What I learned from friends who did a master's in Hokkaido

A few friends of mine went to Hokkaido together for their master's, and all of them have now found jobs in Tokyo

I'm writing up their experience here, partly to motivate myself

Why they chose Hokkaido for a master's:

• They had visited before as tourists and came away with a great impression of Hokkaido.

How to apply for a master's in Japan and what to prepare:

• The process for a Japanese master's: first find a supervisor, enter as a research student first, then prepare the application materials

• They wrote a research proposal first, then searched online by keyword for professors doing related research and contacted them, and that's how they were accepted as research students

• You need to build a good relationship with the professor (you can send cold emails), and pass the entrance exam before you're formally admitted.

Tuition and living costs for a master's in Japan:

• Roughly 250,000 yen per semester, about 500,000 yen a year, about the same as a typical private school

• Living costs in Sapporo: about 50,000-70,000 yen a month excluding rent, rent about 40,000-50,000 yen, and with heating and other bills you need around 100,000-150,000 yen.

The job-hunting process and timeline in Japan:

• Attend company info sessions, submit application materials, take online tests, interview

• They started preparing for the job hunt in June and spent about a year on it

• The interviews are much like in Taiwan: group interviews and one-on-one interviews, with a focus on problem solving and teamwork

Salary range for jobs in Tokyo:

• New graduates make roughly 250,000 to 350,000 yen a month

Japanese employers care more about personal qualities and potential:

• In Japan, hiring doesn't put much weight on your field of study, unless you're going into certain specific areas such as R&D at a pharmaceutical or food company. What matters more is what you did as a student, such as clubs, activities or leadership roles.

Advice for future job hunting and studying abroad:

• You may get rejected during the job hunt, especially as a foreigner, and language and cultural differences will have some effect too. But don't lose heart: send out more résumés, keep trying, and you'll land interviews eventually

• While studying abroad, look after your physical and mental health, stay in touch with friends and family, and find ways to get support and let your feelings out (whatever you do, don't face it alone)

• Get help from your school's career center or your advisor, and make good use of the resources your school offers

These are the things they had in common. I hope it helps. Seeing my friends living it up in Hokkaido every day… makes me really want to go