School : School of International Liberal Studies
Gender : Male
Country : Iceland
Graduated in March 2012
Jobs offers : Game Software Maker
Reasons for seeking employment in a Japanese corporation
I decided to look for work in Japan for two reasons: 1) The economic situation in my home country has been declining since the 2008 financial crisis, and 2) I wanted to make use of my Japanese ability.
Starting period of job-hunting
I started my job hunting process in earnest in October 2010 by registering to job hunting sites such as MyNavi and Recruit-Navi.
Number of industries and companies contacted
I mainly focused on the video games and media industries, and contacted about 15 companies or so.
Job-hunting methods
When looking for companies I mainly focused on those who were actively looking to expand their overseas operations. In order to further tighten my selection, I tried to refrain from applying to companies that had written examinations as a part of their selection process.
Challenges faced during job-hunting
I did not understand the proper way of answering the questions asked in the entry sheets, which disadvantaged me. As for other things, looking back at the whole process I wish I had submitted entry sheets to more companies than I actually did.
Message to students who are planning to seek employment in Japan
First and foremost, there are a lot of companies which have written examinations as a part of their selection process, so I will recommend you to start preparing early for those companies which have them. Preparing for interviews, I will recommend practicing thoroughly (with or without a partner), make up questions you might be asked and the answers to them in your mind, and make sure you do not look nervous when you actually go for interviews.
