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Great Expectations: What Japanese Companies Want From Exchange Students
Friday, June 7, 2019
When job hunting, you need a plan of attack. Enhance yours by understanding the company’s needs.
Great Expectations: What Japanese Companies Want From Exchange Students
· Excellent Japanese language ability
· Excellent English language ability
· Self-starters
· Decisiveness
· Ability to handle international business
· A set of values, creativity, and knowledge different from Japanese people
· Talented individuals, regardless of nationality
· Their company, globalized
There are plenty of other things companies look for when hiring exchange students.
You don’t have to try and meet every single need of every single company, but here are a few things to remember as you prepare for your job hunt.
1. You’re in Japan, study Japanese (at least a little)
There are plenty of schools with lectures given and essays written in English, where exchange students can snag academic excellence without knowing anything more than konnichiha.
That’s perfectly fine for those who won’t be finding work in Japan, but for those who are, it’s best to understand that most companies will require Japanese language skills.
Keep this in mind, and tackle your job hunt well prepared.
２. Know who you are
Companies don’t always hire people with the most amazing accomplishments or the best grades. Personality and individuality are also important factors during the hiring process.
Ask yourself:
· What sort of person do I want to become?
· What do I want to do at the companies I interview at?
· What sort of career do I want?
Sure, you’ll be asked these things during your interview, and thinking about them ahead of time will help keep stammering and improvisation to a minimum, but these are also important questions to think while in school. Give them some consideration.
３. Do your research
The title says “What Japanese Companies Want,” but of course, each company is different. As mentioned before, you don’t need to try and contort yourself into a shape that fits every one of them; but companies will have an idea of their ideal candidate.
Do your research, adjust your resume, and go to your interview confident you can present yourself as that ideal.
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