Hello everyone! I’m Nami, currently living in Los Angeles.
Today, I’d like to introduce myself and share the story of how I ended up coming to the U.S.
My Background
In Japan, I worked at an advertising agency for four years, where I gained experience in sales and later became a sales manager. After that, I spent a year and a half working as a digital marketing consultant at a food distributor located in the suburbs of San Francisco. Currently, I’m studying Entertainment Business at UCLA Extension. After graduation, I plan to use my OPT to work in the entertainment industry here in the U.S.
Why I Decided to Move to the U.S.
I’ve always had two major dreams: living abroad and working in the film industry. Naturally, that led me to set my sights on America—the heart of the movie world.
Even though I wanted to move to the U.S., I didn’t feel confident in my English skills, so after graduating from university, I took a job at an advertising agency in Japan. I was fortunate to work in a supportive environment and learned a lot of important lessons for working in the professional world. However, seeing my friends thrive in international careers made me want to challenge myself as well.
Then, I got the chance to work on a project involving international clients—supporting the Japan-based activities of U.S. celebrities. The job involved interpreting and preparing materials in English, and even though the celebrities weren’t super famous, the opportunity to support American talent was incredibly exciting for someone like me, who had always wanted to work in the film industry. Unfortunately, the project was put on hold due to the pandemic and never resumed.
During the pandemic, with so many limitations on daily life and the inability to see family and friends, I realized that if there’s something you want to do, you have to take action while you can. That experience reignited my dream of building a career in the U.S., and I made the decision to pursue it again.
Getting My Visa and Starting Life in the U.S.
As international travel began to open back up, I started researching how I could get to the U.S. and decided to aim for a J-1 visa.
I obtained the visa in the fall of 2022 and was able to move to the U.S. in 2023. While the job I got wasn’t in the entertainment industry, I prioritized building a stable life here and making sure that living in the U.S. was truly right for me. I focused on finding a role in the marketing field rather than being too specific about the industry. Over the past year and a half, I’ve worked hard to establish my life here and improve my English skills—it’s been an essential first step.
While I was in the U.S. on a J-1 visa, I started exploring how I could eventually work in entertainment. Now, I’m here on an F-1 student visa and continuing to pursue my goal of building a career in the industry.
Why I Started This Blog and Podcast
The main reason I started this blog and podcast is that, when I was researching the J-1 visa and the school I currently attend, I had a hard time finding detailed and useful information.
In particular, I found it difficult to find insights about alternatives to language schools or different types of visas like the J-1. Through this blog, I hope to share my own experiences and helpful tips so that others who are thinking about living in the U.S. can use this as a reference.
In my next post, I’ll be diving deeper into the J-1 visa. I’ll also cover how to prepare for job hunting and life in the U.S., so stay tuned!