The job search in Japan

The job search in Japan shuushoku(就職), also known as shukatsu (就活) which is an abbreviation for shuushoku katsudou (就職活動), can basically be broken down into two main categories shinsotsu saiyou (新卒採用) and chuuto saiyou (中途採用). Recently I have personally fallen into the category of shinsotsu saiyou and have undergone the same experiences at the same level as any other Japanese graduate/undergraduate student.

For the most part if you cannot understand any of the Japanese mentioned in this or other articles then you probably need to keep teaching English as most companies will never hire you. Most companies hire individuals whose Japanese proficiency is somewhere between level 1 or 2 (1級か2級) on the Japanese Language Proficiency Exam (日本語能力試験). In most cases you don’t actually need the certification but you need to be able to speak, listen to, read and write Japanese at that level. You also need to have a relatively good command of keigo (敬語). If you go to an interview speaking Japanese like you are at a bar in Roppongi then I promise that you will never advance to the second, third or even fourth interview. Like I said before, most companies will not require any actual language certification but be prepared because your language ability will be tested in countless tests and interviews so if your language ability is below average you had best not apply since you would only waste your own time and money.

This and several following articles are going to be a guide to searching for a job in Japan outside of the realms of eikaiwa. It will be rare and helpful advices as I have visited countless Japanese companies, career events, taken several tests and have had many interviews. My experience is quite rare as out of all of my company visits, 説明会、留学生のための就職イベント (Job search event for foreign students), I have never once seen another native English speaker. I have met hundreds and hundreds of Japanese, Chinese, Koreans and other Southeast Asians but never once have I met someone who spoke English as a native language.

In short, looking for a job outside of English teaching inside Japan is not easy. Being a native English speaker doesn’t have the same appeal as it once did and in many cases you will be tested at the same level as Japanese, in which 99% of the time you will lose. The odds are definitely against you but that does not mean that finding a job in Japan is impossible. It just means that you are going to have to be smart and form a strategy!