Thoughts While Job Hunting in Web Development

• 2019/09/07

Introduction

These are my thoughts from my latest job hunt.

Impressions

I am 22 and this was my second job search. I live in Sapporo now—short commutes, lower rent, warm people. I love it here and would rather not leave. But after combing through Green and Wantedly for a month or two, even with filters set, I realized how few openings exist locally, especially for startups. Tokyo still dominates in headcount and job volume.

Why I decided to move on

The biggest factor was the work itself. I am the same age as new grads but started working two years earlier (dropped out of college), so I am entering my third year. My first transition was simply “web company outside Tokyo.” This time I wanted to think about the future: launching services, operating them from scratch—things that are hard to learn solo. That pushed me toward startups that aligned with my interests.

On “complacency”

This may sound like a rant, but some interviews made me feel that the learning mindset toward technology was relaxed—not dress codes or snacks, but attitude toward growth. Tech evolves fast compared with when I started coding. Internal-only skills (like company-specific politics) are replaceable; what matters is value recognized outside, via output, study sessions, conferences. Some companies encourage this, but they are the minority. The “complacency” really hit me during this search.

Closing

Continuous learning is the only option. If you cannot keep up, you leave. I want to keep that in mind.