Following My Dream to One Day Live in Japan
I majored in English Literature at the Communication University of China in Beijing even though I first chose Japanese as my second foreign language, because of how I was drawn to their fashion, and lifestyle. I needed to figure out how to become a Chinese Graduate in Japan.
During my time in university, I experienced a pandemic caused by a new type of coronavirus. Realizing how short life was through that experience made me determined to follow my dreams right away! Because my dream was to experience a different lifestyle in Japan, I decided to study Japanese in Tokyo after graduating from university in June 2023.
I attended a language school in Japan for about a year starting in July 2023. When I first came to Japan, my Japanese level was between JLPT N4 and N3. Although I chose Japanese as my second foreign language, I wasn’t able to speak it fluently. However, I desperately tried my best to study Japanese knowing I needed a high level of Japanese mastery to find a job in Japan. Nearly every day, I attended a Japanese language school in the morning and self-studied in the afternoon. After five months of dedicated studying, I obtained JLPT N1.
Securing a Humanities Job in Japan with FAST OFFER International’s Support
I found out about ASIA to JAPAN’s FAST OFFER International program when I was in China through friends and on social media. I had registered with the company then. However, at the time, without proof of my Japanese language level, I was not selected for the next stage.
After obtaining JLPT N1, I applied again. This time, I had an interview with FAST OFFER International’s staff. At that time, I was told that my Japanese was not good enough for a liberal arts job. However, three days later, they e-mailed again to say they’d found opportunities that may fit my ability. Keenly, I went ahead with the interviews.
Life-Changing Job Interviews to Land a Job in Japan as a Chinese Graduate
I had three weeks to prepare for the interview. I needed to do my best as a Chinese graduate to make sure I get my dream life in Japan. So, during that time, I wrote down my answers to the possible questions and reviewed my answers many times to make sure they were logical. I also practiced for the interview with my mentor from FAST OFFER International, who identified areas for improvement and coached me on Japanese interview techniques. Using my time wisely, I was able to prepare for the interview.
Since I lived in Tokyo, I attended the interview sessions in person. I was so nervous during the in-person Japanese interview that, for a moment, I couldn’t recall what I had prepared. Fortunately, thanks to thorough content and mental preparation, I was able to recall my responses as they related to the questions being asked, which helped me succeed.
Even though these were my very first face-to-face interviews, I succeeded in both! I got an offer from one company after just one interview round and another offer after two rounds. Receiving the job offers felt like a significant achievement. Succeeding in something so challenging boosted my confidence. At the company I chose, I will be working as store staff. I will mainly serve customers from Taiwan and Europe and will also focus on marketing to customers via social media. I chose this job because it aligns with the work I want to do and my desire to live in Tokyo. It’s quite advantageous to be a Chinese graduate in Japan. In the future, I would like to start studying new languages like Korean to extend my support to even more customers. I also want to learn more about the Business-to-Client(B2C) side.
Essential Tips for Chinese Graduates Who Want To Land a Humanities Job in Japan
- Be ready for the challenges ahead! I feel that it is more difficult to get a job offer in the humanities than in the sciences. This is because students in the sciences have more technical skills compared to those in the humanities.
- To make up for this, sharpen your Japanese! As a Chinese graduate, learning Japanese is the sure path to Japan. Japanese language skills are even more important when finding employment in the humanities. For science-related employment, having JLPT N3-N2 certification is enough, humanities-related employment requires at least JLPT N1 certification. If you have N1, you can put it on your resume, and it will help you get through the application process.
- Objectively know your own abilities! Think carefully about what you can do with your abilities. It is good to challenge yourself, but it is also important to objectively analyze the limits of your abilities. When searching for a job, I believe it’s essential to concentrate on what you can do now while setting your current challenges as future goals.
If you really want to work in Japan, I believe you can do it if you work hard! Good luck!
