Getting A Job In Japan - The Prep

As I'm sure many of you have read/heard, getting a job in Japan is a little different than how it's done in most countries. Japan's rigorous and, often times, exhausting practices are infamous. In this post I'll give a few advice about how to go through it and InsyaAllah get a job in the Land of the Rising Sun.

The job search season comes in full swing in December during your third year (if you're doing your undergraduate studies) so prepping would probably begin sometime during October. I actually started my job hunt a tad late because I had personal matters to attend to.

Preparation

1. Financially
Start saving a few months before you plan to start your job search. You will be travelling a lot whether to company briefings(会社説明会), job expos or interviews. All of this might not cost as much if you happen to live a stone's throw away from huge cities such as Tokyo and Osaka, where most of the aforementioned things take place. Take into account the travel expenses(交通費) and accommodation, should it be necessary. Companies usually(though not always) only pay for your travel and accommodation expenses during the final interviews. I think I spent close to ￥100,000 altogether, maybe more actually.

2. Mentally
2.1 SPI (Synthetic Personality Inventory) Tests
Most companies have tests as one of the first hurdles you have to overcome. These tests are usually the SPI Test, although some companies might have their own version of the test but it is very similar to the SPI Test. You can buy books that will help you prepare. Make sure you buy the most recent edition because the tests have undergone changes quite a few times over the years. Some websites offer free SPI practice questions. Google it.

2.2 Language
If it isn't obvious enough, you will be doing a lot of talking and writing during your job search. Having a strong grasp on the Japanese language will be a great advantage. Make a great impression on the interviewers with your communication skills and fluent Japanese. When filling out your forms, have a teacher or Japanese friend help you out. Get their input on your grammar and content.

2.3 TOEIC (Test of English for International Communication) and JLPT (Japanese Language Proficiency Test)
When filling in your forms, they will usually ask for your TOEIC scores too. If you haven't already taken the TOEIC then do so a few months before you start your job search because it will take a month for the results to come out. Oh yeah, TOEIC-IP ( the ones you did at college/university that was administered by your college/university) cannot be used.
Regarding the JLPT, some companies will insist that you take it while some won't. Because the JLPT only takes place twice a year I would recommend taking it just in case, anyway. Having an N1 level JLPT will further reassure your future employers that you have a strong command of the language and will be able to adapt and assimilate seamlessly into the company.

3. Documents
If you're a transfer student (編入生), some companies will also ask for exam results during your college (高専) years so have those ready too. I asked for 4 copies of my exam results and subject credits when I graduated from college because my college and my university are quite far from each other and I didn't want to go all the way to Ibaraki from Gifu for a slip of paper (-.-")
Personally, I have yet to come across a company that also wanted my SPM results, but having them on hand would be safer, just in case, you know.

Also, talk with your seniors about their own experiences and learn as much as you can from them. Now would also be a good time for you to start thinking about what kind of company you want to work with, what jobs you would be interested to do and where, geographically, you would want to work.

If there are any other preparation tips that you would like to add, please feel free to comment down below.

ps/ Below is the schedule for job hunting during 2014/2015 for 2016 graduates. It seems they've made more room for students to participate in internships, club activities etc by delaying the company briefing. Take that as a hint to use that given gap of time to brighten your resume with some extra-curricular activities.

Photo from MyNavi 

My Honeymoon in the USA (New York, Florida, Washington DC)

In this post I'm just going to give a rough outline of my itinerary on the trip. We actually managed to do most of the things on the list whoop whoop! Our second day in Washington DC was kind of messed up because the night before a freaking snow storm happened. It made for a very beautiful morning but it did result in a lot of places being closed the next day. Thank God at least one of the museums in the Smithsonian was open or I would have bleeding cried right there and then.

Oh, I'm super lucky that because my little sister is currently studying there, so I just let her plan everything and she became our tour guide. We paid her with Kinder Beunos and IndoMee. Apparently it is really hard to find Kinder Beunos over there. How depressing, those things are delicious!

We used Google Docs to plan things out. Made things super easy. Everyone could see the plans and edit as they pleased. Thank you Google for making planning a holiday with someone half a world away so much easier.

Below are screenshots of our plans. Enjoy and I hope it'll help, no matter how small in your adventure plannings.

I should tell you that the whole theme of our honeymoon (and sister adventures LOL) was inspired by Gossip Girls. My sister and I love the show and seeing the spots that were in the drama in real life are squeal-worthy moments I will treasure forever. I thank God that He gave me a husband who loves me enough to go on a honeymoon which had a Gossip Girl theme LOL

You can click on the photos for a better view, the words are a little small. Apologies.

Qatar Airlines Review :
The check in was smooth though the lines were long because there weren't many counters open. The seats were fairly tight, but the highlight of the flight has to be the food. Everything was delicious! We had a transit in Kuwait and it was the first time I have ever set foot there. While the airport was large and I think recently renovated, it could have been way cleaner and handled guests better (there were people smoking in non-smoking areas!). On our flight back to Japan, we again had a transit in Kuwait and our flight was delayed by a whole day. There was barely any announcements and they did not have anyone manning the counters where we should have gotten our coupons to spend on food in the airport due to the delay. Overall, definitely would not fly with them again.

If you have any questions regarding my travels, just leave a comment or contact me through FB/Line/Twitter and whatever else you can think of. Thank you :)

Review : Clarins White Plus Pearl-to-Cream Brightening Cleanser

Photo from Clarins SG

The claim : The first beauty step towards immaculate skin. This cleansing cream takes the form of a fine, abundant mousse that combines a pleasant texture with the high efficacy of a formula rich in purifying and clarifying plant extracts.

My thoughts : I love this cleanser when it starts to get colder here because my skin starts to go from oily-combination to dry-combination. This cleanser won't leave a tight and plastic feeling on my skin like some cleansers do. My skin feels soft and moisturised after using this. My dry spots become smoother and softer too. It's also pretty good at getting makeup off, though I've never tried washing off waterproof makeup with this. 

I can't say I noticed any brightening(or whitening) effect while using this but that was never my intention when I bought this, anyway.

I definitely recommend this for normal to dry-combination skin. I feel like it would be too creamy for oily skin but that's a personal preference. It also smells lovely, not too scented. This is a high-end product so the price is a little steep but this will last you for at least 4 months, easy. You only need a small pea size of product to get a beautiful creamy foam.

Price : RM115 at Parkson