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This question is often asked in Japanese interviews.
We will explain in detail how to answer this question and how to write it down.
By analyzing your own challenges and explaining how you’re working to overcome them, you’ll be seen as someone who is also able to analyze and improve at work, which will put you one step closer to getting a job offer.
The following passage is aimed at IT engineers, but it can also be applied to other industries and can be used in actual interviews, so please feel free to use it as a reference.
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Case Study
Challenge: No experience in team development
私の課題はチームでの開発経験がないことです。
前職ではソフトウェア開発者が私だけでしたので、一人で全てを開発しないといけない環境でした。御社は規模が大きく、チームで開発するため、一人で開発してきた私にとっては新たな挑戦ではありますが、協調性を持って納期内にシステムを開発できるように努力してまいります。
そのためにも御社でよく使う開発言語について現在学んでおり、また現職ではコミュニケーションを意識して開発できるように工夫しながら仕事をしております。
I will explain this article in more detail.
Start each sentence with the conclusion.
First, explain your conclusions about your challenges. Acknowledge your weaknesses and explain how you will work on them.
I’ll go into more detail next.
Explain why it’s your issue, but make sure it’s an issue that can be improved.
Be careful not to mention issues that could get you rejected, such as poor communication skills or a complete inability to sell.
Finally, let them know that you are making improvements to address the issue.
By explaining how you are currently working to solve your problems, companies will be more likely to offer you a job, believing that you will overcome any obstacles you may encounter.
Here are some tips to help you answer questions about your assignment.
Point 1: Analysis of the issue
By analyzing your challenges, you can show that you are a person who can understand your weaknesses and overcome them.
Point② Overcoming challenges
Don’t just talk about your weaknesses, talk about how you’re improving them. Explain the challenges and how you overcame them together.
Point ③ How to contribute
Explain how overcoming the challenge was beneficial and how you will use that experience at your new job.
\ Tips on how to get a job in Japan can be found here /
Business Japanese that can be used for your own assignments
Let’s review the business Japanese used in the previous example sentence, “Your Challenges.”
Make sure to actually use these words in the interview.
課題：Given problem
[Example sentence]
新規集客は今後の課題と思います。
私は今2つの課題に取り組んでおります。
弊社にはたくさんの解決すべき課題があるかと思います。
環境：Society, family, and nature surrounding people
[Example sentence]
新入社員は新しい環境になれるのが早い。
会社はもっと環境問題に取り組むべきだ。
弊社は環境に優しい製品を販売しております。
規模：The size of the system
[Example sentence]
大規模な組織変更があり、現場は混乱している。
全国規模で技術の開発が進められます。
当初は小規模だったが、今では大企業になった。
協調性：Getting along with the people around you
[Example sentence]
協調性を持って仕事を進めましょう。
協調性を生かしてコミュニケーションを取ろう。
リーダーには協調性が求められる。
工夫：Thinking about various things and coming up with a good solution
[Example sentence]
あなたが工夫した点は何ですか？
私たちは時間の使い方を工夫するべきだ。
仕事の進め方を工夫する必要がある。
We all have challenges. Don’t hide these challenges; be open with the company, say, “I have this weakness,” and share specific steps to improve, such as, “But I’m improving now.” This will help the company trust you.
As a result, you’ll have a better chance of getting a job offer.
To identify your own challenges, you need to reflect on your work so far.
You can identify your own challenges by reflecting on your work, such as what tasks were difficult, what mistakes you made at work, and how you improved on them.
So, finally, we’ll tell you how to reflect on your work.
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How to review your work
When I think back on the past, the following memories come flooding back.
- What work did you do that earned you praise from your boss?
- What did the customer like?
- Have you ever received an award from your company or felt that you had helped someone?
By thinking back on these things, you can confirm the tasks you were responsible for and the skills you possess, that is, you can confirm your strengths from an objective third-party perspective, rather than just your subjective selling points.
The praise you receive from others can actually be your biggest selling point, so when talking about your achievements, be sure to talk about them objectively.
You’ll want to emphasize as much as possible during an interview, but if you talk about everything, you may run out of time or end up with too much information and not know what you were trying to say.
Try to emphasize no more than three points.
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あなたの課題とそれをどう克服するのかについて教えてください。