School: Graduate School of Asia-Pacific Studies (GSAPS)
Gender: Male
Country: USA
Graduated in September 2015/ Started Work in November 2015
Job Offers: Manufacturing & Chemical Industries
Reasons for Seeking Employment in a Japanese Corporation
a. Wanted to utilize degree from domestic university and knowledge of Japanese language and culture
b. Wanted to try working in a country other than home country
c. Current domestic environment which is increasingly receptive to foreign employees
Job-Hunting Period
From end of 2014 to September 2015
Number of Industries & Companies Approached
Pre entry – 80 Entry – about 40 Interviews – 15-20 companies
Ways/ Methods of Job-Hunting
Focused on career events/recruiting events for international students. I also used recruiting firms that specialize in helping foreign students. I met the company that I ultimately decided to join the on-campus talks (in English) organized by the Career Center. It was a great opportunity because compared to the talks on campus in Japanese, there was a much greater chance to be able to ask the questions you personally want to ask and make a lasting impression on recruiters. In my case, I was the only person who visited the first English session.This was a unique opportunity that allowed me to make a personal connection with the recruiter, which ultimately ended up in a job offer from the company.
Challenges Faced During Job-Hunting
Of course, Japanese was a large challenge. Besides that, I think the difference in job-hunting between my home country and Japan was very hard to adapt to. The mindset and expectations are completely different. People often say job-hunting is like love. If we follow this analogy, job-hunting in America is like dating, while job-hunting in Japan is like marriage. In short, students and companies are usually thinking long term, and therefore both students and companies make a lot of effort to find the perfect match.
Japanese Language
Japanese ability is simply crucial. However, don’t be discouraged if your Japanese isn’t business level at the start of job-hunting, Through the process, your Japanese will improve a lot naturally. Also I firmly believe that your character and motivations are more important than just Japanese language level. Of course, most of your job-hunting activities will be in Japanese, so you will be at a disadvantage without top notch Japanese skills.
Message to International Students Planning to Job-Hunt in Japan
Simply, don’t give up. Job-hunting in Japan is not a sprint, it’s a marathon. Even if you aren’t able to get a job offer from your initial first choice, your dreams and wants will change over the course of job-hunting as you learn more about companies as well as yourself.
