Master’s Degree Program Graduated in September 2020
Job offers: Consulting & Manufacturing companies
A. Reasons for Working in Japan
There are two main reasons for me to work in Japan. One reason is that firms in Japan care less about applicants’ major in college and put more effort in training new employees. In other words, even though I majored in IR, I can still give a try on industries not related to this. Second, there are lots of enterprises in Japan that are looking for people with overseas experience and offering good opportunities for people like me who want to pursue a global career.
B. Your Job-Hunting Period
I started to write my CV and PR on Career Forum Net (CFN) before July 2019 and applied for foreign enterprises in late-August. But it got more intense from September to November 2019.
C. Industries & Corporations Approached
I first applied to investment banks but found that it did not suit me well. Then I turned to consulting firms since some of my friends majored in IR got offers from consulting firms. I also applied to multinational conglomerate companies (i.e. SONY) and IT industries.
D. Methods of Job-Hunting
I attended the Boston Career Forum 2019 (BCF) as enterprises in this forum used to value overseas experience and multi-lingual ability more. I know that I am not a person who can handle a lot of things at once, so I started to write some self-analysis and reflections on my important experiences like study abroad and internship experience very early. I did some rough industries/enterprise research on the company list given on the site and then focused on applying to those that I am truly interested in (about 10~15 companies). This time, I did more in-depth research on these companies and positions, meeting with people working in those industries or reading reliable comments on the internet (personally suggest Openwork and Gaishishukatsu.com). I flew to Boston with 5 interviews appointment booked in advance and walked in other booths just for seminars.
E. Challenges Faced
One of the challenges I faced was about a Japanese language skill. I self-learnt Japanese, so I am not good at writing, while ES and PRs all require Japanese writing skill. Some of the companies I applied to are even expecting relatively high Japanese language skill. Another challenge was the stress interview style in most of the companies. It can be quite defeating when your answers are criticised harshly and then got rejected. The other challenge or frustration was that sometimes I could sense it clearly that the company did not value my speciality in international relations, or they have a totally wrong perception of it.
F. Importance of Japanese Language
VERY important. It is such a frustration to foreigners, but yes, it is one of the most important criteria for examination even if you are applying to non-Japanese companies. You don’t need to be excellent in Japanese but need to be able to write ES and do interviews. I was fortunate that I got Japanese friends proof-read for me. On the one hand, it is understandable since you need to be able to communicate in Japanese for basic teamwork. On the other hand, if one company is expecting too much on Japanese language skill, it somehow shows that this company does not know how to use foreigners. If that is the case, then you should probably think twice when applying.
G. Message to Potential Jobseekers
First of all, start early. You will need some time to wander around different sectors until you find a job that suits you well. Also, ES, web test, and interview preparation can cost a lot of time. Second, the purpose of ES and interviews is never only persuading examiners how capable you are right now. Instead, it would be best if you also showed your ability, flexibility, and willingness to learn new stuff and overcome challenges. For this purpose, you may ask close friends and family members for opinions as they may come up with some interesting experience that you may not otherwise remember. Third, self-analysis and industry/company researches are always important. Last but not least, never lose faith in yourself when getting rejected. You will get rejected many times, while it does not mean that you are not capable, or you have a bad personality. I think job-hunting is a process for both companies and you to see if you match with each other. In this sense, it is good that you found out the fact that this company does not appreciate your ability/personality during job-hunting instead of realising this after getting into that company.
