- Nationality: Hong Kong
- Graduation date: June, 2018
- Place of employment: Foreign financial institute
Common interview questions
I focused my job hunting on multinational companies, so the interviews were conducted in Japanese and English. I was often asked questions like “Why did you decide to move to Japan?”, “Are you planning to return to Hong Kong?” and “How do you plan on applying experiences from your previous job to your next job?”
When asked why they came to Japan, many international students mention that they like anime. I personally like anime too and that was one of the reasons why I became interested in Japan. However, it sounds childish when you say it at an interview and does not suffice as a proper answer.
I often talked about the social differences between Japan and Hong Kong, how each area suits me, and which place I want to give priority to at the moment.
One reason why companies hesitate to hire foreigners is because they are worried they will quit and go back home before long.
Taking time to thoroughly understand Japanese culture and develop a career vision before entering the company is a good way to reassure them.
Advice to peers
Planning is the most crucial point. The job hunting process lasts for about three months in my country, but it takes six months in Japan. I used a recruiting agent, but registration, counseling, matching, and preparing took me about two months before I got my first interview.You have to go through a number of interviews in Japan. The bank I interviewed with had four stages and the process took two months in total. It is difficult to do job hunting from scratch in a foreign company, so I recommend using an agent. It is also important to build a good relationship with the agent.
