Interview preparation to get a job offer

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In this lesson, you will learn questions that are actually asked in interviews, how to answer them, and how to make sentences that can be used in interviews.

It will be very helpful in preparing for your interview in Japan, so please check this over and over again.

First, you should know the interview process.

At the beginning, The interviewer will explain in detail about the company and the job you will be responsible for.

After joining the company, confirm whether you can make use of your previous experience, whether the job description is as you have imagined, and whether the company atmosphere is pleasant.

Next, the interviewer will ask you a variety of questions.

During the question-and-answer session, they will check the applicant’s experience and personality, as well as whether the applicant fits the company’s color.

They will ask mainly work-related questions, such as what kind of work you have done in the past and about your previous work experience.

The interviewer checks to see if the position matches the applicant’s experience and skills.

Be prepared to tell how you can contribute to the company with your past experience.

An interview is an opportunity to see if the applicant is a match for the talent the company is looking for.

This is not a game of answering the interviewer’s questions perfectly. So the applicant also has the right to choose the company.

As you go through the interview process, imagine whether you will be able to improve your skills if you join this company, and whether you will still be working there in five to ten years.

The stronger your desire to join the company, the more nervous you will be and the less likely you will be able to make a good case, so try to relax during the interview.

Also, be careful not to lie in the interview or embellish your experience or other information, as this may cause difficulties after you join the company or even if you do, you may leave soon after joining.

In the case of non-Japanese applicants, it is important not only to check the applicant’s experience and skills, but also how well he/she speaks Japanese, in other words, whether he/she can communicate.

Isn’t the reason for the interview to make sure that the applicant’s experience and skills match the position the company is looking for?
You may think so.

In fact, it is not only that, but it is the personality that we value the most.

Because, while we can guess some of their previous experience and skills from their resume, we cannot know their Japanese language skills, communication skills, and personality unless we meet them in person.

Passing the screening process means that the applicant’s experience and skills have been deemed sufficient in the first place.

We are now at the stage of deciding whether or not to hire them after meeting them in person.

If you have passed the document screening, you have passed in terms of skills, so please think of the rest as a Japanese language test.

During the interview, they will ask these questions in depth.

Why do you want to change your job?

Why do you want to work for this company?

How will you use your skills to contribute to the company?

Be prepared to explain these in detail.

The following are four questions that must be asked in an interview.

① self-introduction

During self-introductions, you will be asked these questions.

In your introduction, tell them the following

Before introducing yourself, be sure to thank the interviewer for their time.

It will make a very good impression on you.

Also, please do not tell them what you studied at university in your home country, hobbies, Japanese culture, or anything else that has nothing to do with your job.

Your self-introduction should be neither too short nor too long, roughly one minute.

② reason for a change of occupation

In the reason for changing jobs, you will be asked these question.

The reason for checking the reason for the job change is to make sure that the applicant will not leave the company within one year.

Here, tell positive reasons, such as wanting to improve your skills or advance in your career.

We will tell you how to create a reason for changing jobs.

Tell your reasons for changing jobs in this order.

In this question, you should tell how you will make use of your previous experience.

Also, never complain about your current position.

The interviewer fully understands that the applicant is dissatisfied with their current job and salary and wants to change jobs.

If you are not dissatisfied, there is no need to change jobs in the first place.

If you express dissatisfaction with your current job, the interviewers may think that you will quit immediately if the same thing happens at the new company, and may reject you, so you need to be careful.

③ reason for application

In the motivation for applying, you will be asked this question.

In this question, they will confirm why the applicant wants to join our company and not another.

So, look at the website of the company you are applying for and think about why you need to work for that company.

We will tell you how to create a motivation for your application.

The following is the order in which you should communicate your reasons for applying.

④ Knowledge and experience that can be applied

You will be asked knowledge and experience like this.

Tell the interviewer specifically and concisely how you can use your previous experience.

Abour the knowledge and experience, you should tell in this order.

Study the business Japanese you use in interviews.

As mentioned before, the interviewer will check the applicant’s Japanese language ability while conversing with you about your career to date.

It is important to be able to communicate with Japanese people, so listen carefully to the interviewer’s questions and answer correctly.

Try not to give answers that do not answer the question.

While there is nothing wrong with asking a question several times to make sure you understand the intent of the question, do not fail to understand the question and give a response that misses the point.

If you don’t understand a question, ask it again.

It is okay to listen back to a question, but concentrate on listening so that you do not have to listen to it over and over again.

It is also important to read the words spoken by the interviewer and anticipate what the interviewer wants to say.

Don’t memorize the sentences you say in the interview, but use your own words as much as possible.

It is very important to create and prepare the words you will say in the interview.

But don’t memorize them.

This is because you get very nervous during interviews and forget the sentences you have memorized.

If you forget a sentence, your mind goes blank and you will be paniced.

If this happens, you will end up not knowing what you are trying to say, so do your best to convey your message in your own words.

Speak confidently and clearly.

During the interview, make eye contact with the interviewer and answer in a clear manner.

The interviewer will be checking to see if the applicant is sociable and can express your own opinions clearly.

Avoid mumbling with no smile.

Practice your interview as many times as you can.

Even Japanese people practice interviews many times and have image training.

The more you practice, the higher your job offer rate will be, so just practice your interviews a lot.