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TOEIC：目安 700〜850点, IELTS：5.5〜7.0 程度の記事となります。
In Japan, there are many international students who want to keep living and working here even after graduating from a vocational school.
Most of them receive some kind of support from:
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Their school
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A study abroad agent or supervising organization
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Friends and senior students from the same country
On paper, it looks like they already have enough help.
However, in reality, many graduates still feel:
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“I don’t really understand my visa situation in my case.”
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“I’m not confident about job hunting and how to write a CV.”
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“I’m worried about money, housing, and all the procedures after graduation.”
As the graduation date gets closer, their anxiety often grows instead of getting smaller.
In this article, based on a real case of a student from Myanmar (A, a pseudonym) whom I have supported since her graduation year, I will share:
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Where foreign vocational school graduates often struggle
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What cannot be fully covered by agents, schools, or country-mate communities
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What kind of “life & career companion support” EFK LLC aims to provide for foreign residents in Japan
Case: A Student from Myanmar Studying Care Work in Fukuoka
A came to Japan from Myanmar and studied care work at a vocational school in Fukuoka.
She had good attendance, good grades, and already had JLPT N2 before coming to Japan. She got along well with classmates and teachers. On the surface, her student life looked very successful.
A also had a study abroad agent (AG) separate from the school. The agent:
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Explained the general process to change her residence status after graduation
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Gave basic information about possible workplaces and steps toward employment
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Told her the rough flow of house hunting and the necessary procedures
In addition, there was a Myanmar community in Japan. Even after graduation and getting a job, they shared information about part-time jobs and side income that are allowed under each residence status.
From the outside, it seemed like A had:
School support + Agent support + Myanmar community support
So, you might think she already had plenty of help.
But as graduation got closer, A still had many worries, such as:
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“I want to stay in Japan, but I’m not sure if the way I work really fits my visa.”
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“The agent explained things once, but it was hard to ask detailed questions later.”
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“I don’t know which companies I should apply to, or if my Japanese and experience are enough.”
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“I can’t picture my monthly budget. I’m not sure if I can really afford to live alone.”
In many cases, agents explain the procedures and then, after graduation, their support becomes very limited.
The Myanmar community shares useful information about part-time work, but it is difficult for them to:
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Check Japanese documents in detail
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Accompany someone to the city office or bank
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Help with long-term planning for life and money in Japan
At that time, I was not yet running EFK LLC.
I supported A personally, listening to her worries about daily life and future plans.
Now, as the representative of EFK LLC, I offer similar support as an official service for foreign residents.
Through A’s case, I clearly saw that:
Even when “formal support” exists,
many graduates still carry a grey zone of worries alone.
5 Typical Pain Points for Foreign Graduates After Vocational School
1. Understanding Visa and Residence Status in Their Own Case
After graduating from a vocational school in Japan, students often hear about:
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Changing from “Student” status to a work-related status, such as “Engineer/Specialist in Humanities/International Services”
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The relationship between job-start timing and the expiry date of their current status
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Cautions when switching from part-time work to full-time work
Agents and schools may explain the general flow, but that doesn’t always answer:
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“What does this mean in my situation, with my job offer and my career plan?”
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“Which parts are risky to decide alone, and when should I talk to a legal professional?”
On top of that, there is a huge amount of information on the internet.
For many students, too much information actually increases their anxiety.
2. Japanese Level vs. Real Business Communication
Even if students have no problem with daily conversation or classes,
They face a new type of difficulty once they start working:
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Writing polite business emails
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Answering interview questions in proper keigo and natural Japanese
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Communicating with bosses and co-workers on busy days
They may think:
“My Japanese is not perfect,
so maybe I shouldn’t apply yet…”
Agents and schools are often very busy dealing with many students and companies.
In reality, it is hard for them to:
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Check every sentence of each student’s CV or email
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Practice interviews many times in detail with each person
So, many students hesitate to move forward simply because of a lack of confidence in “working Japanese”.
3. How to Actually Start Job Hunting
Japan’s job-hunting style is quite different from many students’ home countries.
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Writing a Japanese-style CV and (sometimes) a work history document
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Organizing self-PR and reasons for applying
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Choosing between job boards, Hello Work, school career centers, etc.
Agents and schools may introduce job openings, but they cannot fully decide for the student:
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“Which job fits me best?”
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“What order should I apply in?”
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“What should I do if I get rejected several times?”
As a result, many graduates feel stuck at the very first step, not knowing:
“Where should I start?
Is it okay for me to apply with my current Japanese and skills?”
If you’ve read this far and feel “This might be about me”…
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Even after hearing explanations about residence status, you still feel unsure how it applies to your own situation
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You want to start job hunting, but don’t know where to begin
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There are things you find hard to talk about with your school or agent
In that case, it might help to organize your situation once together online.
👉 Free online consultation (30–45 minutes / Japanese or English)
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We listen to your current situation
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We help you organize the options you currently have
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We make a simple plan such as “What to do by when” together
4. Life Base: Housing, Money, and Procedures
If a graduate wants to keep living in Japan, life issues can be a heavy burden:
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Problems around rental contracts and guarantors
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Realistic monthly budget including rent, utilities, food, transport, tax and social insurance
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Procedures at the city office (address change, health insurance, pension, etc.)
Agents and schools sometimes help with housing while the student is in school,
but long-term life planning after graduation is often outside their scope.
Within the Myanmar community, people share information about workplaces and part-time jobs that are possible under certain residence statuses. This is very helpful. However:
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It does not automatically show whether the overall schedule and workload are realistic
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It does not automatically calculate the true monthly balance after tax and social insurance
If the foundation of daily life is unstable, it becomes difficult to focus on job hunting and work.
5. Mental Health and Feeling Alone
A’s family lives in Myanmar, and there are not many people in Japan she can fully open up to.
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She is not fully confident in her Japanese
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She worries about visa, work, and the future
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She keeps asking herself, “Should I stay in Japan or go back?”
Agents and school staff also have to care for many students,
so it is difficult for them to spend long, relaxed time just listening to one person’s worries.
The Myanmar community is a great emotional support,
but group chats usually focus on:
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Work shifts and salaries
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Daily life tips
It is not always the best place for deep, long-term life planning talks.
This kind of “I don’t know who to talk to” loneliness does not appear in numbers or documents,
but it has a very strong impact on international students’ mental health.
What I Actually Did for A – Filling the Gaps, Not Replacing Others
My role for A was not to replace her agent, school, or community.
Instead, I tried to fill the gaps between them by acting as a “life & career companion”.
Concretely, I did things like:
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Sitting together to organize information about her residence status,
and clarifying “From this point, you should talk to an immigration lawyer or attorney.” -
Checking the Japanese in her CV and cover letters,
and helping reorganize the content so her strengths were clearer -
Looking at job postings together (from the agent and from public sources),
and picking some concrete options to apply to -
Making simple monthly money simulations, including rent, transport, and sometimes side jobs that are allowed under her status
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Accompanying her to places like the city office or bank when she felt uneasy about Japanese (interpretation and note-taking / actual transport costs paid separately)
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Being a LINE contact point, she could message when she felt anxious,
so she didn’t have to carry everything alone
Here, one point is very important:
I am not a lawyer or an immigration specialist.
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I do not make legal judgments about residence status
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I do not prepare or file visa applications on behalf of clients
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I do not introduce companies as a paid job-placement business
Those services belong to:
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Licensed immigration lawyers and attorneys
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Licensed job placement agencies
At EFK LLC:
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We do not provide visa application support or representation
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We do not make legal decisions
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We do not operate as a paid job placement agency
Instead, we focus on the step before that:
helping people organize their situation, plan their next actions, and prepare to talk to the right experts or offices.
In A’s case, this meant:
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She continued to use the agent, school and Myanmar community as before
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I supported her by helping her sort out daily questions and decisions in between
In other words, we tried to slowly fill the gap between:
“formal systems and rules”
and
“real daily life and feelings”.
From This Case to EFK’s Foreign Resident Support
Through supporting A, I began to strongly feel:
“Even with agent and school support,
there are many foreign graduates who carry their worries alone after graduation –
not only in Fukuoka, but all over Japan.”
That is why EFK LLC is now preparing services for:
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International students who are about to graduate from vocational schools or universities in Japan
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Foreign workers who are already working but still feel uneasy about life or residence status
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People who want to stay in Japan longer, but don’t know how to move forward safely and realistically
Examples of the support we plan to offer include:
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Online 1-to-1 consultations about study, work, and daily life (Japanese / English)
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Document coaching for Japanese and English (CVs, emails, simple documents)
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Accompaniment support to offices, hospitals, or banks (interpretation & note-taking / actual transport costs paid separately)
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Study support and planning for JLPT and business Japanese
Once again, EFK LLC:
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Does not prepare or file visa applications on behalf of clients
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Does not make legal decisions
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Does not operate as a paid job placement agency
Instead, we specialize in being a “companion who helps you organize your situation and walks the next few steps together with you.”
A happens to be from Myanmar, but the struggles in this article are very similar for
graduates from many other countries as well.
Our goal is not to deny the role of agents, schools, or communities.
Rather, we want to become:
“a third type of support that helps you make better use of the support you already have.”
If You Feel the Same Kind of Anxiety – Let’s Talk First
If you or someone important to you is:
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About to graduate from a school in Japan, and feels lost about the future
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Worried about visa, job hunting, or daily life, and has no one to really talk to
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Stuck because of Japanese language anxiety or mental stress
then it might help to organize everything once with a third person.
▼ Free online consultation (about 30–45 minutes)
We can:
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Listen to your current situation (school, work, residence status, life)
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Organize the options you seem to have now (further study, work, going home, etc.)
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Decide simple next steps like “What to do by when”
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If needed, suggest public offices or professional services that may be helpful
You can speak in Japanese or English.
We will avoid difficult legal terms as much as possible and try to create a space where you can talk freely.
If you feel that “I’ve been carrying these worries alone for too long…”
You are always welcome to send us a message.
