Working in Japan vs. China: Passing Japanese Gaokao Changed This Talent’s Life 

Anime-inspired Japanese Studies 

I wasn’t thinking about working in Japan Vs China at the start. My journey began innocently enough: with a love for anime!  

I started studying Japanese in junior high school because I loved Japanese anime. There were no Japanese classes at school, and my parents did not understand Japanese at all, so I taught myself from the Japanese 50-syllable diagram.  

Who Knew My Love For Anime Would Help Me Pass the World’s Toughest Exam, “Gaokao”?  

When I entered high school, I learned that I could use Japanese as an examination subject for the Chinese university entrance examination called “gaokao.” So, I worked even harder to study Japanese. The Gaokao exam, dubbed the hardest exam in Asia, would determine what university I could enroll in later. 

However, my high school was in a small town in Henan Province, China, that had no Japanese teachers or other students who planned to take the Japanese examination. All my other classmates took the English exam instead. Therefore, I was a bit special in the school. In fact, only 60 out of 20,000 students in my prefecture took the Japanese exam.  

There was no one around me who was studying Japanese, but since the result of the examination would determine my future life, I worked hard to study Japanese alone after school. Whenever I came across a word I didn’t understand, I would write it down in my notebook and look it up on the Internet on my way home to solve the problem. I also contacted other Japanese language learners on the Internet and interacted with them to boost my motivation.  

Thanks to these efforts, I was able to get a near-perfect score of 140 out of 150 points on the final exam. The level of gaokao is at the N3~N2 in the Japanese Language Proficiency Test (JLPT) level. I had already passed JLPT N2 in my third year of high school, so the test was not that difficult for me.  

China has more test takers than any other country, and the English test is much more difficult and competitive. Therefore, if there are any Chinese students who are interested in Japan or have difficulty with English, I recommend that they strategically choose to take the Japanese test.  

If you can already speak Japanese, then working in Japan Vs China is something you’ll naturally think about.  

Working in Japan vs. China  

I envisioned working in Japan since I was in high school. Through studying Japanese and understanding Japanese culture, I gradually came to know more and more about life in Japan. I have come to believe that the Japanese people have a wonderful sense of caring for others, and that work and life in Japan are more stable and better than in China.  

In particular, the working environment in China is quite severe. As for large and well-known companies, the working environments are not that bad. Lesser-known companies that pay well, however, tend to have harsh working conditions. The employees only get one day off per week and are expected to work overtime. As for smaller companies, although there’s no overtime work and there are more holidays, life is also tougher because of the lower salary. It is also not uncommon for workers to be relentlessly laid off due to the company’s circumstances caused by the recession. It’s impossible to relax in such an unstable work environment.   

Therefore, I decided on my major at the university thinking of working in Japan in the future. I took strategic steps throughout my journey to improve my chances of working in Japan. Originally, I was interested in designing anime and game characters, but one day I saw a news report that there was a serious shortage of engineers in the IT industry in Japan. This prompted me to major in computer science.   

I used multiple employment agencies, but FAST OFFER International was the best!  

In my third year of college, my classmates around me started job-hunting. I thought, “It’s time to put my plan in motion!” I found out about ASIA to JAPAN‘s FAST OFFER International through a video on Billibilli. I tried many different agencies, but the companies that FAST OFFER International introduced to me were the best quality, with many of them being large companies. Other agencies introduced me to many small and medium-sized companies. In addition, FAST OFFER International’s process was very fast and smooth compared to other agencies.  FAST OFFER International was the best option for finding a job in Japan. 

The job-hunting process through other agencies is the same as the normal flow for Japanese students:  

1. Seminar about companies →  

2. Entry sheet submission and web test →  

3. 1st interview →  

4. 2nd interview →  

5. 3rd interview  

The Difficulty of Online Job Interviews  

The web test in particular is very difficult for foreigners. This is because in Japan, there are many textbooks on how to prepare for the test in bookstores, but in other countries, they are not sold, and there is no way to prepare for them. Therefore, I often failed the web test.  

I used multiple agencies and had about 10 first-round interviews. But none of them went well. I struggled to speak smoothly in online interviews especially. Sometimes, it was difficult to hear what was being said. That’s why FAST OFFER International’s sponsored trip on-site in Japan last August was a real game changer for me.  

Participation in the August In-Person Japan Interviews  

I was excited to be selected as a participant in FAST OFFER International’s face-to-face interview event in Japan. Like an elementary school student, I couldn’t sleep before going on a trip. I was so grateful to be able to go to Japan! Aside from always wanting to visit, the trip was also absolutely free.  

Throughout the interview sessions, the support from the staff was very encouraging. From the time I arrived at the airport to just before my interviews, they were always friendly and reliable. I was quite nervous about the interviews, but the mentors helped me get through them with a lot of guidance and encouragement.  

I had interviews with three companies at the interview session, and the interviewer at the company that made me an offer seemed very sincere and kind. During the interview with that company, I had a problem with my computer, but the HR person lent me his computer and I was able to continue the interview. Looking back now, I think it was a good decision to join that company.  

It was hard to believe my acceptance letter, as it stared right back at me, in awe. The whole process was so fast! I was almost as if everything was over before I even began.   

The company is a large, 2000-employee company with factories in China as well. I felt like all the interview experiences I had been working on since April had paid off.  

The Bonus Joys of FAST OFFER International’s Interview Event in Japan  

Thinking about working in China Vs. In Japan, life after hours also comes to mind. There are so many great things in Japan outside of work! Just with my short trip to Japan thanks to FAST OFFER International, so many experiences brought me joy.  

1. I got to explore nearby spots. During the interview period, I went to Ueno Park and Akihabara, which were close to the hotel where I was staying.  

2. I enjoyed a diverse community. There were many students who participated in the August interview session, and it was great to make many friends. I enjoyed the Farewell Party a lot! I got to talk to other international students about our home countries. It was a lot of fun to be able to take pictures with everyone. When I finally come to Japan for work, I plan on joining the party again, this time as a senpai to upcoming talents!  

3. I got another freebie! FAST OFFER International staff congratulated me on my job offer and even gave me this original company t-shirt.  

Future goals for working in Japan  

Recently, I attended the job offer ceremony of the company that offered me a job online. I was the only one who participated online and was shown on a large monitor. It was quite embarrassing! Despite being thousands of miles away, I greeted and interacted with the other job offer recipients. It’s gotten me excited to work as an engineer in Japan in a few months time.  

When I start working, I will first try not to make any mistakes. I don’t want to aim for a high level right away. Instead, I want to work steadily, step-by-step to improve my skills.  

I also want to travel all over Japan, from Hokkaido to Okinawa. I hope I can go to all the various places in Tokyo that I missed the last time.  

Interviews for Working in Japan vs. China:  Some Important Tips for Japanese Job Interviews  

1. Show your sincerity in the interview. I think it’s important to show the attitude that you’ll work hard in Japan in the future.  
   
2. In interviews with Japanese companies, it’s better to appeal to your teamwork and cooperation. In interviews in China, it’s considered good to appeal like, “I can do this and that.” Please be careful of this difference between Japanese and Chinese interviews. 
   
3. If you don’t give up and keep confidently moving forward, you will surely succeed! I also lost most of my confidence after failing the first interview more than 10 times, but I kept trying and was able to pass. It’s really important not to give up. Do your best!