Japan manufacturer full-stack engineer who reached a U.S. remote role via Frog referral
With ~2.5 years full-stack at a Japanese electronics maker/SIer and CICCC studies in Vancouver, Koya landed a U.S. startup remote role through a Frog-member referral.
フルスタックエンジニア · Vancouver
Profile
Koya is a full-stack engineer who used a Canada college/co-op path as a bridge to remote work for a U.S. startup. Age band: 20s; based in Vancouver per attributes.
Current role
Remote full-stack engineer at a U.S. startup (employer name not stated). Hired via referral from Frog member Suguru; manager had prior Japan work experience. Among ~50–60 applications, this referral path succeeded (two other interview tracks failed).
Japan experience
Prior experience. Engineering undergrad with a ~1-month Silicon Valley exposure program; then graduate school. New graduate at a Japanese electronics manufacturer / SIer for about 2.5 years in software (hardware-management web apps, frontend and backend). Larger org (~30–40 in development) with a ~5–6 person squad; products for overseas customers; some English email. Chose the employer partly for overseas programs/orientation.
Path to Canada / North America
Selected Canada for visa practicality, Japanese community, and proximity to the U.S. West Coast; co-op offered a multi-year runway versus working holiday alone. Attended CICCC Web Development primarily for visa; treated class as secondary to English and interview prep. Job search intensified around early 2025 while still enrolled. ESL classmate connection within Frog led to the referral.
Outcome
Remote U.S. startup role while based in Canada. Exact months-to-offer not stated. Views Canada as a skills/stepping-stone chapter and still considers eventual return to Japan.
Based on Frog’s Japanese-language interview. English summary for scanning (partners / employers). Original interview (Japanese)