Meet our students: using Data Science and English to unlock an international career

We often sit down with our alumni to talk about the direction their career took after our bootcamps. But before achieving impressive career changes, they of course have to go through 2 months or 6 months of bootcamp.

So this time, we decided to approach one of our current students to discuss his life, aspirations, and of course, his bootcamp experience. 

Please meet Jin, 27, going through our part-time Data Science & AI bootcamp, all this while working as a full-time Sales person at the giant data startup Databricks!

The life of a top 3% sales rep

Originally from Hiroshima, Jin moved to Tokyo for university, where he focused on sports science and was an active member of the Judo club. “I wanted to know more about Judo, so I chose the sports science department and tried to study how the body works and how to become better at doing sports” he explains.

After graduating, he joined Salesforce, where he excelled in Inside Sales, selling tools like Slack, Tableau and Salesforce. Enter the world of cold reach-outs: “My target was companies of less than 200 employees – I was emailing, calling them, reaching out through LinkedIn. And if I wanted to really secure meetings, I would even send letters.” 

Any proud moments for him? “A proud moment? Actually I was really good at this job (laughs). I was always ranking in the top 3 out of 130 sales people“ Despite being great at his job, something was missing: “I didn’t have a chance to talk about technology topics, so I always felt like I wanted to understand more about technology. I was a bit frustrated at the time” Jin recalls.

This frustration led him to Databricks, and soon after, to consider an upskilling: “So at Salesforce I was selling Tableau and Slack, and I knew these tools inside out because I was using them every day. But as a Sales Rep, I did not have many chances to use Databricks on the job… So I started looking at training or schools I could join”.

From bunkei to Python

That’s when Jin stumbled upon Le Wagon: “My manager is from Singapore and she doesn’t speak Japanese, so I figured I also needed to improve my English level” he says. “I found Le Wagon and then I realized: wait, I can do both at the same time now”.

 To help fund this transition, Jin also had access to the Japanese government’s reskilling subsidy: “I had a meeting with a career counselor online for 30 minutes… then I received a document and went to HelloWork”. After submitting his paperwork, he got the confirmation in only two weeks. “It was quite an easy process”, he notes.

So far, the transition from a “Bunkei” (liberal arts) background to technical study has been eye-opening: “I initially thought Data Science was all about creating models. But the reality is that collecting and processing data is maybe the biggest part” he observes. He particularly enjoys the hands-on nature of the course and the clarity of the instructors: “Arnaud for example (one of our Lead Data Science Teachers), he is an engineer, but he manages to make things very clear for someone non-technical like me”.

Although he’s only halfway through the bootcamp, it is already starting to have some impact on his daily work at Databricks: “Now I feel like I understand more about my customers’ current architectures and tools. So I can talk proudly with them about the benefits of using Databricks” he says. “It gives me sharper arguments – and I am an even better Sales person (laughs)”.

Preparing for an international career

Looking ahead, Jinnosuke sees several paths for his career over the next five years: “I can continue working as a Sales person at Databricks of course, or maybe aim for a Solution Architect role. It’s pretty hard, they all have 10+ years of experience.”

However, his most ambitious goals involve moving abroad. “I could also apply for tech companies, for example in Australia… data scientist is a high-demand job” he explains. “A lot of young Japanese folks who move to Australia on working holiday visas end up working in the fields… I could do something more technical”.

As for his final bootcamp project? “I might propose something related to Databricks, or maybe something about Judo? A ippon detector could be a fun project to work on.” We’ll have to wait until Demo Day to find out!

AI for Judo?

By committing to a demanding schedule of work and study, Jin is not only becoming a more effective sales representative, but is also opening doors to a global career.

And for him, this challenge is also part of the appeal: “I like this course because it’s intense. If it wasn’t, maybe I wouldn’t be satisfied.”

Thanks a lot for your time Jin! Wishing you all the best for the rest of the bootcamp, and hoping we’ll see your Judo-focused final project come to life.

Interested in Le Wagon Tokyo data bootcamps? Check our next sessions:

Data Science Full-Time (9 weeks)
April 6 to June 5, 2026
July 6 to September 4, 2026

Data Science Part-time (24 weeks)
March 28 to September 4, 2026

Data Analytics Part-time (24 weeks)
April 4 to September 4, 2026