Planning Your IT Career Path

There Is No "Correct Answer" for an IT Career Path

The IT industry includes people without university degrees, people from humanities backgrounds, career-changers who switched after entering the workforce, and people who studied abroad. What they share is experience of "building something with their own hands." Academic credentials matter, but this is also an industry where portfolios (a record of what you have built) carry a lot of weight.

That is why trying small things before committing to a path is important. Build one web page, create a useful tool in Python, read an article about security and summarize it. Actually moving your hands makes it much easier to see which area suits you.

The 3 Path Branches

After high school graduation, paths split into three broad categories. Each has its own pros and cons, so choose by working backwards from your personality and goals.

Fig 1: Three branches — A University 49% / B Vocational 24% / C Work 27%. Building experience as a middle or high schooler is an asset on every path.

5 Steps You Can Start Right Now

There is no need to rush the path decision. What matters more is moving on things you can do right now. Working through the 5 steps below at your own grade level will broaden your options by the time you decide in Grade 12.

Fig 2: Importance, start timing, and monthly goal for 8 actions. Programming and project-building are 5-star priorities—ideally starting in Grade 7.

Priority by Grade Level

Grades 7–8: PC basics, touch-typing, Scratch and Python fundamentals, preview of Joho I topics
Grade 9 – Grade 10: Build your own website, HTML/CSS/JS, earn the IT Passport (Japanese national entry-level IT certification)
Grades 10–11: Build a serious portfolio, study for the Fundamental Information Technology Engineer (FE) exam, enter contests
Grades 11–12: Choose target schools, submit portfolio for AO admission, gain part-time work experience before graduation

This table is a guide, not a deadline. Not starting in middle school does not mean you are behind. Starting in high school and building something every week is more than enough to catch up. What matters is not your grade level but deciding "what will I build this month."

Pitfalls to Avoid

3 things that trip up IT career planning

Choosing a university based on brand alone—once enrolled, a mismatch between "what you want to do" and the actual curriculum can lead to burnout
Insisting on self-study only and never earning any certification or degree—this raises the bar at your first job application
Choosing IT only because "engineers are popular right now"—at the very minimum, have at least one experience where you built something and felt proud of it

How Will This Help You Later?

The IT industry is expected to remain in demand across many fields for years to come. People who prepare early find it easier to compare options—university, vocational school, self-study, direct employment—and make informed choices. In particular, the experience of "building something during middle or high school" is easy to explain in both university admission and job interviews.

A career plan is not set in stone once you make it. It is fine for your interests to change. Some people start interested in game development and later move into web or security. Regularly revisiting your interests and what you have built leads to realistic, grounded career decisions.

Start Today

Today: one page of where you are

Write 3 interests
Pick one small thing you can make now
Write the filename you want in 3 months

Summary

The path to becoming an IT engineer branches into three main directions: university, vocational school, and self-study / Kosen. Rather than asking which one is the only right answer, the key is learning early which fits your personality and goals. If you build experience during middle and high school, any path you choose will be within reach.

Check What comes first on an IT path?