Successful Japanese Job Applications in 3 steps // Worst Mistakes Possible

Are you tired of getting negative replies to your applications or maybe not even any at all?

There are important steps to remember that will help you catch that job your applied for and start your new work life in Japan!

As we have received dozens of applications for our Jobs, we identified 3 critical mistakes that end up being a deal breaker.
So if you really want that job you are applying for, you should make sure to avoid these 3 common mistakes.

Read the job advertisement (seriously)

The worst mistake one can really make is applying for a job without properly reading the job advertisement. If you apply without reading it, it will show.

Japanese job advertisements specify exact requirements. Only if you fulfill all of these, you should apply for the job. In some other countries you may also apply and even get hired if you do not fit the requirements mentioned on the job advertisement 100%. However this does not apply to Japan.

If a Japanese job advertisement states that you need minimum N2 Japanese then you need a minimum of N2 Japanese. Not anything less. You can also expect to be contacted and interviewed in Japanese if the Job requires a certain skill level of Japanese. This is one way to check if your Japanese level matches the required level. If you do have the Japanese language skills, your interview's surrounding correspondence is a great chance to show it off! Being able to communicate outside the actual interview in Japanese is a great way to show proof of your language ability and will definitely help.

If you need a visa to work in Japan you should only apply to jobs that offer visa support!

Even if you fit all the requirements, if a company does not offer visa support, even though you need a visa, you will not get the job. Luckily, on our site we have a filter that can be used to filter out all the jobs that do not have visa support.

Super important!!! Make sure you apply at the appropriate location! Even if the job info is posted on Facebook for example, that does not mean you can apply through the comments nor does it automatically mean you can just send your application to the poster on Facebook through direct messages!

Have a Japanese Resume ready (and don’t forget your picture)

履歴書 - Rirekisho

In the first stage of your application you are working with ENT staff who speak English. However if you reach the next stage you most likely will be dealing with staff that does not fully understand or is not used to English resumes as they differ from the Japanese ones.

Japanese resumes are quite complicated even for Japanese. If you are confused about how to make one you can click here for help.
 

Interview

Basic: If you have an appointment with someone you have to be on time. There can be plenty of reasons to miss an appointment but make sure to contact the interviewer ahead of time. And if that is not possible at all you should at least send them an email as soon as you can to apologize and explain the situation, if you want a second chance for the interview.

First interviews with us will be usually held virtually through a video chat. However that does not mean it is suddenly not an interview anymore! You should prepare just as much as you would for any other interview.

Do not interrupt the interviewer and listen to them carefully. If they ask you about your prior experience in, for example sales, then there is no reason for you to talk about other things in a tangent. Stay on topic!

Jobs that require Japanese will have Job interviews in Japanese, if no Japanese is required then you will have a English interview.

Have your own resume/application on hand as the interviewer will most likely ask you questions about it.
 

 

"Congratulations, you are hired!"

Not reading the job advertisement, not having a Japanese resume and not preparing for the interview are the 3 mistakes that stop people from getting the job they want. However now that you read about them, you can avoid them. Why don’t you try to apply your knowledge now on a new job application? Good luck, follow the tips and get that Job!