The Biggest Mistake Foreigners Make When Looking for a Job in Japan? It’s waiting to graduate before job hunting.

You have a limited time window to take advantage of the new graduate recruitment in Japan. Make sure you don’t miss it!

Time and again, tons of promising foreign applicants inquire with us who are sadly outside of our program scope. Why? Because they waited to graduate or get work experience before looking for a job in Japan. At FAST OFFER International, we specialize in talents taking advantage of Japan’s strong New Graduate Recruitment system for university students and recent graduates. Therefore, mid-career applicants are automatically disqualified.

Don’t Miss Your Window of Opportunity: What’s The Best Time to Look for a Job in Japan as a Foreigner?

The best time to start looking for a job in Japan is while you’re in your last two years of study!  

We get it, though. For the rest of the world, it’s the norm to look for a job after graduating. However, in Japan, job hunting starts as early as two years before graduation. Knowing this quirk about the Japanese job market as a foreigner can unlock opportunities beyond your imagination.

The Japanese Job Market as a New or Recent Graduate VS as a Mid-Career Aplicant

6 Advantages of Entering the New Graduate Recruitment System as a Foreigner

1. Lower Japanese Requirement. For foreigners looking for a job in Japan, learning Japanese is typically the biggest hurdle, as interviews are in Japanese. However, there’s more leeway when you are applying to companies looking for foreign new graduates.
2. No Work Experience is an Edge. Japanese companies see university students and recent graduates as “blank canvases” that are easier to train with the company’s specific corporate culture and required skills.
3. Less Competitive. Since Japanese companies mass-hire new graduates, there are more openings to vie for.
4. Work Right After Graduation. You can skip the anxiety of being jobless right after graduation. Job offers are typically signed in your final year, and applicants are scheduled to join soon after they graduate.
5. More Companies to Find Your Best Fit. Since a lot of different companies will be actively looking around the same time, you will have more companies to choose from.
6. Access to FAST OFFER International’s Free Assistance. The Japanese job market can be quite confusing for foreigners, but FAST OFFER International can help you easily navigate the cultural challenges you may face. On top of that, FAST OFFER International’s program has free Japanese classes, job matching, interview coordination, job interview prep, and the possibility of qualifying for the monthly sponsored interview events in Tokyo.

The New Graduate Recruitment System Typically Experienced by Locals

Students typically research companies, submit applications in advance, and start the interview process during their final year of study. During the job interviews, students typically are able to talk about their final year project and relate that with the company’s projects, values, and goals. This enables most of Japan’s new graduates to maximize their choices for Japanese companies to work with and start work right after graduation.

Why Japanese Companies Hire New Grads in Advance

At its core, the New Graduate Recruitment system is rooted in an efficient system that has existed for decades now. Syncing with the Japanese fiscal year that restarts every April, companies in Japan race to hire the best possible candidates from a limited pool of talent long before they graduate. When recent graduates enter the workforce right after graduating, they are blank canvases that companies can easily train. You can learn more about the New Graduate Recruitment System here: How to Navigate Japan’s Job Market as a New Grad.

How to Start Looking for a Job in Japan Before Graduating as a Foreigner?

Sign up with FAST OFFER International!

Step 1: Qualifying for the Program

• Start learning Japanese early! Make sure you can speak Japanese by your final year of study (This is approximately CEFR A2–B1 / JLPT N3 / Nat Q3 level). Through the FAST OFFER International Japanese Classes program, JLPT N5 to JLPT N3 takes about 1 year. If you want to qualify for our JLPT N4 free worldwide Japanese classes, you can self-study your way through JLPT N5 with this guide: JLPT N5 Study Plan For Beginners: A Self-Study Guide.
• Sign up with FAST OFFER International in your 3rd year at University. This can be through our Japanese Classes, or if you already speak Japanese, you can go straight to job hunting by clicking the APPLY NOW button and going through the screening process. After signing up, make sure to fill out your profile and schedule a meeting with us.

Step 2: Job Hunting with FAST OFFER International as a Foreigner

• Polish your profile for job matching. Once a career advisor clears you to be job interview ready, you will have to submit your translated Final Year Project and a 1-minute self introduction video. These finalize your official profile to be shown to Japanese companies that might match with your profile.
• Job Interview Preparation. Once you are chosen to be interviewed by one or more companies, it’s time to prepare for the interviews. You will have to do thorough company research to prepare for the interviews, then engage with mock interview sessions with your assigned career advisor to polish your Japanese interview skills.
• Interviewing with a Japanese Company. If you’re chosen by a 1-2 companies, your interviews will be offered online. Applicants chosen by three or more companies are qualified for the sponsored 6-day trip to Japan for the in-person job interview event in Tokyo.

Achieving Sweet, Sweet Success: Getting A Job Offer to Work in Japan as a New Graduate

• Getting a Job Offer. Applicants typically need to pass two interview rounds to get a job offer, which are usually given on the same day of the last interview. If you receive a job offer, you have two weeks to sign the contract with your chosen company. Join dates are typically on the following April or October of the year or the following year. Upon signing, you will be assisted with the Japanese work visa procedures and other transition requirements.

Ready to start your journey?

First, Learn Japanese

1. Finish our JLPT N5 study guide and possibly qualify for the Worldwide Japanese Classes.
2. Join one of the many different free Japanese classes in partnership with different universities around Asia.
3. For Indian students, enroll at AtoJ Hirameki to easily transition to job hunting as soon as you’re ready.

Or, Start Job Hunting Now

If you’re at the right stage in life as a university student or recent graduate, with adequate Japanese skills, start job hunting now! Register, fill out your profile, and have a career conversation with us.