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Experienced Japan full-stack engineer hired at Influitive during Vancouver’s COVID market

SIer → web → freelance (React/Rails); CICCC then ~5 months of search to Influitive full-stack (~15 months path).

フルスタックデベロッパー · Vancouver · Influitive

Profile

Jiro is an experienced full-stack developer hired by Influitive (marketing tools) in Vancouver after a pandemic-era search lasting about five months.

Current role

Full Stack Developer at Influitive, focused on a long-running marketing product using Go, Rails, Hanami, and related services. Hired with co-op remaining (~10 months) plus working-holiday eligibility communicated to the employer. Attributes: ~15 months to offer.

Japan experience

Prior experience: business major with no coding at hire. New-grad SIer—Java training then financial systems; short Indonesia branch assignment. ~1 year at a music-school company building internal Rails systems and Mongolian offshore collaboration. Then ~2–2.5 years freelance with React, TypeScript, Rails, Webpack, Docker. Rails ~4 years / React ~2–3 years by Canada job search. TOEIC ~800 pre-departure; speaking still weak on arrival.

Path to Canada / North America

Frog planning in the last freelance year; remote wrap-up of Japan clients. CICCC: ~2 months ESL then web/mobile program (chose mobile). Roughly nine of twelve months remote classes during COVID. Job search from ~October 2020 via LinkedIn; early months hard on phone/tech English until mid-December progress.

Outcome

Offer at Influitive despite a contracted local market. Recruiter familiarity with Japan helped. Continues personal full-stack/design practice (e.g., Figma).

Based on Frog’s Japanese-language interview. English summary for scanning (partners / employers). Original interview (Japanese)

Next step

Explore Frog School, read community stories, or reach out—whatever fits where you are.

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