How Did I Get Here?

As I look back on the path that brought me to where I am today, I realize just how much hard work and perseverance it took. My professional background spans more than two decades in the English teaching industry, a year teaching physics in the U.S., and several years working as a human resources manager of sorts at a foreign language teacher dispatch company. During all that time, I knew deep down that I wanted to do something different. I wasn’t happy with the direction my career was heading, and I felt my mind beginning to stagnate. I needed a career that would challenge me intellectually — something beyond teaching English.

My first step toward change was going back to school to earn a bachelor’s degree in computer science, which I completed in 2011. Around that same time, my wife and I were expecting our first child and had just purchased an apartment to prepare for our growing family. Unfortunately, this was before remote work and video conferencing were commonplace, and finding a programming job in the U.S. from Japan was nearly impossible. Financially, I couldn’t afford to relocate just to job hunt, and my family responsibilities took priority. I decided to wait for a better time to pursue a programming career, and instead took the HR position at the language dispatch company.

Fast forward to the beginning of 2020. I was still working in that HR role when the world suddenly turned upside down. The economic downturn caused by the global pandemic cost me the job I had held for eight years — one that I had become quite good at, even if it didn’t offer the mental challenge I’d always wanted. I decided to take that moment as a sign to focus on reskilling as a web developer. I had employment insurance, enough savings to get by for about two years, and the determination to finally make the change. I enrolled in an online web development bootcamp and completed both the front-end and back-end courses. At the same time, I continued improving my Japanese proficiency to increase my chances of employment in Japan.

By the second year of the pandemic, after sending out more than a hundred job applications with no positive responses, I began to lose confidence. The few interviews I did get were often discouraging. Some interviewers questioned why I was trying to change careers “at my age,” and others bluntly told me I had no chance without prior experience. It was a frustrating catch-22 — how can you gain experience if no one will give you the opportunity to start?

I tried volunteering, freelancing, and offering to build websites for acquaintances, but with little success. Eventually, a friend asked me to create a website for his business, and I used that project to strengthen my portfolio. Still, I needed to earn an income, so I returned to full-time teaching while working on web development in my spare time. Unfortunately, with a two-hour commute each way, I had little time or energy left for studying.

Eventually, I found a remote English teaching position that allowed me to work mornings and early afternoons, freeing up the rest of my day for programming studies and job applications. At the end of 2023, I applied to an outsourcing company whose client took interest in my background. In February 2024, I was offered a contract position starting that April — my first development job, just two weeks before my 50th birthday.

It had been a long and difficult three-year journey, but I finally reached my goal. Many people told me to give up — that I was too old, too inexperienced, or simply unrealistic. Some of those voices even came from people close to me. But I refused to give in. I made a plan, stuck to it, and kept learning. I focused on one programming language and its frameworks until I became confident, which made learning others easier later on. I also worked hard to strengthen my Japanese to function effectively in a Japanese office environment.

Most importantly, I never allowed myself to give up, no matter how difficult things became. I’m proud of what I’ve accomplished despite the personal and professional hardships along the way. For the first time in my career, I wake up genuinely excited to begin my workday — and that, to me, makes the entire journey worth it.