Interview with Mark Rafe Sionzon of SmartNews, Japan

This is the 13th interview in the “Interviews with Foreign Information Technology Engineers in Japan” series. “ EJable.com’s Ryoko Nagai talks to Mark Rafe Sionzon of SmartNews Inc., Japan.

Video Interview with Mark

Transcript of The Video

Ryoko: Good afternoon, Mark. Thank you for joining us today at EJable. I’m sure that a lot of our viewers will be happy to hear about your experience since you’ve been here for 10 years and have changed jobs as well. I’m sure we can learn a lot from your experience. So, we would be very happy if you could begin by giving your introduction.

Mark: I’m Mark. I moved to Japan in November 2014. So, this year is my 10th year here in Japan. I originally moved to Japan because a head hunter contacted me through LinkedIn to ask if I was interested in a job in Japan.

That job was for Indeed, Japan, and it was for the first person to be hired from outside of Japan. That’s kind of funny because when I passed everything in their job interview process, their final question was, “So, how do we get you to Japan?” which was kind of funny 😊

So I was like, oh, OK, so you actually need these documents in order to process the visa. They were actually very helpful with that. In order to get a working visa in Japan, you need a certificate of eligibility in order to get, in my case, the Japanese engineering visa. So, I think they sent it to me around June or July 2014.

It was also my mistake because I didn’t ask for the tracking number for that document. It was stuck in the post office of my country for more than a month, and the post office didn’t really send me anything about it. So, I had to actually ask the post office whether they had any documentation with my name on it. And they were like, oh, yeah, we have one, it’s from Japan. So yeah, it took a while to actually get to Japan because of that.

Ryoko: Oh, wow. OK, so you were the first person from abroad hired by Indeed, Japan.

OK, uh, being the first person hired from abroad, was there something that you had to learn or adapt to when you came to Japan?

Mark: Yeah. First of all, I thought that Indeed, Japan would open a bank account for payroll on my behalf. However, I learned that I have to open the account myself.

Now, in order to open the bank account, I needed an apartment (residential address) and a phone number. And in order to have a phone, I needed a bank account.

Ryoko: There it is.

Mark: It’s like the first thing you have to do is basically just get an apartment first or so that you’ll have an address.

Ryoko: Right.

Mark: That’s then. Once that’s settled, then it’s a bit easier to get the bank account next and, lastly, a phone number to sort things out eventually.

Ryoko: Hmm, I see. When you first joined in 2014, were there already many international workers there with Indeed?

Mark: Actually, yeah. Around 30% of the Tokyo office staff were foreigners. It’s kind of funny because I was actually learning Japanese when I first came to Japan in 2014. But no one in the office didn’t really ask us to talk in Japanese. However, I learned a lot of Japanese through them. My mentor was Japanese, so he was able to help me a lot with learning Japanese.

Ryoko: Right. Then over the past 10 years, do you feel that you’ve learned to speak Japanese fluently?

Mark: Hmm, not really fluently, but I’ve learned daily conversational Japanese to communicate if I go outside my home. But in terms of a professional setting, I think my Japanese was actually better when I first came here to Japan 😊.

Ryoko: Oh really 😊.

Mark: And because, like the way it goes, originally, there were only 30% of the employees who were foreigners, and most of them actually spoke in Japanese. I think only three of the HR and admin employees actually spoke in English.

Ryoko: OK.

Mark: So, yeah, I had to actually ask my mentor to help me with Japanese translations at that time.

None of the things that most foreigners take for granted right now, like Google Translate, were actually there. There was nothing like scanning to translate text, I think. There was no conversation translation before Google Translate.

Ryoko: Right, yeah.

Mark: That was kind of hard. However, as I continued with my career with Indeed, it all changed. From 30% foreign employees in 2014, I think by the time I left in March 2022, at least 90% of the employees were foreigners.

Ryoko: Oh wow, I had no idea. OK. So, over the past years that you’ve been there, you realize that there is less of a need to speak Japanese in these big companies, I guess.

Mark: Yes and no. During my initial time with Indeed, some people tried to headhunt me, but they also asked about my Japanese level as they wanted someone who was more fluent.

Ryoko: Oh, OK.

Mark: But as years went by, especially from around 2015 to 2019, they started to lower the Japanese requirement for my role.

Ryoko: OK. I see. Thank you. Since you’re switching jobs and now working at SmartNews, do you have any tips or advice on changing jobs in Japan?

Mark: Well, I guess the first one is actually don’t change jobs, like, towards the end of the year 😊

It’s kind of messy, especially for filing tax returns, tax documents, and other processes. It’s going to be difficult not only for your part but also for the company as well.

Ryoko: Right.

Mark: If you want to change jobs, it’s easier to do it before the yearend or wait for two to three months for the following year.

Ryoko: Hmm.

Mark: However, if you really want to change jobs, then just go ahead. But don’t expect to get the tax return from your previous company if you’re trying to change jobs at the end of the year.

Ryoko: I see. OK. And how do you like working with SmartNews?

Mark: So far, it’s been great. It’s been a bit challenging because most of my background was in web applications. This is actually my first time solely focusing on mobile applications through iOS and Android, and it’s challenging, but it’s also very rewarding for me because I don’t have the opportunity to actually do testing for both Android and iOS.

Ryoko: Ok. Do you feel that people around you are very helpful if you need help?

Mark: Yeah, they’re very helpful. But I also have to consider that they might be too busy. So when I try to ask questions, I provide as much context as possible so that they’ll be able to answer all the questions precisely because it would also be bad for them if I kept on asking.

Ryoko: Right. I see. Is SmartNews composed of more international employees or more Japanese, compared to Indeed?

Mark: So far, most of the people I’ve met within the office have been talking English. However, I don’t really know because I’ve been with SmartNews only for less than two months actually.

So, it’s kind of hard for me to tell. Indeed, I saw it gradually shift from mostly Japanese to mostly foreign employees by the time I left.

(Note: SmartNews joining was in December, and the Interview date was January 20^th)

Ryoko: Right. OK, I see.

I would like to know what you see as your career goals or career plan in Japan. Since you’ve already been here for quite a long time, do you see yourself staying even longer? Or how do you see your future?

Mark: I actually see myself staying longer here in Japan.

First of all, because Japan actually cares about quality. And my career is actually in QA.

To be honest, generally, software developers generally don’t really look at QA or anyone related to QA at a comfortable level. Most of the time, developers and other roles would actually look down on QA. So, being in Japan, my career goal is basically to help improve the image of QA engineers. To try to establish that QA engineers are not just for doing testing, but they greatly provide more benefits for improving the overall processes.

Ryoko: OK, wow. That’s amazing—how do I say it? Amazing drive that you have, yeah. Great. Then, compared to working back home, do you feel project execution is different here in Japan?

Mark: Not really, because, to be honest, I’ve never worked with a non-agile company. I mean, but the first job. The first job of my career involved waterfall methodology. However, during that transition during my tenure there, they slowly sifted towards the agile methodology for development. All of the succeeding companies that have joined have already been using agile methodology for development.

Ryoko: Right, OK. I see. Then how can I say? Since you have changed jobs in Japan, do you have any tips for interviews for engineers or QA testers? Yeah, to have a better image, you can talk specifically about SmartNews and what you thought was that you made a good impression on them.

Mark: Well, if it’s coming from me, who had, I guess, the majority of the QAs in Indeed Tokyo, I actually have interviewed for them. So, yeah, a company does care about your technical abilities, but if your personality is bad, you will basically not get the job.

Ryoko: Right.

Mark: It’s basically like, yes, you can learn a technical skill, but your personality will never change. Even if you try, your overall personality will not change. Overall, it’s good to show your technical skills, but at the same time, you should show that you can work with people and provide help and assistance to the people within your team and others.

Ryoko: Right. So, teamwork skills, etc. OK. Yeah, I see.

Mark: Then probably, the last thing I could give, especially for QA, is that as a QA engineer, you’re not only limited to knowing the product but also knowing related advanced concepts. For example, terms like Shift Left. In which testing starts up as early as possible.

Testing is not just when the developers are done with their work; it’s when QA gets in. Now, there’s a movement called Shift Left in which testing comes into the picture as early as the design or requirement-gathering phases. The QA has to step in to make things better even before they get implemented.

That way, you might be able to save some resources or prevent things from going back and forth. So, showcase that you really care about the overall product cycle from start to end, not just how it ends.

Ryoko: Right. OK. Well, that’s interesting. OK, I’ve worked with QA’s before, but I’ve never heard of it. So, maybe I’ll ask the QAs I know about it.

Well, moving on to the social aspect of living in Japan. What do you like about Japan?

Mark: Firstly, it’s Japanese public transportation.

Ryoko: OK, really?

Mark: Yeah. I come from a country where public transportation isn’t really safe and reliable. Here it’s pretty safe and pretty reliable.

And it’s like if the time for the train is 3:15 pm, the train will basically arrive at, for example, 3:14 pm but will leave at 3:15.  

Another thing is the safety. That doesn’t mean I’m not locking my doors at home. I still lock my doors, but I’m not too worried.

Ryoko: Yeah, yeah, of course.

Mark: Even in Japan, sometimes you may actually have to go home late after finishing work. However, you’re not afraid to go home late because it’s really, really safe.

Back in my country, if it’s around 10:00 PM where many people have already gone home, and the streets are pretty quiet. It’s actually kind of frightening that someone might just come to your back and say, “Hey, give me your wallet”

Ryoko: Oh, I see what you mean.

Mark: Yeah.

Ryoko: Hmm. So now you work hybrid or from the office fully?

Mark: It’s hybrid, so I work at least Monday and Tuesday in the office, then probably Wednesdays to Fridays from home.

Ryoko: OK, I See. Well, if you are working hybrid, maybe you don’t have to take the trains or the buses during rush hour, but do you mind, or are you ok with it?

Mark: I don’t really mind, actually, if it’s rush hour or not. If you think that the train is too full, you can just take the next one, which will be 3 to 5 minutes later, which is still fine.

Ryoko: That’s true.

Then what do you do in your free time?

Mark: I actually spend my free time either playing video games or with my son.

We either do hobbies-related things like art or go outside to play football or anything else that he wants to play in the park.

Ryoko: How do you feel about raising your kid in Japan?

Mark: So far, it’s been really good. It’s kind of challenging. Actually, it’s kind of weird because it’s coming from a person who just basically learned two languages growing up: Filipino and English. When I taught my son English, it was kind of confusing how to teach him and why things sounded like this or that.

For example, C.O.M.B. is “comb”. The bomb is spelled as B.O.M.B.; however, it’s not pronounced in the same way comb. It’s kind of hard to actually explain. When I was teaching my son the basics of Japanese, hiragana, and katakana, it was much simpler to explain the pronunciation.

Ryoko: Really? Oh, yeah, right. Because one character has only one way of pronouncing.

Mark: Yeah, like when I asked my son how to spell police, he or most kids, like from maybe four to six or four to seven, would initially spell police as POLIS.

Ryoko: Yeah, yeah.

Mark: But when I told my son that it’s spelled as POLICE, he was confused. Why ‘C sound like an ‘S’. 😊

Ryoko: Yeah. OK. So, is your son more familiar with Japanese?

Mark: So, my son is going to International School right now. However, as much as possible, we also want him to learn Japanese. I mean, I already have my permanent residency, and eventually, he might be staying here for a long time. So, it’s good for him to learn Japanese.

Ryoko: Oh, OK.

Mark: Right now, he’s very fluent in English, but he’s trying to improve his Japanese.

Ryoko: OK, I see. And for those viewers who may have kids, I know that there is this trend or mindset among parents right now in Japan that international schools are better than Japanese public schools. Is the school that your son is going to composed of mainly international kids, or is it a mix of Japanese and international students?

Mark: It’s actually a mix, but the majority of them are actually non-Japanese.

Ryoko: Oh, I see. Cool.

Then, are there things that you don’t really like about Japan or things that you prefer better in the Philippines than Tokyo?

Mark: It’s not like comparing, but one thing I don’t like in Japan, and I think most foreigners also kind of dislike this aspect of Japan, is that Japan is a very “By-the-Book” Country.

Ryoko: Yes, yes.

Mark: Like, even if when things change drastically before them, they don’t really know how to react to the situation. They will actually grab their manuals and check if this situation exists in the manuals so that they can try to solve it.

And there are other things which I’ve seen changing. A good example is “Hanko.”

With a lot of foreigners coming in, when most of the foreigners don’t really have Hanko or “Inkan,” some financial institutions like banks have started to remove the requirement of people requiring a “Hanko” to open bank accounts or for transactions.

Previously, they always asked to bring Hanko, but now they are ok with the signature if your signature is recorded within their system.

Ryoko: ok.

Mark: Yeah, because sometimes you may even lose the Hanko because of how small it is.

Ryoko: Yeah, it is very small.

OK. Have you had any trouble in terms of how people are “by-the-book” and very in your work?

Mark: So far in my workspace, I haven’t actually encountered that, but whenever I try to process things like through financial institutions, there are such things. For example, if I’ve already provided my passport and residence cards, why do they need another form of identification? Basically most foreigners will probably have those two with them.

Ryoko: Right.

Mark: Another thing is, I guess this is pretty funny; with foreigners, when you try to register through any kind of website, some websites ask you to input half-width and full-width characters. This is kind of weird because it will work if you’re using a desktop, but if you’re using a mobile, you can’t really change half-width and full-width characters. Luckily, a lot of like sites have started to move away from this.

Ryoko: Oh, OK.

Mark: Hopefully, all Japanese websites will move away from them.

Ryoko: 😊 Yeah. Amazing. Then, maybe, my last question. Do you have any general tips or advice for people who are abroad and are looking to work in Japan?

Ryoko: Yes. First of all, it’s like. Japan isn’t like what you see in J-dramas or anime. Please get rid of that conception. I would really advise you to come here to Japan for 2 weeks or so. Experience it to see if it’s for you or not. I’ve heard and actually encountered some foreigners who thought that Japan was for them, but after one year or so, they basically moved out to Japan because they realized that Japan wasn’t for them.

Ryoko: OK.

Mark: That was the first one. The second one is about the language. You should learn Japanese in order to properly live here. And aside from that, it’s not just for living here. I mentioned earlier during the interview that initially, from 2015 to 2019, Japanese wasn’t really a requirement. Companies had lowered the need for Japanese. But during my sort job hunt of one and a half years, around 2021 to 2023, many companies have started to actually require Japanese again to some degree.

Ryoko: OK.

Mark: In some cases, if you’re really good, the company might just hire you and train you or give you Japanese lessons. Yeah, but if you’re just average, which is most of us, then you really have to brush up on your Japanese skills.

Ryoko: OK, I see. I wonder why they started to look for people who speak Japanese.

Mark: Yeah, I guess it’s probably coming from the fact that a lot of tech companies have started officially in the US, so some of the talents from the US or other countries have started to come back to Japan, and there’s basically more influx of talent in Japan right now.

Ryoko: Right, yeah. I see. Great.

That’s it from my side. Do you have anything else you would like to mention?

Mark: Yeah. Japan is really a great place, but if you really want to know if Japan is for you, don’t listen to what other people say. Just come to Japan and experience it. You be the judge of whether Japan is really for you or not.

Ryoko: Yeah, that’s for sure. Yes. Thank you for this great advice and for your time today, I wish you the best.

Mark: Yeah, thank you too. Bye.

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