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In this video, we will introduce how foreigners can create a self-promotional statement that will be highly evaluated in a Japanese interview, along with many example sentences.
Please use this as a reference whether you are having an interview in Japan for the first time or are considering changing jobs.
Even if you can make a good impression on your resume and work history, if you cannot speak well in an interview, it will not lead to your being hired.
Among these, the most important thing is “self-promotion.”
In Japanese interviews, you will almost always be asked to “sell yourself.”
This question is designed to find out how you can organize and communicate your strengths and characteristics, and how you can contribute to the company.
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Why self-promotion is important in Japanese interviews
Self-promotion means “selling your strengths and experience to a company.”
In Japanese interviews, you will be asked questions for the following purposes:
What skills and strengths do you have?
They look to see if you are a valuable asset to the company.
How to use your experience
We value not just the skills, but also the experience of actually achieving results.
How can you contribute to the company?
It’s important to demonstrate an attitude that is not self-centered, but rather contributes to the growth of the company and the success of the team.
In particular, for foreigners, “ability to express oneself in Japanese” and “ability to understand different cultures” are also points of evaluation.
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Three steps to creating your own promotion
Next, I will explain the three steps to creating your own promotion.
If you follow these steps, you will be able to write a strong self-promotional statement.
Step 1: Identify your strengths
First, think about your strengths. There are three main types of strengths.
Skills: IT skills, sales skills, language skills, specialized knowledge, etc.
Personality: Responsibility, flexibility, cooperation, tenacity, etc.
Experience: Overseas experience, study abroad/part-time work experience in Japan, cross-cultural interaction, etc.
Step 2: Add specific anecdotes
Saying “I’m serious” or “I’m a hard worker” isn’t convincing.
The interviewer wants to know how your strengths have helped you in certain situations. So, prepare anecdotes that support your strengths.
It’s easier to understand if you tell the story in the order of “challenge → action → result.”
example:
(Problem) A system malfunction occurred in university research.
(Action) I investigated the cause and proposed ways to improve it.
(Results) As a result, the project proceeded as planned and was highly praised by the teacher.
Step 3: Tell them how you can help the company
When promoting yourself, it is important to conclude with, “This is why I can be useful to your company.”
In a Japanese interview, be sure to show how your strengths will be beneficial to the company.
example:
“I believe that by utilizing this problem-solving ability, I can contribute to resolving issues in your development project.”
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Mmodel answers.
You can use the sentences as they are, so please feel free to use them.
You will be asked questions like this in the interview.
Please promote yourself.
Please tell me your strengths.
What are the benefits of hiring you?
For IT engineers
“My strength is the speed at which I can learn new technologies. During my university days, I taught myself Python and automated data processing for a research project. As a result, I was able to cut my work time in half. I would like to actively learn new technologies and contribute to improving the efficiency of your company’s system development as well.”
“My strength is problem-solving ability. When a server failure occurred at my previous job, I quickly identified the cause and proposed an alternative solution. I was able to restore the system in a short amount of time, which earned me the trust of my team. I will use this experience to contribute to your company’s stable service provision.
For hospitality and service industries
“My strength is my communication skills. During my part-time job in Japan, I was able to serve customers who were not good at English using gestures and simple Japanese, and they thanked me. I would like to use this experience to help me at your store, which attracts customers from many different countries.”
“My strengths are a smile and polite service. When I worked at a restaurant, I always served customers with a smile, even during busy times, and regular customers remembered my name. I will provide the same service at your company that will make them want to come back.”
For office workers
“Accuracy and speed are my strengths. When I was working part-time as a data entry specialist, I devised ways to reduce input errors and increase efficiency. As a result, I was able to process the work accurately even when the workload increased. I can contribute to the accuracy and efficiency of your company’s administrative work as well.”
“I am confident in my ability to support my team. When I was in charge of coordinating my boss’s schedule at my previous job, I made sure to check the details and was able to prevent any problems. I will also be able to support your team in the administrative position, working behind the scenes.”
Leveraging the unique strengths of foreigners
“My strength is my ability to deal with different cultures. At university, I worked in a team that included both Japanese and foreigners, which allowed me to understand cultural differences and reach a consensus. I believe I can put this experience to good use in your international projects.”
“My strength is my willingness to take on challenges. When I studied abroad in Japan, I struggled with the language and cultural differences, but I overcame them by taking proactive action. This experience has given me confidence that I can adapt flexibly to unfamiliar environments. I would like to take on new challenges at your company as well.”
For general employees and sales staff
“My strength is communication skills. When I was in charge of a new client in my previous job, I carefully listened to their requests and came up with a proposal that led to a contract. In my role in sales at your company, I aim to be a trusted presence for the client.”
“My strength is tenacity. In the past, I had a hard time getting any sales contracts, but I didn’t give up and kept making proposals, which eventually led to a big contract. I will continue to work tenaciously to achieve results at your company as well.”
The basic structure of self-promotion is to structure it in the following order: strengths → anecdotes → contributions to the company.
We have prepared many example sentences for each job type and characteristic so that you can use them according to the situation.
summary
We will review the points that foreigners should emphasize when promoting themselves.
It is effective to highlight the strengths that are unique to foreigners.
Language skills: Multilingual skills, such as Japanese + native language + English, are a strong asset.
Ability to deal with different cultures: Highly rated in international workplaces and companies with many foreign customers.
A spirit of challenge: The determination to work in Japan is perceived positively.
Flexibility: Sharing your experiences adapting to new environments is persuasive.
The key to promoting yourself in a Japanese interview is to present your strengths, specific examples, and contributions to the company.
If you are a foreigner, you have the opportunity to showcase strengths that Japanese people don’t have, such as language ability, cross-cultural experience, and a spirit of challenge. Practice in advance and prepare so you can speak in 1-2 minutes.
Self-promotion is a self-introduction that says, “This is who I am,” and also a promise that “That’s why I can be successful at your company.” If you prepare it correctly, it can be a powerful tool.
To ensure your success in finding employment or changing jobs in Japan, please use this video as a reference when creating your self-promotion.
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