Interviews are nerve-wrecking for everybody but more so for an international student not as familiar with the Japanese language. To help you out, we’ve prepared this article covering the As to Zs of part time job interviews in Japan – frequently asked interview questions, what to prepare for the day itself, the flow of the interviews, and manners/greetings to mind.
Most interviews for part time jobs start with self-introduction. Other simple questions include: your reason for applying, what work conditions you are looking for, and your strengths and weaknesses. For international students, “What made you want to study in Japan?”and “What do you like about Japan?” are also commonly asked.
To prepare for the interview (so you don’t panic or freeze up), let’s go through the main parts of the interview including questions that may come up. We also recommend doing a practice session or simulation before your interview.
Very important as it allows the interviewer to get an understanding of you. You will be usually asked about the following, so think carefully before answering.
By answering these questions, the interviewer can evaluate your personality, enthusiasm for the job, and your Japanese capabilities. That said, if you cannot understand or missed what the interviewer had said, don’t be afraid to ask them to repeat by politely saying,
Being polite and honest goes a long way when presenting your best self to the interviewer.
This part of the interview is where you can most yourself to the interviewer. Try to keep your answer short but concise, basically summarize your thoughts and deliver it in a way the interviewer can best understand your reasons and motivation for applying.You will usually be asked the following.
which means “nothing in particular” is not a good answer when being asked about your aspirations. It may give the interviewer a bad impression that you have low motivation to work or don’t care where you work, which also means you don’t really care about the job or their business.
You don’t need to think too hard about how to answer these questions. Simple but well-meaning answers like “I like the food in this shop”, “I’m really interested in this company’s products”, or any similar answer are good enough as long as it shows sincerity.
More importantly, avoid linking your reason for application with work conditions as the interviewer may think that “this person might quit when there’s a part time job with better conditions available…”
The following are common shiboudoki that international students give when applying for part time jobs. Have a look and feel free to use as reference.
11 COMMONLY ASKED JAPANESE JOB INTERVIEW QUESTIONS – Example of How to Answer in Japanese
Breaking the ice at the interview
Japanese interviews tend to dispense with the small talk that is common in western countries and get down to business straight away. There are generally three parts. The interview will start with questions about your Japanese level, then softball questions that most people could answer, and finish off with questions about the company itself and your attitude towards work. Here are some typical “introduction” questions.
| English | Japanese | Romaji |
| Japanese level | 日本語のレベル | Nihongo no reberu |
| When did you come to Japan? | いつ日本に来ましたか | Itsu nihon ni kimashita ka? |
| Do you think you could work in the Japanese business environment? | 日本の環境で働けますか | Nihon no kankyou de hatarakemasu ka |
| Until when do you intend to live in Japan? | いつまで日本に住むつもりですか | Itsumade nihon ni sumu tsumori desu ka |
| Why do you want to work in Japan? | どうして日本で働きたいのですか | Doushite nihon de hatarakitai no desu ka |
Once your level of Japanese has been established, the interviewer will then throw some softballs at you to find out more about you. Of course, the problem with softball questions is that a softball still hurts if you aren’t paying attention and get hit in the face by it. Therefore, study up on these terms even if they seem easy.
| English | Japanese | Romaji |
| Self-introduction | 自己紹介 | Jikoshoukai |
| Educational background | 学歴 | Gakureki |
| Employment history | 職務経歴 | Shokumu keireki |
| One’s dreams | 夢 | Yume |
| Personality | 性格 | Seikaku |
| Experience | 経験 | Keiken |
| One’s merits | 長所/強み | Chousho/ tsuyomi |
| Weaknesses | 短所 | Tansho |
| Please tell me… | ～教えてください | Oshiete Kudasai |
| Reason for applying | 応募動機 | Oubodouki |
| Motivation | 志望動機 | Shiboudouki |
| Statement of purpose (that applicants likely wrote) | 志望理由書 | Shibouriyuusho |
| Hobby | 趣味 | Shumi |
Now that you’ve smashed the softball out the park with confidence, they will likely ask you some more difficult questions. Some of the things they may ask you include:
| English | Japanese | Romaji |
| What do you know about this company? | 当社についてどんなことを知っていますか | Tousha ni tsuite donna koto wo shitte imasu ka |
| What aspect of the company do you have the most interest in? | 弊社のどのようなところに興味を持ちましたか | Heisha no dono youna tokoro ni kyoumi wo mochimashita ka |
| Until now, what kind of employment have you had? | 今までどんな仕事をしましたか? | Ima made donna shigoto wo shimashita ka? |
| The contents of your present job | 現在の仕事内容 | genzai no shigoto naiyou |
| Your reason for changing jobs | 仕事を変えたい理由 | shigoto wo kaetai riyuu |
| Can you contribute (to this company)? | 貢献できますか | koken dekimasu ka |
The classics (hard to avoid)
→ 自己紹介じこしょうかいをお願ねがいいたします。 Prepare a short monologue (under 60 seconds), including your educational background, most recent activity, and a bit of personal information like extracurriculars.
Prologue about the Japanese language
The main root of the origin of the Japanese language is still unclear. Exploring around, it is nearly similar to the Altaic language family, which includes Turkish, Mongolian, and other languages. It also has some similarities to Austronesian languages like Polynesian. The Japanese language is considered an aesthetically pretty language. Not to forget the most beautiful Japanese Kanji, for example – 愛 (ai) – love, or 魅 (mi) – meaning a strange.
The Japanese language is easy to learn because it has no gendered words. This language can be easy for Indians to learn. But according to the US Department of State, the Japanese language stands as one of the resilient languages for the English natives to master. The syntax structure for Japanese is Subject-Object-Verb, so the pronunciation etc is closer to Indian languages than English. The best part is that Japanese grammar is simple than English grammar. The language has only two tenses, no plurals, and no determiners(a/the).
The Flow of a Japanese Job Interview
Many Japanese companies will conduct their interviews in the following manner. For each question, prepare your own answers by using the examples provided.
Question 1: Self-introduction Question 2: Why are you changing jobs? Question 3: Your motivation for applying Question 4: Previous relevant experience, achievements, and skills Question 5: Your time to ask questions
In addition to these, you’ll likely be asked about your reasons for coming to Japan and your Japanese language skills, so prepare answers to these, too!
FAQ
How do I prepare for a Japanese interview?
- Don’t skimp on preparation.
- Know correct behavior before your Japanese interview.
- Be prepared to answer typical Japanese interview questions.
- Know what you’re all about.
- 5. Be prepared to get personal.
- End the interview on a high note.
What are the questions asked in Japanese interview?
- 31. When did you come to Japan? → いつ 日本 にほん に 来 き ましたか？ …
- 32. Why do you want to work in Japan? → どうして 日本 にほん で 働 はたら きたいのですか。 …
- 33. Do you think you are able to work in a Japanese environment? …
- 34. How long do you plan to stay in Japan?
How do you ask for an interview in Japanese?
- Could you tell me about yourself and describe your background in brief? …
- How did you hear about this position? …
- What type of work environment do you prefer? …
- How do you deal with pressure or stressful situations? …
- Do you prefer working independently or on a team?
