Mastering JLPT N1 certification in a Year
Since I was in junior high school, I loved Japanese anime, especially Naruto, and watched it a lot. However, it was my exposure to the Chinese job market later in my life that pushed that attraction into a strong desire to work in Japan.
Before I entered university, I was busy studying for entrance exams, but I started self-studying Japanese towards the end of my second year of university. At first, I studied grammar in textbooks, and after I reached a certain level of basic knowledge, I naturally learned Japanese through Japanese anime, games, dramas, movies, and music. By doing so, I passed the Japanese Language Proficiency Test (JLPT) N1 in less than a year after starting to study.
The thing I worked hardest on during my university life was definitely studying Japanese!
Difficulties in the Chinese Job Market Inspired Them to Find a Job in Japan
At first, I was just studying Japanese as a hobby, but as I studied, I began to think that finding a job in Japan would be a good choice. There are three main reasons for this:
It would be great to live in Japan
I’ve always desired living in Japan. Since I was a child, I have loved Japanese culture and had a pure desire to live in that environment.
The severe Chinese job market for Chinese graduates
Since the COVID-19 pandemic became serious, many Chinese companies have gone bankrupt, and job-hunting has become more difficult. My friends who are also from Wuhan University, one of top universities in China, are facing this tough job market, and few of them can work for large companies.
The harsh work environment in China
When you do land a job, things don’t turn out for the better. The working environment in China is much harder than in Japan. Do you know what “996” means in China? It means “working from 9am to 9pm, six days a week.” Furthermore, in many Chinese companies, overtime is not paid, and laying off is common. Pressured from how easily employees are laid off, employees are compelled to do extra unpaid work.
To be honest, I was pessimistic about the current job market in China. Wuhan University, where I studied, is one of the top universities in China, so when I entered university, I thought, “There should be no problems in my future.” However, when I started job-hunting in China in my third or fourth year, I was confronted with a very harsh reality; there is only a few jobs available to current fresh graduates like me.
Until high school, I sacrificed everything and studied hard to get into a good university. Chinese high school students do not have club activities, cultural festivals, school trips, or long summer and winter holidays like Japanese high school students. Even after overcoming the tough exam preparation and finally getting into a good university, I still couldn’t find a job. I was tired and disappointed by such a harsh competitive society and bleak future.
So, I started to think that I wanted to work in Japan, where more job opportunities for fresh graduates are open than in China and the jobs are more stable.
The Challenge of Job Hunting as a Student Majoring in Economics
Exiting from the Chinese job market also had its own challenges as I entered the Japanese job market. Thankfully, I wasn’t alone.
So, in February of my fourth year of university, I registered with FAST OFFER International. I came to know about it on “BiliBili” (a video site that replaces YouTube in China). Immediately after registering, I had interviews with staff and online interviews with Japanese companies. At first, it didn’t go well at all.
I participated in face-to-face interviews in June thanks to FAST OFFER International sponsored trips. The final interview with a company I was most interested in went quite well, and FAST OFFER International’s staff told me, “This looks like you’ll get an offer!” But unfortunately, I was not accepted. At the time, I had just graduated from Wuhan University in June, but I still hadn’t found a job, which made me quite anxious. I kept failing interviews and feeling depressed, and there were times when I thought, “Maybe I should give up on finding a job in Japan…” If I didn’t get a job, I was thinking about studying at Kyoto University’s graduate school, and I was already preparing for that.
Flying to Japan Twice to Land My Goal to Work in Japan
At that time, I received a call saying that I had been selected for the interviews in August. I went into the interviews giving it my all, thinking that this was my last chance. Three companies interviewed me, and I finally received an offer from a Japanese company. I had interviewed with eight or nine companies up until that point, so I was very happy to finally get the successful outcome!
I was originally planning to visit the office of the company that had offered me a job, but unfortunately, I couldn’t go because of the typhoon. Thankfully, before the typhoon’s arrival, I got to explore Japan. In my spare time during the job interviews, I also went to many tourist attractions. I went to Ueno Park, Akihabara, Shibuya, Skytree, Shinjuku Gyoen, and took a lot of photos. A friend and I also went to eat Yakiniku. I was especially happy to get a Chinese friend who I got along with at the FAST OFFER international’s interview event.
On my final day in Japan, I attended FAST OFFER International’s Fairwell party. Meeting the other interview participants and FAST OFFER International staff from various countries was delightful. I had never attended a party like that before, so it was a really special memory for me. I would like to participate again if I have the chance!
My Future Dream: Connecting China and Japan
Being Chinese outside of the local job market was pretty handy in Japan! I will be working for the overseas sales of the company. The company has many subsidiaries and business partners in China, Taiwan, Korea, Europe and the United States. I will mainly be involved in business activities with subsidiaries and customers in China and Taiwan.
When I join the company, I would like to grow as a full-fledged employee and become a talent who can contribute to the company and also to the society. I hope to bridge between China and Japan through my work as overseas sales.
Also, I have always been fascinated by the cityscape of Kyoto, so when I start living in Japan, I would like to travel to Kyoto and see the scenery with my own eyes. Hopefully I want to live in Kyoto someday.
Advice for Fellow Chinese Talents Who Want to Work in Japan
If you’re wary of the Chinese job market, then eyeing Japan might just be the thing for you, too. Here’s my tips to help you increase your chances landing a job in Japan, here’s some things I learned.
An Engineering Degree Will Make Job Hunting Easier
I graduated with a humanities degree. Although I ultimately succeeded to secure my job, it took longer than I expected. Job hunting in Japan is still much more difficult for students who have a humanities or social sciences degree since engineering knowledge or IT skills are more demanded in Japanese market.
Learning To Speak Japanese is the Most Important Skill
How to get a job in Japan without an engineering degree? It lies in your Japanese language ability. At the very least, you should obtain JLPT N1 certification. However, even if you have N1 certification, JLPT only tests reading and listening skills and not speaking ability, so in many cases your conversation skills are still insufficient. Ultimately, what is important in job interviews is your communication skill in Japanese, so you should also practice your ability to communicate with people in Japanese.
I had never lived in Japan and didn’t have any Japanese friends nearby, so I improved my conversation skills by shadowing while watching Japanese dramas. I also recommend practicing Japanese conversation by exploiting chat GPT.
Show Your Eagerness to Learn More in Japan at the Interview
During the interview, make sure to demonstrate your Japanese ability and your desire to improve it in the future. You might not have perfect Japanese, but interviewers will appreciate it if you show the right attitude to learn Japanese language.
Encouragement for Fellow Chinese Graduates
It’s a worthwhile pursuit out of the Chinese job market! Just keep working hard. As difficult learning Japanese may be, being Chinese will speed up the process for you since Chinese language and Japanese language shares many similar aspects, such as Chinese character and Kanji. What takes other nationalities several years typically only takes us one year. You can do it!
