Promotion of Internationals Working in Japan

Center for Promotion of International Exchange

Saga University

For those who have not reached N2 of JLPT or do not have ability to make conversations with Japanese at the level of the N2 equivalent: For example, those who will receive MA or PhD by completing courses in a program conducted in English and have not studied Japanese much

If your level of Japanese proficiency is equal to or higher than N2 of JLPT, then go to the other version of this Home Page. If your Japanese proficiency is less than N2 and you are not able to converse with Japanese people at the N2 equivalent, then it will be quite difficult to find positions in companies in Japan. In local areas in Japan, for example, Saga, there may be almost no company that employs English-only employees. Furthermore, the relevant local public agencies cannot help internationals who do not have N2 of JLPT or do not have N2 equivalent in communicating with Japanese people. We recommend you to enhance your Japanese proficiency to the level that you can communicate in Japanese people in conversations and e-mail exchanges at the N2 level. Otherwise, you need to find positions in big companies in big cities. Your research ability as well as your English proficiency is required to be high in competitive positions in big cities.

You might want to read ‘Job Hunting Guide for International Students’ (Click here to look at the guide in English version) produced by Japan Student Services Organization (JASSO) carefully about 13 months before your graduation. That is, M1 students and PhD3 students might want to read it as far as you are considering working in Japan. You can learn how to do job hunting in Japan and the culture of companies in Japanese companies.

• The companies that employ English only employees expect you to have advanced skills or knowledge even if you are not good at Japanese and at the same time to know the situations and affairs of your home country or area. I hope the two kinds of your skills, which you have acquired in MA or PhD in Saga University, and your experiences, related to your own culture, contribute to the innovations in the Japanese companies.

• Japanese employees are in a sense trained to be a good member of a team to achieve the aim of the team through club or circle activities in clubs in junior high schools and high schools. This is the core of strength of Japanese companies. You might want to learn how to work in teams. You might want to make use of your skills in working in teams.

What to do in Job Hunting

What follows is an English version of one in Career Center of Saga University. It is the same as those for regular Japanese students. Your job hunting starts one month and one year before your graduation. If you cannot do so because you are too busy with your MA thesis or PhD dissertation to do activities of job hunting, you might want to see what to do in your job hunting. You may have already done self-analysis and –evaluation and examined what kind of jobs you want to engage in and which industry you want to find companies in.

M-1/ Ph2	M1/ Ph3	M1/ Ph3	M1/ Ph3	M1/ Ph3	M1/ Ph3	M2/ Ph4	M2/ Ph4	M2/ Ph4	M2/ Ph4	M2/ Ph4	M2/ Ph4
Internships
	Participate in guidance for job hunting
	Self-analysis and -evaluation
	Examine Job-types, Industries and Companies
					Submit Entry Sheets of Companies
					Participate in company briefing session, Submit applications
							Take screening tests (written tests and interviews)
							Receive informal job offers to joining companies
August-March	April-August	September-October	November-December	January-February	March	April-May	June-July	August	September	October-December	January-March

Reports by international students of Saga University who have received tentative job offers to joining Japanese companies, February 2021
The first two of the students who did their reports have ability to communicate in Japanese at the N2 equivalent, and the last is proficient in English, but not at all in Japanese. You can learn tips and skills from your seniors. They had online interviews because of the prevalence of COVID-16.

• MA in Agriculture (Namura Ship Building) (PP materials, Movie): Coordinator with Trainee from her country and work related to her research
• PhD in Urban Design (Azusa Sekkei) (PP materials, Movie): Having working abundant experiences related to her research in her own country and in Japan
• MA in Science (PP materials, Movie): Studied abroad in Japan supported by JICA Abe scholarship

Opinions and comments of the reports do not express the opinions of Saga University. If you click here, you can read my experience of job hunting in Japan.

Support for matching between international students and companies
I could not find any matching public agency to help international students whose Japanese proficiency is lower than N2 or not being able to converse with Japanese people at the N2 equivalent.

Career Center of Saga University (Japanese only)

Business Japanese: for Job Hunting (planning)

HP created by Hiroki Koga, Associate Professor, Center for Promotion of International Exchange, Saga University