Our Team in Japan is Growing!

Meet Our Developers: Derek and Hasif’s Journey to Tokyo

We’re excited to share that our Japan office is expanding. Two of our Senior Developers, Derek and Hasif, are making the move to Tokyo to join our growing team on-site. This marks an important milestone as we continue to strengthen our presence in the Japanese market.

In this blog post, Derek and Hasif share their thoughts on relocating and what excites them most about this new opportunity.

What motivated you to take this step, and what are you most looking forward to with this new experience?

Derek: I previously studied abroad in Tokyo for a year in college and have been looking for opportunities to move back ever since. From a personal standpoint, I am really looking forward to hiking in the mountains around western Tokyo again. Professionally, I am looking forward to having more time overlap with some of our R&D teams in Kuala Lumpur, as well as the opportunity to be more involved in Sales and Support.

Hasif: I have always had an interest in Japan. It has always been a dream of mine to try to live there and immerse myself in their culture. I hope that I’ll be able to watch a few live concerts while I’m there as I’m a big fan of Japanese music. It is also a wonderful opportunity for career growth that doesn’t come around often. There will be a lot for me to learn. It will be a challenge but I’m looking forward to it.

"This is a wonderful opportunity for career growth—one that doesn’t come around often."

 — Adhwa Hasif Noor Baharin, Senior Developer at Configura

Can you tell us about your backgrounds as developers and how your experiences will contribute to our growth in Japan?

Derek: I have had the opportunity to work on many unique and complex products and systems during my time at Configura, which has offered plenty of experience in understanding user preferences, manufacturer requirements, mentoring developers, and creating solutions to fit a wide variety of budgets. I am looking forward to using these experiences to help grow our presence in Japan.

Hasif: I have been involved in a variety of different projects over the years, with most of them involving talking to the customers and it has given me a better understanding of user and industry requirements. I have also seen a variety of solutions in different projects which will hopefully help me when talking to any new customers.

Some of our amazing colleagues in Japan!

HOW DO YOU PREPARE TO WORK IN A NEW CULTURAL AND BUSINESS ENVIRONMENT?

Derek: While it is important to research cultural differences and common business phrases, you really have to prepare to be unprepared. I think that knowing when to ask for help and being willing to learn from your mistakes is critical for adapting to an unfamiliar environment. Appreciating cultural differences and adapting to change is an amazing way to turn a potentially stressful situation into a positive experience.

Hasif: I have been studying Japanese on and off over the past few years but now that I have this relocation opportunity, I have been taking private lessons to refresh what I’ve learned and to practice before I go there. As for the cultural and business differences, while I am reading up on some nuances in Japanese business culture, I know that I can always ask my colleagues in Japan who know more and have more experience in that aspect, and I hope that I can learn a lot from them.

Thank you, Derek and Hasif, for sharing your career journey at Configura! 

Want to learn more about Configura and the opportunities we offer? Visit our careers page.