Table of Contents
- Selling Yourself with Resumes and CVs
- Working Hours and Holidays in Japan
- Dress Code at the Workplace
- How to Find a Job in Japan
- Recommended Recruitment Agencies for Job Seekers in Japan
- Summary: Document Screening and Interviews
If you're a native English speaker, one option you might first consider when coming to Japan to find a job is becoming an English teacher. The role of the teacher is to engage in teaching students in language schools or public schools, where you'll be responsible for everything from preparing lessons to grading homework and providing feedback on their study.
Additionally, if you're teaching at a language school, you might need to engage in sales activities to find clients. This could involve seeking out individuals interested in learning English through connections and community, and even for some schools, distributing flyers in front of train stations is expected. Despite the demanding tasks and high pressure from the school, sometimes foreigners may think it is insufficient salaries.
Teaching English can be an accessible path for foreigners looking to start their lives in Japan and could serve as a gateway to working in Japan, however, one needs to be reminded that it can be challenging to continue in the long-term.
Before searching for a job in Japan, ensure you meet the following criteria for a work visa:
・Having relevant career experience or a job history.
・Holding a bachelor's degree.
・Residing in Japan.
・Being fluent in Japanese (having JLPT N2 certification is beneficial).
Even if you don't meet these criteria above, candidates interested in applying for jobs in the IT industry can also attend programming schools to learn coding languages like Python or JavaScript in about three months. Acquiring these popular programming skills can significantly enhance your employability.
Selling Yourself with Resumes and CVs
To secure a job offer, it's crucial to showcase your capabilities and demonstrate your employability. The first step before reaching the offer and the interview would be passing the document screening among another vast number of candidates. If you are looking for a job in Japan, it is recommended for job seekers to have the skills to write both Japanese resumes and CVs. For applying to foreign companies, a concise English resume limited to two pages is also required. Keep in mind that the content of the document to be brief and faithful to your job history, and use your resume as a marketing tool to sell yourself. Official Japanese resume template is available from the Ministry of Health, Labour and Welfare's website. Although there are non-standard Japanese CV templates, you can also find the accepted styles and layouts from the various recruitment agency websites. It is only after passing the document screening that leads you to the interview stage, where your compatibility with the team, company, and corporate culture is assessed. Conversational skills in both Japanese and English are preferred, make sure to discuss compelling reasons for living in Japan or your interest in the applying company, like a passion for Japanese culture or cuisine. If you've changed jobs frequently, indicate whether it was due to company or personal reasons. It can affect the impression you make and company-related changes are often seen more favorably.
The hiring manager would want to know your expected salary. When it comes to expectations, a realistic increase from your current salary is usually around +10% to +30%. If you receive an offer during an interview and cannot decide immediately, you can express the need and respond later, however, you should also give a commitment date.
Working Hours and Holidays in Japan
According to the Ministry of Health, Labour, and Welfare, the legal working hours are 40 hours per week and 8 hours per day. If your work exceeds 6 hours, the company should give you a break of at least 45 minutes, and for over 8 hours, at least a 1-hour break is mandated. Overtime work beyond the standard 40 hours should be compensated, though some companies may not adhere strictly to this policy. This overtime working hour is often called "service hours" in Japan, and after exceeding certain overtime is only when the wage is paid. The rate for overtime pay wage is calculated as "hourly wage × 1.25 (rate increase) × overtime hours." Legally, exceeding 100 hours of overtime per month is prohibited. As for the annual leave, it depends from company to company, some workplaces are really busy, and hard to obtain personal leave. Japan has 16 national holidays, and if a holiday falls on a weekend, the next weekday becomes a holiday.
Dress Code at the Workplace
Dress code adherence varies by company. If suits and ties are part of the dress code, adherence to compliance is necessary. Let's first observe how your co-workers are dressed, being too divergent in dress is not strongly recommended. We have also now common practices in dress code such as cool biz during summer, which allows forgoing ties to consider for the environment. Finally, when the dress code is written as dress casual, wearing polo shirts or collared shirts is advised.
How to Find a Job in Japan
To find a job in Japan, start by gathering information from companies' websites through the internet. Job listings can also be explored on social networking sites like LinkedIn and Indeed, or you can apply directly through companies' career sites. If you're already living and employed in Japan, using recruitment agencies is highly recommended.
Recommended Recruitment Agencies for Job Seekers in Japan
In Japan, career agencies offer personalized support including resume editing, interview preparation, and career planning, provided by experienced career advisors. This allows job seekers to strategically navigate their job search, with agencies facilitating matches between candidates' skills, experiences, and career aspirations with appropriate companies.
This approach aims to achieve the best outcomes for both job seekers and companies. In addition to online job searching and application assistance, offline meetings and seminars are offered, enabling a more personalized service.
Introducing the following recruitment agencies in Japan:
Recruit Agent
Operated by Recruit Career, it's one of Japan's largest recruitment services.
Offers a wide range of jobs across various industries, especially rich in mid-career opportunities.
Services include support from individual career advisors, resume and CV editing, interview preparation, and career planning.
Suitable for job seekers considering a wide range of industries and positions.
Doda
Managed by Persol Career, it features both a job site and a recruitment service.
Known for a vast number of job listings, providing direct applications and agency-recommended positions.
Offers support from career advisors, and industry-specific information, and organizes recruitment seminars and events.
Ideal for job seekers looking to deepen their understanding of different industries and roles.
BizReach
Operated by BizReach, a premium job site targeted at high-class, executive-level positions.
Specializes in high-salary jobs for management and specialized professionals, with some listings exclusive to members.
Provides specialized support for high-income and managerial-level job transitions, including access to unpublished jobs and headhunting services.
Aimed at professionals seeking mid-to-executive level career moves.
Key Differences
The main differences lie in the target audience and job level, with Recruit Agent and Doda catering to a broad range of job seekers, whereas BizReach focuses on higher-income and specialized positions.
Recruit Agent and Doda offer a wide variety of industries and accessible job searches, whereas BizReach concentrates on exclusive, high-class job opportunities, often not publicly listed.
For bilingual and multilingual professionals, platforms like Career Cross and Daijob are also recommended, connecting job seekers with opportunities to utilize their language skills across various sectors；
Career Cross
Operated by Career Cross Co., Ltd. (formerly CC Consulting), this online job advertising company was established in 2000.
Specializes in job listings for professionals with multilingual skills, including English, and foreign workers. The site aims to connect bilingual or multilingual talents who wish to work across various industries in Japan with companies seeking such employees.
Services include support from individual career advisors, resume and CV editing, interview preparation, and career planning.
Targeted at individuals who want to leverage their English skills or work in an international environment, with job listings in IT, finance, marketing, education, engineering, and more.
Daijob
Operated by Human Global Talent Co., Ltd., established in 1998.
Has a long history in the Japanese job market requiring foreign language skills. It offers job listings both domestically and internationally, with a strong focus on global opportunities. The site features a wide range of job listings requiring multilingual skills, including English.
Services include support from individual career advisors, resume and CV editing, interview preparation, and career planning. Career fairs are also organized.
Targeted at job seekers with multilingual skills, including English, looking for opportunities in IT, finance, marketing, sales, engineering, consulting, and various other industries.
Summary: Document Screening and Interviews
The job application process usually involves at least two to three stages, including document screening, interviews, and receiving an offer. You may have interviews with team leaders or HR managers, and group interviews could foster a sense of competition among candidates. The most critical aspect is to convey your intentions and feelings towards the job, as well as your way of speaking and behavior. For foreigners, your attitude will be particularly noted. Don't be afraid to make mistakes and show a willingness to learn and grow together. Sincere responses, even with limited confidence in Japanese, can still be understood, so don't forget to always act with integrity. Of course, being able to confidently explain how you can contribute to the company is vital. However, it's also essential to reconsider how you speak about your career history and the decisions you made when moving to Japan, to tell a compelling story and make yourself a unique candidate. Be sure to practice this narrative before your interviews to perform your best.
