Job-Hunting in Japan: How to Research Companies Vol.1

JPORT EDITORIAL TEAM

2020 / 04 / 01

Author: Ayumi Gotoh | Published date: 1 April 2020

This is a two-part article, in this first article we will share with you the guidelines and where to look for while conducting company research. Once you get the basics down, make sure you head over to Vol.2 to draw directly from the experiences of our JPort journalists. 

Also, check out our JPortMatch with all the basic details about companies that you may be interested in. This could save you a lot of time and effort. 

The Guidelines

This guideline is designed to make sure you’re focused on picking out the most important information. Use this guideline below like a checklist and feel free to modify and add sections as needed. Charts are beneficial when comparing and contrasting recruitment information! Use the Japanese expression shown in the [brackets] for Japanese-only websites.

About the company [企業概要 or 会社概要]

*企業概要: Kigyou gaiyou (company overview)

*会社概要: Kaisha gaiyou  (company profile)

1. What does the company do?
2. Industry [業界 (gyoukai)]: Do they have any products/services they’re known for?
3. Vision and Mission Statement [理念 (rinen)]: Do they aim to be a global company? What is their goal?
4. Subsidiaries [子会社 (kogaisha), 関連会社 (kanren kaisha), グループ企業 (gurupu kigyou)]: If available

Investor Relations [投資家情報]

*投資家情報: toushika jouhou

1. Message from CEO and the recruitment team [メッセージ]
2. Investment capital [資本金 (shihonkin)]
3. Headquarters and offices [本社所在地 (honsha shozaichi)]
4. Growth rate of the company from at least the past 5 years, in regards to sales, employees, etc. (If available)
5. Countries of operation
6. Company’s long-term plan (If available)

Application information about the company [採用情報 (Saiyou jouhou)]

1. Application requirements [募集要項 (Boushu yoko)]
2. Application Timeline for this year [採用スケジュール (Saiyou sukejuru)]: When do they usually start their hiring season?
3. Open Positions for Shinsotsu [新卒] (new-graduates)
4. Do they hire as a company, or at a subsidiary level?
5. Average salary [平均年収 (Heikin nenshu)]  (How much can a fresh graduate earn on the first paycheck?)
6. Holidays [休暇 (Kyuuka)]
7. Bonus [ボーナス]: How many times a year
8. Promotion [昇給 (Shyoku)]: How many times a year
9. How many fresh graduates did this company hire last year? [新卒採用人数 (Shinsotsu saiyou ninnzu)]
10. Internship Opportunities [インターンシップ]
11. Link to recruitment webpage
12. The company’s social media accounts to get all the updates

Research: So where should you look?

The company website alone rarely provides the full picture, so it's recommended to search online additionally to fill in the gap. Where do you look, then? Well, it depends on the information you’re looking for, the size of the company, positions, and the industry. Below are some references you can use. 

Start with the company’s website and recruitment pages

The first place to look for is the company’s website and their recruitment pages. This is where you will find the most information, not to mention the most reliable. Look for information on the “About [企業概要/会社概要]” pages,  “investor relations[投資家情報]” pages, and see if they have links to the recruitment websites [採用情報]. The company may have their own online application system or rely on third-party websites such as リクルート(Recruit), which is covered below. It’s important to familiarize yourself with the layout, as information can be hidden here and there. For example, you may need to download a PDF in order to find the CEO’s message or jump to a link to read recruitment information.

Head to the career information websites

These are third-party websites that many companies integrate in their hiring process. You may find yourself submitting your resume and CV through them. You should utilize the concise summary of the company information [企業概要] to deepen your knowledge. You can analyze the company from different perspectives through this way, while finding tips and other information on the companies. 

Popular career websites

Below are popular options and what you can expect to find. Choose ones that fit your needs, based on the industry, company size, or your major. Make sure you also take into account your graduation year. 

Since this is a long list, feel free to use the table of contents to jump to the websites you want to read about: 

1. Rikunabi and Mynavi (Japanese) 
2. WANTEDLY (Japanese) 
3. Gaishi shukatsu (Japanese) 
4. Shukatsu no Mirai (Japanese) 
5. Career-tasu shukatsu (Japanese) 
6. Infra intern (Japanese) 
7. OfferBox (Japanese) 
8. Goodfind (Japanese) 
9. LinkedIn 
10. OpenWork (Japanese) 
11. Glassdoor 

1. Rikunabi and Mynavi (Japanese)

check here for Rikunabi

check here for Mynavi

1. WANTEDLY (Japanese)

check here for Wantedly

1. Gaishi Shukatsu – 外資就活 (Japanese)

check here for 外資就活

1. Shukatsu no Mirai – 就活の未来 (Japanese)

check here for 就活の未来

1. Career-tasu shukatsu – キャリタス就活 (Japanese)

check here for キャリタス就活

1. Infra intern (Japanese) 

check here for Infraインターン

1. OfferBox (Japanese) 

check here for OfferBox

1. Goodfind (Japanese) 

check here for Goodfind

1. LinkedIn

check here for Linkedin

1. OpenWork (Japanese) 

check here for openwork

1. glassdoor 

check here for glassdoor

Last words

There you have it, the guideline and resources to start you off with your job research. Now that you know what to look for and where to look for it, you can dive into the sea of information. But wait! The next installment focuses on the “Tips and Tricks from Experienced Journalists.” This is full of out-of-box solutions, hard-earned through our quest for reliable information. In the spirit of asking senpais, so head over to Vol.2 to learn from our struggles. 

Good luck job hunting!