先輩インタビュー Interviews with alumni
The surefire way to find a job is to master honorifics
and present yourself as you are!
From Mongolia Mr.O.A. Job type: IT-related
He studied Japanese at a school in his home country of Mongolia and later came to Japan. After graduating from a technical college here, he transferred to a university and majored in mechanical engineering and robotic control. As his interest in programming, which he learned on his own, increased, he decided that his first choice would be to become a software engineer in the IT field. While he initially struggled with the unfamiliar use of Japanese honorifics in the course of interviews, he became proficient in it with time and was able to present himself as he is. As a result, he successfully got a job offer from his first choice of a company.
Job hunting data
- Target industryIT-related
- Internship2 companies
- Company information sessions joined5 companies
- ES submission5 companies
- Interview5 companies
- Job offer2 companies
How did you study Japanese?
In my native Mongolia I studied at a combined elementary, middle and high school which had built with the support of Japan. At this school, I was able to take Japanese-style lessons in Japanese from Japanese teachers, so I could speak Japanese to a certain extent even before coming to Japan. After graduating from high school, I came to Japan on the recommendation of the embassy under the Japanese Government Scholarship Program and enrolled in a Japanese language school with the goal of passing the Japanese Language Proficiency Test LEVEL 1 (N1) in one year. Since lessons at this Japanese language school were designed for basic-level students, I felt it would be difficult to pass N1 by studying only in class, so I decided to study on my own using reference books and workbooks. I didn't have much time to study for the first six months, but in the latter half of the year I studied about two hours every day after classes, and as a result, I was able to pass N1 in one year as I had planned.
Why did you decide to work for a Japanese company?
I first started thinking about working for a Japanese company in the summer of my third year of university. The main reason for this was my trust in all things Japanese. Since living in Mongolia, I always felt that Japanese products were of very high quality, and decided I wanted to work for a Japanese company that would make such high-quality products. Also, the fact that they make such reliable products meant to me that Japanese companies themselves are very focused and take anything they do seriously, including human resource training and management structure. My future career vision then took the shape of "First, I would like to work for a Japanese company, gain a certain amount of experience, and then use that to further my career.
Tell us about the focus of your job hunting and the sectors and job types you considered.
I considered two different options: to become a robotic control engineer by putting to use the specialized knowledge I had acquired at my technical college and university, or to become a software engineer by putting to use the programming knowledge I personally enjoyed studying. I decided to go for software engineering, which I was more interested in. As for choosing a specific company, I prioritized companies offering an environment that could foster my professional growth. Since I have a strong desire to grow in general, I wanted to be in an environment where I could grow at my work too. I also consulted with many different people, including my university professors and friends, and received a lot of advice on aspects that I would not have considered from my perspective as an international student, such as, "If you're joining a company as a new graduate, it might be better to work for a large company," and, "You should consider not only the job description but also employee benefits."
Did you focus your efforts on anything in particular while job hunting?
When I looked up online information on "job hunting for international students," I was surprised to see that someone advised to "apply to 100 companies!" I personally didn't think it was worth making special preparations for job hunting, so I didn't put much effort into it and instead focused on being myself. Many people try to make themselves look bigger during interviews in order to get an unofficial job offer, but I decided to do the opposite and reveal who I really am. I thought that if a company saw me as I am and still decided to hire me, then I would definitely be able to work there as I am.
Were you able to present yourself as you are during interviews?
Even though I say I want employers to see me as I am, it’s still important to follow proper etiquette, in particular when it comes to honorific language. This was the biggest hurdle during interviews for me as an international student. I had studied honorific language at my Japanese language school but, perhaps because I never had a chance to use it, I had almost forgotten it by the time I started job hunting. Therefore, when I went to an actual interview after researching honorific language on the Internet, I was nervous and couldn't talk naturally. However, after interviewing at several companies, I got the hang of it. Interviews allow you to get a feel for the unique "atmosphere" of a company. Even if you go to an interview thinking it'd go well, there are times when you feel that "something is not right." Of the two companies that offered me a job, I declined one of them because I thought it was not a good fit for me after the interview. The other company had a wide range of commercial operations, and the interviewer told me that they were also considering expanding overseas, which I found very attractive. I can speak my native Mongolian, English, and Japanese, so I wanted to demonstrate my abilities in overseas business.
What was the most difficult part of looking for a job?
I struggled with aptitude tests. To begin with, there are no aptitude tests in Mongolia. Aptitude tests are used to measure the personality and abilities of applicants to determine their suitability, and all the companies I interviewed at, except for one startup, had them. There were about 100 similar questions, and I had to answer them over and over again. Some companies even conducted multiple tests, so it was really difficult.
What is the best part of working for a Japanese company?
Just as I used to think in my job-hunting days, I still think Japanese companies are very honest. For example, overseas, even if you are a new graduate, you will not be hired if you do not have the skills. However, Japanese companies consider the potential of students when hiring them. Even after joining the company, they provide special training for new employees. I was assigned to my department after undergoing three months of new employee training. Of course, my seniors support us new employees at our assigned departments. Even now, there are times when I come across words I don't understand in meetings, but at those times I check with my seniors and I do my best to understand.
Please give a message to international students who are trying to get a job in Japan.
I think the most important thing when job hunting is to know yourself. What do you want to do? What kind of member of society do you want to be in the future? What do you need to do to achieve that? Think carefully about these three points. In order to convey your thoughts to Japanese companies, you will need to improve your ability to express yourself in Japanese. Especially when job hunting, it is essential to master honorific language. Start preparing early and work on your Japanese language skills!
One question and one answer
Let's ask seniors about their jobs of alumni!
- QWhat are your main tasks?
- AI'm in charge of developing and improving website functions.
- QTell us about the way you work.
- AI am free to choose when to go to the office and I work from home 2-3 days a week.
- QWhat is your career plan in the future?
- AI want to gain a wide range of experience and become a full-stack engineer.
