5 Reasons Why You Can't Find a Job in Japan: How To Fix Your Resume

Unlike America most jobs in Japan will require you to send your own personalized resume to apply. Whether it's a waitressing, IT, or a teaching position you'll probably have to send them your resume by email instead of feeling out an application, calling, or answering 200 scenario based questions online.
 Companies are very prompt and will contact you in as little as an hour to a few days at the most if they are interested in interviewing you.

Since this is Japan, most of the people who will view your resume will be native Japanese speakers and have average to poor English reading and writing skills. Japanese people are also a bit too trusting and tend to believe that everyone has good intentions. Employers usually take your word and assume that you would never lie. For these reasons it can be tempting to be dishonest and honestly it is very easy to lie on your resume of to even submit a poorly written one and get a high paying full-time job solely based off of your appearance and/or "qualifications". However you can get caught up in your lies and sometimes you'll be interviewed by another foreigner who will noticed your grammatical errors and lies.

I have been working in Japan for over a year and I have worked several different teaching positions. My latest one requires me to conduct interviews, screen applicants and conduct on the job training for new employees.
 I am not an expert on creating or writing resumes but after having received a few emails asking for resume advice as well as reading hundreds of comical resumes I decide to put together a blog post to tackle the real reason why you're having so much trouble finding a job in Japan and it all starts with you and your resume.

What Your Application Should Consist of

Subject 

This is often times overlooked and left blank. Emails that don't have a subject can end up automatically marked as spam, trashed or simply overlooked. Your employer should know what your email is about without having to open it. Many schools only have one email address so the same address that your applying to they also receive inquires about student enrollment, or other business matters. A simple title is fine.

I recommend that you label all of your documents that you attach to your email to send to your employer. 

Professional Photograph

First impressions are lasting impressions! You should include a clear professional self photograph at the top of your resume NOT as a separate attachment. You should be dressed preferably in a men's or women's business suit. You should have neatly styled hair and wear a black jacket and a white dress shirt, with a blue tie (if you're a man blue is a good color for interviews in Japan).

Personal Statement 

This should be place in the body of text within your email. 1-2 short paragraphs that introduce yourself to the employer in professional manner. You should explain your goals for obtaining the position that you're applying for. Your nationality, education, age, language skills, as well as the answers to other particular questions or requests should be smoothly added into your personal statement as needed. 
For example if your employer asks you to list your closest station or for 3 professional references you can add these at the bottom of your statement or you can attach an additional document with the answers to those questions. Avoid talking about your interests in Japan or your family. Be sure to list the relation that your references have to you as well as their position. Most companies don't ask for references even if they're Japanese/in Japan.

Cover Letter 

This should explain why you'd be a competitive candidate. It should highlight your resume and emphasis your related skills, and professional experiences that will set you a part from other applicants. Feel free to brag about yourself but remember to keep it brief and professional 1-2 short paragraphs at the most. Do not beg for a position or make promises in your cover letter.

Resume

This should list your previous and sometimes current work experience, education, certifications, your personal address, email, phone number, full name, and volunteer experience. There's no need to talk about your first job at Wendy's from when you were 15 when you're 32 years old and trying to become the principal at an international junior high school.

NOTE: Do not contact the school directly to follow up with your application. If they are interested they will contact you.
There is no need to send more than one email, to call, or show up to the school in person unless they have requested that you do so.

If you have applied and it's been a while (1 week or more) I can assure you that you were not selected for an interview. the reasons can vary. Your resume could be garbage or maybe they have already filled the position. 

Simply move on and find another job. Nobody wants to be stalked. Have some class and don't waste your time leaving a negative review as it could came back around and keep you from obtaining another job in the future. 

Now that you know what you need to apply for a job let's critique your submissions. 

1.) Your Resume Sucks!

You'd be amazed at how poor a lot of (young) people's resume skills are. I blame the lack of practice that you receive during both high school and college. I have both seen and read resume's that were very disorganized, juvenile, and full of unnecessary information, grammatical errors, and obvious lies.
I have read more than 50 emails in which applicants talked about having a big family, kids, a spouse, pets etc.. That's fine for telling your employer about your personal and educational background in person as an icebreaker, but its totally inappropriate for a professional resume.

Solution:

Use a simple template to help guide you. Using a template as an outline for your resume will help clean things up and keep your potential employer focused. Your resume should ONLY provide your potential employer with current and previous work experiences that has some form of relevancy to the position that you are applying for. Despite what you may have heard there is absolutely NO need to list irrelevant work experienced such as being a cook at McDonald's or a beautician. The only exception is medical, management, CEO/Presidency, or engineering experiences such as working as a nurse, technical, doctor, company president etc.. Only major accomplishments worthy of bragging about should be mentioned in your resume. You don't want to have too many jobs listed even if they are relevant as it can backfire and make you appear an a unstable candidate. Remember that Japan isn't America. Most people are very loyal to their jobs no matter how toxic the environment is or how low the pay. Japanese people tend to stay at the same company until they retire. The average person only changes jobs 1-2 times throughout their post college professional career.

Don't:

• Mention how many family members you have. Your family shouldn't be mentioned anywhere in your resume.
• Describe your job in great detail. It should be summarized using bullet points similar to how job positions are posted telling you what they are looking for, what tasks the job included, benefits etc.. I should not have to read a paragraph of you explaining your job in poor detail as though you are talking to your friends. Nobody wants to read a manual of how you think your job was/is done
• List your previous or desired salary. It's very unprofessional.
• Include your references. You can attach an additional file or list them at the bottom of your personal statement.
• Explain why you're leaving or looking for a new job. Save that for your interview if that question arises.

Do:

• Use bullet points to organize your resume
• Check for grammatical error by proofreading. If possible forward your resume to your parents, friends and a mentor/professor from college to critic your resume and check for errors that you may have overlooked.
• Double check important dates
• Include a corner (medium sized) professional photograph.
• Use fancy words to describe your position and it's duties.
• Use dates that show when you began and ended your work for each company.
• List the name of the company you worked for, it's location, and your position.
• List volunteer experience (irrelevant experience here is okay).
• List any certifications that you have in ANYTHING professional.
• List your degree, grade point average, date of graduation.
• Add photos that show you that display you teaching in a professional setting (preferably in Japan).

NOTE: I highly recommend that you include the katakana spelling/pronunciation of your name next to or underneath your name.

2.) You're A Bad Liar

If you're going to lie on your resume you should use a bit of common sense. I do not recommend telling lies as they will and can come back to you. It could cost you your reputation and visa status in Japan.`The more lies you tell or the bigger they are, the more you'll have to remember. Japan is a small country word travels fast and a lot of schools are connected to each other so you might want to think twice before lying about your qualifications. You might slip up and make mistakes if you're questioned before during or after your interview and can even be terminated if your lies are ever found out.

Common Lies and Mistakes:

• Job dates that don't add up
• Graduation dates that are off season for the university/country
• Degree information that doesn't match what was written in your resume (different major, degree shows bachelors of arts, your resume says science)
• Claiming to have a masters or PHD's in the medical field at an age that is far too young to have completed med school as well as other necessary steps
• Lack of start and end dates 
• Fake company names
• Fake university degree's (some schools do verifications and even call your previous employers).

NOTE: Remember you're just applying for a teaching position. Lying about being a neurologist or a rocket scientist from NASA isn't going to give you a higher salary offer.
Most of your coworkers at any given school have no teaching experience or lack a (relevant) degree and yet they are still getting paid the same amount if not more than you are!
You might even be questioned and asked why would you want to give up being a doctor to teacher English in Japan and I'm sorry to say it but claiming that you love Japanese cultures, anime and your girlfriend isn't a reliable story for most.
There's much more that could be added be these are the most reoccurring lies that I have seen.

3.) You Lack Experience

Its a catch 22. You need experience to get the job but you need the job to get experience. Most jobs in Japan require that you have 2-5 years of relevant teaching experience but some schools are willing to hire and train people with no educational background or teaching experiences and will instead offer to train you themselves.
If you do have experience you might just need to reorganize your resume. You should minimize the amount of experience that you put on your resume. It should only be 1-2 pages long. Your most relevant experience should be listed at the top of it.
If you have no experience consider volunteering. You can offer free private and group lesson on your own or you can contact schools with your current resume requesting volunteer work to help gain experience for your resume and future endeavors.
Everybody loves free stuff especially free English. English language schools are very expensive for most people so you'll quickly find students that will sign up for your lessons and schools that will gladly accept some helping hands. This is a great idea if you are a non-native English speaker too.
You can use your volunteer experience to get your foot in the door. One of your students or even the company that you're at may offer you a position or recommend a good company to you.
There's always room for growth and development and volunteer experience looks great on your resume.
You have to remain competitive as their are hundreds if not thousands of other applicants that they can choose from. You have to sell yourself!
If you don't have experience volunteer until you get some!


NOTE: You don't have to say that it was volunteer work or that discuss your previous salary. Because of this you can simply state that you were an assistant teacher at "insert school's name here".
Again avoid lying as it can and will catch up to you!

4.) Your Professional Photo is Bad

First impressions are lasting impressions. In Japan unlike America it is 100% legal and normal for a company to request your headshot as though you are interviewing to become an actor. This is not exclusive to foreigners as even Japanese people must do the same thing for every job that they apply for. These photo booths automatically edit your picture by whitening your skin, brightening your eyes, slimming down your face, and smoothing out your hair and skin for a flawless airbrushed look that is much more natural in comparison to it Pikura (the fun photo booth for teens and young adults that makes you look like an anime character or a feminine looking guy if you ask me) counterpart. You'll notice that these photo booth kiosks are everywhere so there is no excuse to not have a good photo! There's no need hire a photographer or even ask a friend to snap a photo for you.

 I have seen teachers displaying tattoos, unnatural hair colors, bad blonde hair dye jobs that looked Naruto-banana yellow, dirty gym shoes with a Walmart suit, cosplayers, wedding, and even group photos and  vacation pictures that probably came from Instagram.
Whether you agree or disagree, if you want to improve your chances of employment you should assimilate and try to blend in and follow the rules not break them or attempt to stand out. Blonde hair and blue eyes paired with pale skin and a white smile may get you far but all it takes is for a more professional, better looking, and more qualified gaijin to apply at the same time and you can say goodbye to your chances at landing that opening.

Don't:

• Use a blurry or unclear image
• Use an outdated or heavily photoshopped image. You should look identical or very similar to the picture on your resume.
• Use a full body picture
• Show your teeth (especially if they aren't white and straight)
• Wear casual, unprofessional, or street clothing
• Wear provocative, tight or cleavage bearing clothing
• Wear full-face western style makeup. Avoid wearing false giraffe lashes, eyeshadow, cat eyes, lipstick, eyeliner, heavy contouring etc.
• Wear hats, shades, scarves, bulky jewelry, hoop earrings

Do:

• Use a white/clear background
• Wear a suit or a white blouse/dress shirt
• Wear makeup. In Japan men commonly wear makeup for their photos too!
• Wear modest jewelry (such as earrings if they will be visible ladies).
• Wear lip balm (light pink colored lipgloss is okay for ladies)
• Wear modest and conservative clothing
• Style your hair nicely. Consider having your hair professionally, cut, styled, and colored.
• Cover your tattoos with clothing and makeup.
• Remove ANY piercings including earrings that you may have if you are a male. If you are a woman only one set of modest silver, gold, or diamond earrings are acceptable.

NOTE:
Religious headwear such as a hijab should also be removed. Refusal to do so could hurt your chances of employment. It is ultimately your own personal choice but be aware that you'll have a significantly harder time finding a job in Japan.

Your nails or hands shouldn't be showing but only clear or light pink is acceptable if you absolutely must break that rule.

Tattoos and exotic body piercings are NOT acceptable in Japan. It is unprofessional and associated with gangs, dropouts, lowlives, and rebels.

5.) You Didn't Answer Apply For The Position Properly

One of the biggest mistakes are people who have become so accustomed to sending their generic copy and paste download and upload resume that they forget to make changes and adjustments as needed.
For example some positions my request that you provide professional references, your closest train station, a copy of your residence card, a copy of your passport, a copy of your degree, explain your Japanese ability, explain why you want to work for the company.
All of those questions should be answered in your personal statement. Your personal statement is best put in the body of your initial email. Within your personal statement you should write a brief paragraph that tells employers about your nationality, language skills, visa, and education. Any additional documents should be attached and labeled so that your employer can easily access and find your information if needed. Labeling your documents will help your resume standout as we receive hundreds of resume most of which have generic names or computer generated file names and number.

If you don't answer all of the questions that the job ad or website asked this is a red flag for an employer. It shows that you can't follow instructions and while some schools are aware that your resume is generic and that you're probably going to apply to other companies with the exact same copy & paste method, they still want you to show that you understand the specific position that you're applying for.

Be sure to thoroughly read the job description or ad and reply accordingly. Some companies might even quiz you and test your knowledge during the interview.
If you don't submit everything that the employer is asking for or if you forget to answer all of their questions your resume will simply be trashed unless their desperate and nice enough to give you a friendly reminder of what to submit.

NOTE: Always use caution and common sense when giving your personal information especially if the school's name, address, and contact number isn't listed in the advertisement you should avoid giving too much information.
Avoid giving them copies of birth certificates, bank degrees, passports, or identification cards of any kind.
Your resume already have your full name, email, home address, and contact number which is a lot of personal information to share. A legitimate company should never ask for these things before having conducted a phone or physical interview in person.
While most companies and ads are legit and are not scams some of them are and you don't want to be the victim of identity theft which still exists in Japan.
Some legitimate companies request copies of your official documents to help them screen but this is taking gamble for you as an applicant. I personal recommend avoiding such a company or asking if you can provide the copies in person at a later time.

Jobs Are Everywhere

There are thousands of English teaching jobs available in Japan all throughout the country. Don't limit yourself and whatever you do never give up! Remember in Japan, most companies only hire for Fall (end of August-October) and Spring  (beginning of January-April).
Consider moving to another city or prefecture. Update your look by changing your hair or makeup. Update your resume by volunteering or even gaining more experience at home or abroad in another country. Study and perfect your craft. Read some books and watch videos on how to teach English and create a resume. 
Once you land you first job you'll find it much easier to get employed with other companies. 
If you want a job then you have to turn looking for a job into your full-time job!






Thank you so much for reading! Do you have any tips, tricks or advice to share with other job seekers? Have a question about resumes? Please share your story or ask your questions in the comments below.

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