 sets, so I have memorized like 150 words. I made them in sets because I wanna focus more on the new sets when I add more words and less in the old sets. I did managed to retain some of the words in the first and second sets but, if I add more then I might forget more of the old words in the 1st and 2nd sets.

I don't really see the words in my flashcards sets in context like seeing it in easy japanese videos. That's why only some actually just got in my inner vocab.

"So is it anyone who studies japanese, tried to memorized lots of words and just hoping to see it in context? Is that really how to increase more of your vocab in the first months of learning?"

Also I have a notebook that I can use, I use it to practice my kanji handwriting, how can I use it for my vocab?

Tbh I kinda get bored just by watching a video drawing kanjis, and I get really sleeply...

Is there a website or app that has a picture of a handwritten kanjis and their stroke order?

Also for vocabulary or reading, is it better to get a word with kanjis, or getting a kanji and learning its words or use of it?