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[Student PR Staff] Interview with Accepted Students Vol.2

student activities

2024.08.22

We, the student PR staff, disseminate information about JIU from a student perspective both inside and outside the university. We mainly interview students and cover events and disseminate information about them.

Student PR staff: Miran Yokosuka (4th year Faculty of Tourism)
Student PR staff: Nanami Abe (4th year Faculty of Tourism)

This time we interviewed Fang Zisahui, a fourth-year student in Department of Inter-cultural Studies Faculty of International Humanities! Fang will enroll in Josai International University as a third-year transfer student in September 2022 and graduate in August 2024. Graduating in August is common overseas, but it seems to be difficult when it comes to finding work in Japan. Although her study abroad period was only two years, which was a short period, she had a strong desire to find work in Japan, so she applied to several companies for a job search and shared her experience of winning a job offer.

Job hunting that starts from part-time work

I worked part-time as a real estate office worker for about three months from December to March of my third year of university. The reason I started was because I wanted to gain knowledge about real estate and brush up on my Japanese. Then, a full-time employee at my workplace introduced me to a real estate company in Ikebukuro, where I interviewed and was offered a job, so I started working there in September.
I always liked Japanese anime and dramas, so I enrolled in the Japanese language department at a university in China. I studied Japanese in China during my first and second years of university, and during my third and fourth years at Josai International University I interacted with many Japanese people, and now I can speak Japanese without stress. When I actually came to Japan, I felt that the warmth of the Japanese people and the rhythm of life in Japan suited me, and with the desire to live in Japan, I studied hard and was able to find a job.
Before being introduced to the real estate company, I applied to about 15 companies across a wide range of industries during my job search. The reason I chose my current company is because my former part-time colleagues were working there, so I had people I could rely on nearby, and I felt the company's atmosphere suited me. Most of the Chinese international students around me had completed graduate school and wanted to find work in China, so I was a little worried, but I was able to practice for interviews and write resumes and emails with my seniors and the Career Development and Placement Center, which helped me gain confidence and go to the interview.

Differences between job hunting in China and Japan

China has a large population and a shortage of labor, so it is important to gain knowledge and skills and improve yourself. Unlike in Japan, many people who graduate from university and start job hunting in China are not hired, so many people go on to graduate school and acquire skills before starting job hunting.
Also, the timing of job hunting is completely different in Japan and China. In Japan, the aging population is progressing, and in order to secure good human resources, many people start job hunting from their third year of university, and I got the impression that they start at an early stage. However, in China, students do an internship for about two months in the middle of their fourth year of university, receive evaluations from companies, and if they receive approval from their internship supervisor, they can graduate from university. From there, they can consider joining the company where they did their internship, and if the company is favorable to them, they can get a job at that company.

Anecdotes from job hunting in Japan and reasons for working in Japan

In Japan, it is common to graduate from university in March and start work in April, but I graduated from Josai International University in August and joined the company in September, so it was difficult to find a company that was hiring in September. The number of applicants is small, so the competition is fierce. I think the reason I was able to persevere even in such a difficult situation is because I had a strong desire to stay in Japan. My parents run a large restaurant in China. My older brother took over the family business, so there was no need to worry. And above all, I thought my personality was suited to Japan. Chinese people are close, and they recognize that you are close after just a little conversation. However, Japanese people become friends after talking to a certain extent. The unique Japanese sense of distance suited me and felt comfortable, which is why I wanted to stay in Japan.

As a senior, what advice would you give to international students looking for jobs in Japan?

If you have any worries or questions as an international student, I definitely recommend consulting with your seniors, friends, or teachers. I think it's important to have an attitude of studying because you don't know the answer yourself. Also, regarding life as an international student, I recommend making lots of friends because living alone was quite difficult. It's not an easy distance to return to, so it's easy to get homesick. You can talk about sadness or worries, or hang out with them to ease your homesickness. In addition to my Chinese friends, I made friends from many countries, including Japan, Josai International University. I was able to share the same feelings, so living alone wasn't too difficult.
Personally, I have the impression that international students tend to hang out with students from their own country. If you come to Japan to study abroad, make sure you make some Japanese friends! I think it's a shortcut to being able to speak Japanese like a native speaker, and a way to enjoy Japan even more.