Finding the Next Adventure
At some point, ALTs start thinking about what comes next.
Maybe you’re tired of explaining the difference between “L” and “R.”
Maybe you’re ready for the type of pay bump you can’t get singing If You’re Happy and You Know It with eight-year-old kids.
And hey – maybe teaching was just a way to get to Japan for you all along.
Whatever the reason, the Japanese you learn as an ALT (or from textbooks) isn’t going to fully prepare you for job hunting in Japan.
Job postings, resumes, interviews, and contracts all come with their own jargon and cultural assumptions. Unlike some of the other topics we cover in this series, this is one where you absolutely need to study keigo and business Japanese as much as possible.
However, if you do have higher-level Japanese ability, you’ll still need to learn this jargon to start navigating the job hunt process.
Core Job Hunt Vocabulary
These are the words you’ll see constantly when searching for work.
Job Basics
会社（かいしゃ, kaisha）– company
企業（きぎょう, kigyō）– corporation / business
(Note: kigyō doesn’t show up in textbooks as often, but it’s just as common as kaisha)
仕事（しごと, shigoto）– work / job
求人（きゅうじん, kyūjin）– job opening
求人情報（きゅうじんじょうほう, kyūjin jōhō）– job listing
面接（めんせつ, mensetsu）– interview
採用（さいよう, saiyō）– hiring/hire
不採用（ふさいよう, fusaiyō）– not selected
Employment Terms
正社員（せいしゃいん, seishain）– full-time employee
契約社員（けいやくしゃいん, keiyaku shain）– contract employee
派遣社員（はけんしゃいん, haken shain）– dispatched / temp worker
(Note: refers to a worker who is employed by one company but sent to work at a client company. Private company ALTs are generally haken shain.)
アルバイト（arubaito）– part-time job
(Note: often shortened to baito in casual conversation.)
パート（pāto）– part-time worker
フルタイム（furutaimu）– full-time
Application Documents
応募（おうぼ, ōbo）– application
(Note: used for job applications, but also for other types of application)
応募書類（おうぼしょるい, ōbo shorui）- application documents
履歴書（りれきしょ, rirekisho）– resume
(Note: almost always refers to a Japanese-style resume)
レジュメ（rejume）– resume
(Note: be careful – this can refer to a western-style resume/career summary, but also refers to summaries for meetings/seminars/presentations)
英文履歴書（えいぶんりれきしょ, eibun rirekisho）- English language resume
(Note: International companies in Japan will often ask for both an English and Japanese resume)
職務経歴書（しょくむけいれきしょ, shokumu keirekisho）– work history / CV
志望動機（しぼうどうき, shibō dōki）– motivation for applying
(Note: this should focus on the company and what motivates you to work there, not what you personally hope to gain.)
自己PR（じこピーアール, jiko PR）– self-promotion statement
(Note: Japanese resumes usually list accomplishments in this separate section instead of as part of the job history.)
証明写真（しょうめいしゃしん, shōmei shashin）– ID-style photo
(Note: Japanese resumes include a formal photo similar to a passport or driver’s license photo.)
Reading Job Listings
These terms will guide you to the essentials of a job posting.
Common Listing Terms
勤務地（きんむち, kinmuchi）– work location
給与（きゅうよ, kyūyo）– salary
時給（じきゅう, jikyū）– hourly pay
年収（ねんしゅう, nenshū）– yearly salary
勤務時間（きんむじかん, kinmu jikan）– working hours
休日（きゅうじつ, kyūjitsu）– days off
残業（ざんぎょう, zangyō）– overtime
福利厚生（ふくりこうせい, fukuri kōsei）– benefits
交通費支給（こうつうひしきゅう, kōtsūhi shikyū）– transportation reimbursement
Common Job Listing Phrases
年齢制限あり（ねんれいせいげんあり, nenrei seigen ari）- age restriction applies
(Note: While illegal in some countries, age ranges are still commonly listed in Japanese job postings.)
経験者歓迎（けいけんしゃかんげい, keikensha kangei）- experience preferred / welcome
(Note: literally, experienced candidates welcome. can also be used to signal openness to older candidates)
未経験OK（みけいけん OK, mikeiken OK）- no experience required
ビザサポートあり（biza sapōto ari）- visa support available
ビザサポートなし（biza sapōto nashi）- no visa sponsorship
日本語能力必須（にほんごのうりょくひっす, nihongo nōryoku hissu） – Japanese ability required
アットホームな職場（attohōmu na shokuba）- “Home-like workplace”
(Note: a small company where everyone knows each other’s business.)
やる気のある方歓迎（yaruki no aru kata kangei）- “Motivated applicants welcome”
(Note: we expect enthusiasm and long hours. And it’s probably sales.)
コミュニケーション能力（komyunikēshon nōryoku）- Communication skills
(Note: you will be dealing with people constantly. And it’s probably sales and/or customer service)
Interview Basics
Now that you’ve applied, the next step is (hopefully) an interview.
Japanese companies will most often have multiple rounds of interviews. The exact number will vary, but 2-4 interviews is normal.
This will include interviews with multiple stakeholders, and preferably a chance to meet everyone one the team you will be working with. Many companies will have the CEO perform the final interview for all new hires, including for low-level positions.
Interview Terms
面接官（めんせつかん, mensetsukan）– interviewer
応募者（おうぼしゃ, ōbosha）– applicant
弊社（へいしゃ, heisha）– our company (polite)
御社（おんしゃ, onsha）– your company (polite)
最終面接（さいしゅうめんせつ, saishū mensetsu）– final interview
内定（ないてい, naitei）– informal job offer
入社（にゅうしゃ, nyūsha）– joining the company
試用期間（しようきかん, shiyō kikan）– probation period
(Note: it’s very difficult for Japanese companies to fire full employees, so a probation period is used to make sure a candidate is a good fit before committing to the hire)
Common Job Search Situations
While every job search will have its own quirks, there are plenty of common situations you can prepare for.
Applying 1
Candidate: 「応募したいです。」
Recruiter:「履歴書を送ってください。」
Candidate: Ōbo shitai desu.
Recruiter: Rirekisho o okutte kudasai.
Candidate: I would like to apply.
Recruiter: Please send your resume.
Applying 2
Candidate: 「この仕事に興味があります。」
Recruiter:「ありがとうございます。応募書類をお送りください。」
Candidate: Kono shigoto ni kyōmi ga arimasu.
Recruiter: Arigatō gozaimasu. Ōbo shorui o okuri kudasai.
Candidate: I am interested in this job.
Recruiter: Thank you. Please send your application documents.
Scheduling an Interview
Candidate: 「面接の予定を調整できますか。」
Recruiter:「来週の火曜日はいかがでしょうか。」
Candidate: Mensetsu no yotei o chōsei dekimasu ka?
Recruiter: Raishū no kayōbi wa ikaga deshō ka?
Candidate: Can we arrange an interview time?
Recruiter: How about next Tuesday?
Rescheduling an Interview
Candidate: 「面接の日程を変更できますか。」
Recruiter: 「承知しました。別の日程をご案内します。」
Candidate: Mensetsu no nittei o henkō dekimasu ka?
Recruiter: Shōchi shimashita. Betsu no nittei o go-annai shimasu.
Candidate: Can we change the interview date?
Recruiter: Understood. I will provide another date.
At the Interview
Question 1
Interviewer:「自己紹介をお願いします。」
Candidate:「はじめまして。アメリカ出身のジョンです。日本には三年間住んでいて、現在は英語教師として働いています。本日はよろしくお願いいたします。」
Interviewer: Jiko shōkai o onegaishimasu.
Candidate: Hajimemashite. Amerika shusshin no Jon desu. Nihon ni wa san-nenkan sunde ite, genzai wa eigo kyōshi toshite hataraite imasu. Honjitsu wa yoroshiku onegaishimasu.
Interviewer: Please introduce yourself.
Candidate: Nice to meet you. My name is John and I am from the United States. I have lived in Japan for three years and currently work as an English teacher. Thank you for meeting with me today.
Question 2
Interviewer:「なぜ弊社に応募しましたか。」
Candidate:「御社の国際的なビジネスに興味があり、自分の英語力と日本語力を活かせると思い応募しました。」
Interviewer: Naze heisha ni ōbo shimashita ka?
Candidate: Onsha no kokusaiteki na bijinesu ni kyōmi ga ari, jibun no eigoryoku to nihongo ryoku o ikaseru to omo i ōbo shimashita.
Interviewer: Why did you apply to our company?
Candidate: I applied because I am interested in your company’s international business and believe I can use my English and Japanese skills here.
Question 3
Interviewer:「日本でどのくらい働く予定ですか。」
Candidate:「長期的に日本で働きたいと考えています。」
Interviewer: Nihon de dono kurai hataraku yotei desu ka?
Candidate: Chōkiteki ni Nihon de hatarakitai to kangaete imasu.
Interviewer: How long do you plan to work in Japan?
Candidate: I plan to work in Japan long-term.
Not Selected
Recruiter: 「残念ながら、今回はご縁がありませんでした。」
ALT:「ありがとうございました。」
Recruiter: Zan’nen nagara, konkai wa go en ga arimasen deshita.
ALT: Arigatō gozaimashita.
Recruiter: Unfortunately, this is not a good match at this time.
ALT: Thank you very much.
Selected
Recruiter:「採用が決まりました。」
ALT:「ありがとうございます。よろしくお願いいたします。」
Recruiter: Saiyō ga kimarimashita.
ALT: Arigatō gozaimasu. Yoroshiku onegaishimasu.
Recruiter: We would like to hire you (lit. You have been selected.)
ALT: Thank you very much. I look forward to working with you.
Cultural Notes
Japanese job hunting tends to be more formal than many Western job markets.
If you don’t wear the correct suit and tie, you might as well spit on the interviewers’ grandmothers.
There is strict etiquette for everything from how you enter the room (knock three times, then wait for a response) to how you answer questions (thank the interviewer for the question before responding).
Response times are slow, and a long time passes between interviewing and getting the results.
And unfortunately,「検討します。」 (“We’ll consider it.”) very often means “Thanks, but no thanks.”
There’s much more than can be covered in a single article. For now, try to remember these three things before you charge into the job market:
- These expectations exist, and you need to research them.
- They may seem silly or overly picky to you, but interviewers take them seriously.
- Expectations are lower for foreign candidates, but if you ignore business etiquette entirely, your qualifications won’t matter. Seriously.
What to Read Next
Japanese for ALTs: At the Bank
Learn how to withdraw all the money you’ll be making at your new job.
Japanese for ALTs: At the Supermarket
Includes terms on discounts and special offers – perfect for when you’re penniless between jobs.
Thinking about becoming an ALT? Get the full guide on everything from applying to arriving in So You Want to Be an ALT.
ALT Roadmap 