Job Hunting in Japan

Source: https://www.tofugu.com/japan/job-hunting-in-japan/

Like the Eskimos and their many words for snow, there are quite a few words to describe job-hunting in Japan. Shokusagashi 職探ししょくさがし and kyuushoku 求職きゅうしょく have the same meaning as "job-hunting" in English, referring to the general act of looking for employment. Tenshoku katsudou 転職活動てんしょくかつどう refers to looking for a change of occupation. Shuushoku katsudo 就職活動しゅうしょく-かつど, aka "shuukatsu" for short, refers to the job-hunting process of fresh high-school and college graduates.

The reason for all of these different "job-hunting" rules is thanks to the unique hiring practices of the Japanese. The biggest and uniquest of these has to be the shinsotsu ikkatsu saiyou 新卒一括採用しんそついっかつさいよう, where many companies simultaneously hire students in bulk. Before 1997 there was an official date where companies could start their recruitments. If you started before this date it was called aotagari 青田刈あおたがり, which literally means "harvesting rice while still green." After 1997 the new guidelines suggested that companies should announce recruitments on December 1 (for third year students) and start screening applicants on April 1 (for fourth year students). Just recently, the Abe Cabinet requested these dates get pushed back further so that students could focus on their studies. 2016 graduates will now wait until March 1 for recruitment to begin and August 1 for the screening to start.

Because companies hire all at once, they compete first for the students of the better schools because they tend to have "better" students. This puts more pressure on high school students, because if you can get into a good university you're more likely to get a good job, even if you don't do much studying once you get there. This system also makes university students join companies earlier. If you wait too long, there are fewer of these finite jobs left remaining. To put it bluntly, students really feel like they need to get a job during this shinsotsu-ikkatsu-saiyou period. If they don't, they'll find it very difficult to find ideal work. They even lose their advantage for the next year, because companies focus on fresh graduates, not one-year-old meat.

THE UNWRITTEN RULES OF JOB-HUNTING IN JAPAN

Source: Dick Thomas Johnson

Already, you can see there is a lot of pressure on students to get a job, with a lot of rules and order to go along with it. It doesn't stop there, though. A huge list of "unwritten rules" exists for these students too. If you don't do these things, it's more unlikely that you'll be able to get a job. Just in terms of your looks there's a huge list you need to follow.

HAIRSTYLE

• Should be short enough for the ears to show and be combed neatly (men).
• The ears should show and be combed or tied neatly (women).
• It has to be clean.
• It shouldn't be dyed.

MUSTACHE / BEARD

• It should be shaved neatly.

CLOTHING

• You should wear a typical dark suit appropriate for a job interview.
• A single suit with two buttons is better than a double suit.
• The top button must be fastened.
• The shirt must be white.
• The necktie should be simple.
• There should be a neat crease in the trousers.
• The color of socks should be a similar color to the suit.

SHOES

• They must be simple and the color should be black or brown.
• They must be polished well.

MAKE-UP

• It should be simple and not flashy.
• It's better not to use perfume.

NAILS

• Nails must be cut nicely.
• It's better not to put on nail polish.

EARRING/PIERCING

• It's better not to wear them

NECKLACE

• Must be simple and not flashy.

WOMEN'S CLOTHING

• It should be a typical dark suit appropriate for a job interview.
• Black, dark blue, or gray is safe.
• If it's a skirt, it must not be too short.
• A white shirt is safe.
• The pantyhose must not have a run.

WOMEN'S SHOES

• They must be a simple pair of pumps.
• Their color should match the color of the suit.
• The heels shouldn't be too high.
• They must be polished well.

Despite being "unwritten rules", a lot of people think they are very important (and many of these people are on the hiring end of the table). If you don't do all these things you're less likely to get hired, and with lifetime employment still "a thing" in Japan, you want to get the best job that you can as early as you can. That or risk living at home in your parent's shrine playing Pokémon cards for the rest of your life.