Tips for Success in Changing Jobs as an Engineer in Your 20s

2024.01.13

  • Advice for Engineers
【経験者、未経験者別】20代のエンジニア転職成功のコツ

'I don't have programming skills, but can I still successfully change careers to become an engineer?'

What are the keys to a successful career change for an experienced or inexperienced engineer?

I want to know which recruitment agency you recommend, regardless of experience or inexperience!

We believe that many people have questions about changing jobs as an engineer.

If you are going to go through the trouble of changing jobs, you want to succeed in finding a new job as an engineer without any difficulties, don't you?

So, in this article,

  • Recommendations for engineering recruitment agents for engineers in their 20s
  • What you need to know about changing jobs in the IT industry
  • Reasons why it is easier for engineers in their 20s to successfully change jobs
  • Skills to acquire for a successful career change as an engineer
  • Things to keep in mind when choosing a new job

and other tips for a successful career change as an engineer.

Use this article as a guide to becoming the ideal engineer.

Common concerns about changing careers as an engineer in your 20s


It is worrisome to suddenly change jobs to become an engineer in your 20s when you are still in your early working years.In fact, many people feel uneasy about changing jobs in their 20s.

According to a survey by Gakujyo Co,

  • Do you think you are the right person for the job you are looking for?
  • Does the job match what you want?
  • Will I fit in with the new company?

I am concerned about changing jobs for reasons such as

 

(Source: Gakujyo's questionnaire survey)
 

When changing jobs and jumping into a new environment, there is bound to be some anxiety. To avoid any regrets after changing jobs, please research the job description and atmosphere of the company you are changing to see if it is a good fit for you before changing jobs.

Why it's easier to be a successful engineer in your 20s


There are three reasons why 20-somethings are more likely to succeed in their career change to engineering

  • There are many jobs available for engineers in their 20s
  • People in their 20s have high expectations of their potential
  • Engineers, as an industry, are always in short supply.

We will explain them one by one in detail.

There are many jobs for engineers in their 20s

As is often said in any industry, there are more jobs for engineers in their 20s than for those in their 30s and 40s. Therefore, if you aim to become an IT engineer in your 20s, you can select the jobs that interest you from a larger number of job openings and change jobs.

According to the "Annual Report on Employment Security Services 2022," the ratio of job offers to job seekers in their 20s is more than 0.5 times higher than the ratio of job offers to job seekers in their 30s over the 10-year period from 2013 to 2022.

The job-to-job ratio is an indicator that shows how many job openings there are for each job seeker registered with Hello Work. It is calculated by dividing the number of job openings by the number of job seekers. For example, a job-to-job ratio of 2 indicates that there are 2 job openings for every 1 job seeker.

In other words, if the effective job ratio is 0.5 higher, there are 1.5 times as many job openings. Therefore, the number of job openings in the 20s is higher than the number of job openings in the 30s.

 

(Citation: Calculated based on the "Annual Report on Employment Security Services for Fiscal 2022")

 

In the rapidly growing IT industry, companies are actively hiring young people in their 20s with the expectation that they will be the ones to support the company in the future.

In addition, companies that hire people in their 20s often focus on their education and training systems, allowing them to work with peace of mind after changing jobs.

 

People in their 20s are expected to have potential.

People in their 20s are expected to have potential rather than knowledge and experience.

According to a survey by Gakujyo Corporation, 55.3% of companies answered that they "want to seek working experience, but industry/job experience is not required" for hiring experienced (mid-career) workers in their 20s, while 15.2% of companies answered that they "do not want to ask for working experience" and about 70% of companies answered "industry/job experience is not required" . In other words, it can be said that when hiring 20-somethings, they expect more from their potential than from their experience.

 

Quote: Questionnaire survey by Gakujyo Co.

 

IT engineers are said to have a tough time absorbing knowledge and physical strength as they get older, so much so that the "35-year old limit theory" is circulating. Of course, there are engineers who are active in their 40s, but if they were to hire, many companies would choose those in their 20s.

 

Engineers, as an industry, are always in short supply.

The IT industry has always lamented a shortage of engineers. This is because the rapid growth of the IT industry in recent years has increased the demand for engineers.

Citation: Survey on IT Human Resources Supply and Demand

 

According to the "Estimated Results of IT Human Resources Supply and Demand" released by the Ministry of Economy, Trade and Industry, there will be a shortage of approximately 790,000 IT personnel by 2030, which means that even though there is already a shortage of approximately 300,000 personnel in 2020, the shortage will become even more serious.

Because the IT industry is expected to continue to face a very large shortage, it will be easy to successfully transition to a career as an engineer.

Why engineers in their 20s fail to change jobs.


There are three main reasons why engineers in their 20s fail to change jobs

  • Insufficient preparation for the selection process
  • Failure to select a company that fits your career plan.
  • You haven't talked to actual employees in the field.

You don't want to feel like a failure after putting in the time and effort to change jobs.

This chapter will help you reduce your chances of failing in your career change as much as possible.

 

Failure to adequately prepare for the selection process

If you do not prepare well for the selection process, your chances of failing in your new job increase. This is because some companies have a programming test, troubleshooting test, and other practical tests during the selection process.

For example,

  • Separate a list into even and odd numbers using for and if statements in Java.
  • Display a table that combines table A and table B using a select statement.
  • Fix the error "SyntaxError: invalid syntax".

Some companies do not have a practical exam, but you will be asked questions that you cannot solve unless you prepare for them.

Some companies do not have a practical exam, but you may be asked questions about programming and cloud services during the interview. Examples include, "Describe str and int types," and "Briefly describe AWS.

Therefore, in an engineering career change, more preparation for selection is required, such as learning programming, in addition to the interview preparation that is commonly referred to.

 

Failure to choose a company that fits their career plans

Some people feel that they have failed in their career change if the company they join does not fit their career plan.

For example, let's assume that your career plan is to become a "project manager (PM)," which means someone who is responsible for the operation, quality assurance, and progress management of system development.

To become a PM, you would learn not only programming skills, but also project management and quality control. However, if the company itself is small and only has subcontracted projects, it is difficult to become a PM no matter how hard you try.

If you don't want to fail in your job change, make your career plan clear and choose a company where you can realize your career plan.

 

Not talking to employees actually working in the field.

If you don't want to make a mistake when changing jobs, it is important to talk to the people who are actually working there. This is because job postings and actual working conditions may differ, so it is important to listen to the voices of those working onsite to avoid mismatches with the company.

According to the "Reports of discrepancies between job offers at Hello Work and actual conditions" published by the Ministry of Health, Labor and Welfare, 3,870 reports and complaints were submitted in FY2021. About 50% of the complaints were due to the fact that "the content of the job offer differs from the actual job offer. If we could talk to the actual employees, this situation would not occur.

Of course, you should hear the good as well as the bad from the actual employees. It is recommended that you choose a company for selection based on the good and bad aspects of the company, such as salary, benefits, working environment, human relations, etc.

Recommendations for engineering recruitment agents in their 20s


The following five recruitment agencies are recommended for engineers in their 20s.

  1. United World
  2. Levatech Career
  3. Mynavi IT Agent
  4. Geekly
  5. Type IT Agent

For a successful career change, we recommend registering with multiple recruitment agents.

Talk to the agents in person and see how compatible they are with you as you move forward with your job change.

United World

United World is a recruitment agency with a catchphrase "A world where anyone can work anywhere" and has strengths not only in Japan but also overseas.

Features of United World

1. Agents are well versed in tech companies

Since its establishment, United World has focused on recruiting for tech companies, and our agents are specialists in the IT industry. We use this knowledge to introduce you to the best companies for you.

2. Global job introductions

We will introduce you to global jobs that suit you from a wide range of jobs from local small and medium-sized companies to major corporations.

3. Aim to increase your annual salary

97% of job seekers who have used United World to change jobs have achieved an increase in their annual salary. In some cases, our agents have negotiated annual salary increases of more than 1 million yen compared to their previous job, which is difficult to do on your own.

 

Areas coveredNationwide, Overseas
Job TypeEngineer, SE, Consulting, Marketing
運営会社United World Corporation

Citation: United World

 

Levatec Career

Levatec Career is a recruitment agency specializing in career change for engineers.

Features of Levatec Career

1. Providing real on-site information

We conduct more than 7,000 interviews a year with on-site engineers and project managers (PMs) to gain a detailed understanding of the on-site atmosphere.

2. 96% success rate in finding a job at the company of your choice

We achieve a high success rate by conducting "technical interviews" to discover your strengths, correcting your resume, and conducting company-specific mock interviews.

3. 94% satisfaction rate of job introductions

We use our knowledge of the IT industry to listen to your hopes and concerns in detail, and introduce jobs that are close to your ideals.

 

Areas coveredNationwide
Job TypeEngineers, SEs, PMs, Designers, etc.
運営会社Levatech Corporation

Citation: Levatech Career

 

Mynavi IT Agent

Mynavi IT Agent is a job change agent ranked No. 1 in the 2023 Oricon Customer Satisfaction Survey.

Features of Mynavi IT Agent

1.Expertise in each industry and company information

Our information-gathering staff visit companies many times to conduct detailed interviews, and are familiar with the internal atmosphere of the company, which cannot be seen only from job postings.

2. Matching ability to companies

Through thorough interviews with companies, we are able to constantly grasp the human resources they are seeking and the nature of their business, enabling us to achieve a high level of matching ability.

3. Full support system

In order to provide support tailored to the needs of job seekers, consultations are available at night and on Saturdays and Sundays (9:30am to 5:30pm).

 

Areas coveredNationwide
Job TypeEngineers, SEs, PMs, Designers, etc.
運営会社Levatech Corporation

Quote: Mynavi IT Agent

 

Geekly

Geekly is a recruitment agency specializing in the IT, Web and game industries.

Features of Geekly

Abundant experience in helping people change jobs

Geekly has helped clients solve their problems in the IT industry, which is a highly segmented industry, and has accumulated a track record of over 13,000 job changes (as of August, 2023).

2. Consistent support system

We not only prepare resumes and CVs and prepare for interviews, but also provide post-employment support and assistance with resignation.

3. Support by advisors specializing in IT

Advisors specializing in IT will introduce jobs that match your desired working conditions and skills from a wide variety of job openings.

 

Areas coveredKanto, Kansai
Job TypeEngineers, Creators, Sales
運営会社Geekly Inc.

Citation: Geekly

 

type CareerCross IT Recruitment Agent

type outplacement agent IT is a specialized career change agent for those who want to change jobs to IT industry and engineers in Tokyo and three other prefectures.

Features of type career change agent IT

1.Abundant private job openings

We have an abundance of private job openings that are not generally available, and as of 12/9/2023, we have 18,455 openings.

2. High annual salary increase rate

About 78% of those who used type's recruitment agency to change jobs to become engineers or creators have achieved an increase in annual salary.

Negotiation with companies

We negotiate with companies on your behalf regarding salary and benefits, which is difficult to do on your own.

 

Areas coveredTokyo, Saitama, Chiba, Kanagawa
Job TypeEngineer, SE, PM
運営会社Career Design Center Inc.

Citation: TYPE Jobchange Agent IT

What you need to know about changing jobs in the IT industry


There are three main things you need to know before moving into the IT industry

  • The web industry is changing rapidly
  • IT industry does not = engineering jobs
  • Production is basically a team effort.

If you change jobs in the IT industry without knowing these things, you may find yourself in a gap. Make sure you have a good understanding of them before you change jobs.

 

The web industry is a rapidly changing industry

The web industry is an industry that produces websites and web services, and although it has only been around for about 30 years since the IT revolution of the late 1990s, there are a variety of services such as SNS, social games, and e-commerce sites.

The web industry is a rapidly changing industry, as jobs change with the appearance of new services and changing trends. It is expected to change greatly in the future due to developments such as AI and VR.

If you want to work in the web industry, it is important to stay up to date with new information and develop skills to keep up with changes in the industry. You will have to work hard to improve your skills, but you will also have fun in the process.

 

IT Industry Does Not = Engineering Jobs

Although it is often assumed that the IT industry = engineering jobs, this is not the case.

To begin with, the IT industry is an industry that uses "Information Technology" to provide services.

According to the Ministry of Health, Labor and Welfare, there are five main types of jobs in the IT field

  • Management
  • Sales and research
  • Development
  • Creative
  • Operation and support

 

Citation: About IT Jobs

Engineers are mainly classified as development jobs. Therefore, aspiring to work in the IT industry does not necessarily mean you need to study programming and become an engineer.

 

Production is basically done by a team

Although you may have the image of an engineer working alone on production, production is basically done as a team. This is because the scale of systems is large and few things can be produced by an individual.

 

The main structure of production is headed by a PM (project manager) who manages production. Under the PM is a team leader who manages each team, and multiple people in each team work on the production.

Since production is done as a team, communication is important, such as sharing information among the team, adjusting work content, and chatting a bit. Therefore, if you aim to become an engineer for the negative reason of not wanting to communicate with others, you may find that the job content is not right for you.

Key points of career change for inexperienced engineers


There are three key points for inexperienced 20-somethings looking to change careers to become an engineer

  • Decide on the type of engineer you want to become before starting your job search.
  • Clarify why you want to become an engineer.
  • Choose a company with a strong training system.

These three points are extremely important for an inexperienced person to succeed in changing careers to become an engineer.

 

Decide what kind of engineer you want to be before you start your job search

When changing careers to become an engineer, you must first decide what type of engineer you want to become.

Engineers can be broadly divided into development engineers and infrastructure engineers.

The work of development engineers is mainly the development of smartphone applications, web systems, and business systems. In contrast, infrastructure engineers mainly design, build, and operate servers and networks.

Even if you cannot decide on the details of what you want to do, at the very least, it is recommended that you decide whether you want to be a development engineer or an infrastructure engineer. This is because development engineers and infrastructure engineers have very different job descriptions, and if you don't decide which one you want to be, you won't be able to decide what you want to do.

Simply deciding whether you want to be a development engineer or an infrastructure engineer will give you an idea of the skills you will need to learn in the future, allowing you to study more efficiently. Deciding on the type of engineer you want to be will also reduce mismatches with the actual work you will be doing once you start working.

 

Clarify why you want to be an engineer.

Next, clarify why you want to become an engineer.

Clarifying your reasons for wanting to become an engineer will give you a concrete vision of your future and motivate you to change jobs. Since your reasons for wanting to become an engineer will be necessary for your resume, interviews, and other aspects of your job search, it is recommended that you clarify your reasons in advance.

Reasons for changing jobs to engineering include,

  • I want to be involved in the development of large-scale systems.
  • I want to develop games.
  • I want to develop applications.

and so on.

If you don't have a clear reason, you may think, "Do I really want to be an engineer? "Will you quit within a year?" If you don't have a clear reason, you may be considered as a "You really want to be an engineer? By having your own unique reasons for wanting to become an engineer, you will be able to convey your enthusiasm to the company and get a head start on other job seekers.

 

Choose a company with a strong education system

If you have no experience as an engineer, we recommend that you first move to a company with a good education and training system to improve your own skills. If you just do monotonous work in a company without a good education system, you will not grow and your market value will not increase.

The education system includes

  • 3 months of programming training
  • Support for certification acquisition
  • Study sessions to improve skills

and so on.

Of course, there are those who say that you should acquire skills on the job, but suddenly working on the job is a hurdle and you may fall behind.

Therefore, you should first take advantage of the company's training system and move to a company where you can acquire skills as an engineer.

Key points for experienced engineers changing jobs


There are three key points for experienced engineers in their 20s when changing jobs

  • Clarify why you are changing jobs.
  • Understand your current skill level
  • Build up your portfolio

Make sure you understand the key points and you will be successful in your new job.

 

Clarify why you are changing jobs

If you are an experienced engineer changing to an engineering position in another company, be clear about why you are changing jobs.

For example

  • I want to master data analysis using Python.
  • I want to develop applications.
  • I want to be involved in upstream processes such as requirement definition and design.

If you have a reason that makes the company want to hire you, you will have a better chance of finding a new job in the future.

However, many people may have negative reasons for changing jobs. For example, "I don't like the company's human relations," or "I can't implement the software and am forced to do nothing but testing.

Even if the reason is negative, it should be clear because the reason why you want to change jobs will be the driving force behind your job search.

 

Understand your current skill level.

Because you are an experienced engineer changing jobs, your current skill level is a key factor in changing jobs. This is because companies that hire experienced engineers do so with the expectation that you will be an immediate asset to the company.

What would you think if an experienced engineer came to an interview with no idea of his or her skills? Even if you meet the skill requirements of the company, if you do not know your skills, you will not be able to communicate them correctly.

Skill levels are

  1. Can develop under the guidance of a senior engineer
  2. Can develop on their own using existing code as a reference
  3. Can develop from scratch

For example, Java: 3, Python: 2, MySQL: 1, and so on.

It is important to correctly grasp your skill level in order to succeed in your new job.

 

Build up your portfolio

Build up your portfolio for a successful career change. A portfolio is a collection of your work and documents that showcase your skills and achievements.

Because you are an experienced engineer, it is important to show your portfolio instead of talking about your work experience and skills in words.

For example, a portfolio is,

  • Program up to Git
  • Create systems on cloud services such as AWS and Azure
  • Rent your own server and create a website

There are many ways to create a portfolio, such as

By presenting your portfolio, you can showcase your available programming languages, databases, cloud services, etc.

Of course, if you can create something that a beginner can easily create, it will not be well received, so it is important to build up your portfolio to a level that appeals to the company.

Skills to acquire for a successful career change for engineers


The following three skills acquisition is recommended for a successful career change to engineering.

  • Development skills
  • Communication skills and basic business etiquette
  • English language skills

Let's look at each one in detail.

 

Development Skills

If you want to succeed in your career as an engineer, you should learn development skills. This is because engineers with development skills are in demand by many companies because they are ready to work immediately.

Development skills include not only programming languages, but also cloud services, databases, Git, and many others. Simply by learning skills in your area of interest, you can become the kind of person that companies want to hire.

To become the ideal engineer you want to be, learn development skills to help you in your job search.

 

Communication Skills and Basic Business Etiquette

Before becoming an engineer, you should acquire minimum communication skills and business manners to increase the success rate of your job change.

Engineers are often thought to work quietly by themselves, but since development is basically done in teams, there are many opportunities to communicate with members of the team. Therefore, communication skills are necessary to facilitate work within a team.

In addition, when developing systems, there is a lot of communication with clients, such as deciding development policies, implementation methods, and development schedules, so a minimum level of business etiquette is also necessary.

To be successful as an engineer, you should acquire the communication skills and business manners required by companies.

 

English Proficiency

English proficiency is a very important skill for engineers. This is because programming code is written based on English, and English language skills enable smooth reading and writing of programs.

Also, when developing, you will often have to read official documents of programming languages and cloud services not only in Japanese but also in English. Having English language skills will make you a valuable member of the development team.

Because much of the latest IT information is transmitted in English, more and more companies are demanding English language skills regardless of whether you have engineering experience or not. Learn the English skills required by companies and make the most of your job search.

 

What to look for when choosing a new job


When choosing a company for your new job, keep the following four points in mind

  • Whether or not it is a field in which you are interested
  • Whether or not you can realize your career plans.
  • Is the job description suited to your abilities and skills?
  • Is the boss's personality good?

These four points should be considered regardless of whether or not you have engineering experience.

 

Is it a field that interests you?

If you are going to be an engineer, we recommend that you move into a field in which you are highly motivated and enjoy working. If you are going to be an engineer, you want to do what you want to do.

There are many different types of engineers, so you are sure to find a field that interests you.

For example

  • Development Engineer
  • Infrastructure Engineer
  • Web engineer
  • AI Engineer
  • App Engineer

and so on.

Research the job descriptions carefully and find out what you want to do as an engineer.

 

Are you likely to be able to realize your career plan?

We recommend that you change jobs with a company where you can realize your career plan.

For example, career plans for engineers include specialists who have mastered one field, such as Java or Python, and generalists who have extensive knowledge in multiple fields. Another career plan is that of a project manager (PM), who manages projects.

If you want to become a specialist who has mastered Python, but you are forced to work in other programming languages such as Java and PHP in addition to Python, and as a result, you become a generalist, it would be hard.

Before changing jobs, be sure to check whether your ideal career plan is feasible.

 

Does the job description match your abilities and skills?

When choosing a new job, make sure that the job description matches your skills. The reason is that if the job description does not match your abilities, you are likely to find the work hard.

According to the Ministry of Health, Labor and Welfare's survey on employment of young people, approximately 20% of people left their first company because "the job does not suit me.

Especially if you become an engineer with no experience, it will be tough to work if you cannot make use of your experience, skills you have acquired, and what you are good at.

 

Is your boss's personality good?

The personality of your boss is very important when choosing a new job.

According to the Ministry of Health, Labour and Welfare's 2020 Survey of Job Seekers, approximately 23% of job changers cited "interpersonal problems" as the reason for leaving their last employer. In other words, one out of every five people leaves a company because of human relations. Of course, relationships are not only with superiors, but also with colleagues, junior staff, etc., but it is the relationship with the boss that many people have the most difficulty with when working.

If the boss has a bad personality,

  • Difficulty in receiving work instructions and advice
  • Lack of recognition for work performance, resulting in a lack of motivation
  • The atmosphere in the workplace will deteriorate and you will not be able to concentrate on your work

This can have a negative impact on many things related to work, such as

summary


In this article,

  • Recommendations for engineering recruitment agents in their 20s
  • What you need to know about changing jobs in the IT industry
  • Key points for engineers changing jobs
  • Skills to acquire for a successful career change for engineers
  • Points to keep in mind when choosing a new job

This section explains the following.

If you want to become an engineer, it is important to first decide what kind of engineer you want to become.

Aim to become the ideal engineer you want to be, and take the first step toward your new job.

If you are at all concerned about changing jobs, we recommend registering with "United World," a recruitment agency.

United World provides one-on-one support from a dedicated advisor.

You can consult with them about your job search, career plan, skills, and any other issues, no matter how small.

Let's relieve your anxiety and get on with your job search.

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