Job Hunting for International Students

Job Hunting in Japan

If you are an international student who wishes to work for a Japanese company, your job hunting plan and schedule will be essentially the same as those of Japanese students, and you will need to do the same job hunting activities as regular Japanese students.

Japanese companies tend to focus on recruiting those who have recently graduated from university or graduate school: "New graduates" or "Shinsotsu" (新卒).
Currently, most companies' recruitment schedule matches the following:

• Recruitment PR (ex. Information sessions): starts in march for junior undergraduate and first-year masters students.
• Screening process (ex. job interviews): starts in July for senior undergraduate and second-year masters students.

However, this tendency might change over time, and companies do not necessarily follow this schedule; it is no more than a government's suggestion toward them. Therefore, it is important to stick with information gathering at all times.

To find out when and how to job-hunt in Japan, check the following:

• Job hunting support website
• Job hunting guide book

More information on Japanese Job Hunting process

Notes on Job Hunting

Japanese companies tend to require a high level of understanding of the Japanese culture, language and so forth to their employees. Therefore, it is necessary to check their requirements, as well as whether they are open to recruiting international students, at an early stage.

What is equally important as information gathering in job hunting is self-analysis. Try and answer the questions below, as they are often asked in job interviews too:

• Why did you choose to study in Japan? What was your purpose?
• What have you learned in Japan?
• Why would you like to work in Japan?
• What are your priorities in choosing your career?
• For how long do you intend to work in Japan? Are you considering going back to your home country?
• In which field would you like to work? What kind of departments are you interested in?

Career Support/Services Available at Keio University

■ Eligibility

• Regular Keio students (international) who seek employment at a Japanese company.
• Exchange students who seek employment at a Japanese company.

As a general rule, career services are available only for students in their penultimate or last year before graduation.

■ Support / Services

- Guidance sessions
Various kinds of "job hunting seminars" are held in the university each year, and some campuses organize seminars specifically for international students.
For more information, access the following page (Japanese ONLY): 就職イベント

- Individual consultations
"Entry-Sheet" correction, mock interviews, and general consultation about future career. For more details: Career Consultation

Status of Residence

The "Student" visa is only valid during your period of enrollment at Keio University; note that your visa loses its validity the moment you finish your studies in Japan.

If you are a regular Keio student (exchange students, short-term international students, Japanese Language Program students, and non-degree students are excluded) who wishes to continue your job hunting after graduation, you can shift your visa to the "Designated activities" visa which allows you to stay in Japan for another year at maximum. (https://www.mofa.go.jp/ca/fna/page22e_000738.html)

➤「卒業･修了する場合の在留資格」(in Japanese ONLY)

If you are to continue your job hunting in Japan after graduation, you have access to the career services as an exception.

Frequently Asked Questions

• Employment Policy for Foreign Workers