2022.12.13
Tips for Success in Interviews at Japanese Companies
Read this article to study Japanese and get JLPT N1
After applying to a company and passing the document screening process, the next step is an interview with the company’s interviewer.
During the interview, you will be asked a variety of questions about your past work experience, what skills you have, and how you can contribute those skills to the company.
If you can demonstrate how you can make use of your past experience and experience, you will be hired.
Let’s take a look at the job offer rate for new graduates and mid-career hires
New graduate job offer rate: 83%.
Mid-career job offer rate: 30% (for Japanese nationals)
Unless you are headhunted or hired as a general manager, the older you are when changing jobs, the lower your job offer rate will be.
These are the recruitment targets that companies are looking for.
Young people in their 20s with at least three years of work experience
Those with the ability to make an immediate impact up to the age of 35 years old with at least 10 years of practical work experience
Inexperienced workers have until the age of 25 to change jobs. After that, the job offer rate drops dramatically.
Even if you do not meet these employment targets, many people have actually succeeded in changing jobs.
So how do you successfully change jobs?
In this article, we will provide a ranking of the characteristics of those who were unsuccessful in the interview process.
If you pay attention to these points when you go through the interview process, you will increase your chances of getting a job offer, so please read the last section carefully.
[No. 5] Not conducting corporate research
Why did you apply to this company and not another?
If you could join the company, would you be able to do what you want to do at this company?
Can you answer these questions clearly and explicitly?
Many people cannot.
The main reason for changing jobs is to increase salary, but please be careful not to inform the interviewers about your salary as it may lead to rejection.
Before an interview, be sure to visit the website of the company you are applying to and research the company’s business model.
What does this company do?
What is the difference from other companies?
How can I apply my skills and experience to the company?
The above three points should be prepared in advance of the interview.
If you are asked about these questions during the interview and are able to answer properly, you will be receiving a job offer.
[No.4] Not conducting your own research
The interviewer will ask detailed questions about you.
In other words, it is necessary for you to have a great understanding of yourself.
Can you quickly answer questions such as
◆What kind of work experience and skills do you have?
◆What are your strengths and weaknesses？
◆What kind of person would your bosses and colleagues describe you as?
It takes about one week from the document screening result to the interview.
Let’s make the most of this time and make the most of it.
Write on a piece of paper and summarize the work you have done, the experiences you have had, the skills you have gained, and how you plan to contribute your experiences to the company.
Once you have summarized your story, choose the story you want to tell the most and tell that story in the interview.
I understand myself the best, so there is no need for me to do research on myself! However, in an interview, you may be so nervous that you cannot communicate what you want to say.
Therefore, you should always conduct your own research before the interview.
[No.3] No sense of cleanliness
Appearance is important in the interview process.
If your tie is not straight, or if you do not straighten your sleeping habits before the interview, you may be rejected.
It does not mean that beautiful or good-looking people have an advantage over others, but it is important to be well-groomed.
Personal grooming check for male genders
✓Wear a suit and tie in a neutral color, not loud and gaudy.
✓Iron your shirts.
✓Shave your hair short and shave your beard.
Grooming Check for Female Women
✓Wear a tailored suit and a knee-length skirt or pantsuit.
✓Wear a natural stocking.
✓Do not wear perfume or fragrances.
✓Black pumps are best.
Do you know the law of Melavian?
When communicating with someone, when trying to understand what they are saying
55％ of the respondents said that they receive information from visual information,
38% from vocal information,
and 7% from the content of what they say.
In other words, only 7% of what you say is actually conveyed to the other party.
On the flip side, 93% of what you want to say will be conveyed by your appearance and the way you speak (speed of speech and tone of voice).
No matter how great your experience is, if you do not have a clean and neat appearance, you will not be hired.
Do not pass on your experience and skills until you are well groomed.
When communicating something to others, use a bright facial expression and a loud, clear voice to convey what you want to say.
This is even more important for foreigners.
Because they are not native speakers of Japanese, it is important to speak slowly and loudly with a sense of cleanliness.
[No. 2] Too much concern about salary and annual income.
It is necessary to earn money in order to make a living.
However, if you change jobs because you want to increase your salary or annual income, you will inevitably fail.
Because they are afraid that the applicant will change jobs again soon if there is another company that offers better treatment.
When negotiating annual income, you should say the following
できれば今より高い給料がよろしいのですが、御社の規定に従います。
Your impression will improve if you convey it in this way.
Negotiating annual salary is very difficult and should be left to the discretion of a recruitment agent.
The agent will accurately and communicate your market value to the company.
In fact, many people are trying to increase their annual income by changing jobs, but there are many people who are making the wrong decision.
（１）In the first place, even if you change jobs, your annual income will not increase!
Although you are ready to work, it will be your first year at a new company.
If the company changes, the rules are different, and the way work is different, you will not be able to perform at your current level of income.
The basic premise is that annual income cannot be increased by changing jobs, but only by working hard and achieving results in the new job.
There are many people who misunderstand this point.
（２）The higher your annual income, the harder it will be!
An increase in annual salary means that the salary increases with the amount of overtime work, time off work, etc., and the higher the salary, the harder it will be to make ends meet.
Hard work = lack of job applications and shortages of labor, which is why they pay high salaries.
Therefore, if you want to get paid, you need to sacrifice your own time and effort.
Of course, money is important, but you should also focus on your personal life, including the welfare benefits of the company and the time you spend with yourself and your family.
If you are skilled, your salary will gradually increase.
[No. 1] Not practicing interview interview skills.
The number one cause of interview failure is not practicing for the interview!
How many times did you practice before the interview?
At the very least, you should practice at least 10 times.
Japanese people also practice and practice a lot.
In an interview, you may be so nervous that you forget what you want to say, or you may not be able to speak well in Japanese.
Even if you have great experience and skills, it is a waste if you cannot communicate well.
You can search the Internet for questions that can be asked in interview interviews.
Know as much as possible about the questions to be asked and be prepared for any questions that may come up.
Some people may be too busy with their work to practice for the interview, but it is a good idea to do them while you are in the bathtub or for 10 minutes before going to bed.
Secret tips for a successful career change
In order to successfully change jobs, it is important to do research on the company you are applying to and be prepared to answer the questions you are expected to answer.
Then, put yourself in the interviewer’s shoes and consider what kind of person you want to hire.
Please visit the website of the company you are applying to and find out the company’s color and the type of personnel they are looking for.
For example, as a manager of a gym, you need to hire instructors.
What kind of person would you hire?
①Muscular person who has been playing sports for many years.
②A fat man with a body weight of over 100 kilograms
Of course, it would be more appropriate to hire a muscular person as a staff member of a gym.
If you are exercising at a gym because you want to lose weight, but the trainer is someone who is heavier than you are, it lacks persuasive power.
During the interview process, consider what kind of people the company is looking for, and try to fit in with the company’s color.
