I’m female. Im interviewing via zoom from outside my home country and I will NOT be bringing my interview clothes with me to Japan, only because it is impractical with my travel schedule.
I plan on wearing a very nice collared shirt with thin white and blue stripes, no jacket because it is hard to get quality clothes in this country and I wont be able to travel with it anyway. Dont the interviews also not want me to waste clothes for an interview?
I plan on leaving the last two buttons unbuttoned (still cant see my collarbone with it unbuttoned), because otherwise its tight against my neck.
Also, I have a small visible tattoo and I dont plan on covering it with a bandaid so the interviewers know what it looks like because I assume they want to know what I will look like outside of school.
Is all this considered ok? Thank you for your time everyone
11 comments
Yes, just tell them about it if asked and show them if asked.
It’s not too big a deal anymore
You would be expected to cover it while working in Japan. If you can’t be bothered to cover it for the interview then why would they hire you.
When it’s your way or the highway in Japan, the answer is always the highway.
Why would you not wear a suit jacket? You definitely should wear one. This is a serious interview and are expected to dress professionally.
To be honest, button up your shirt. Women in Japan always wear shirts with nothing below the collarbone visible. The reason? When you bow, your entire cleavage won’t be on display. If this is too uncomfortable for you for a 20-minute interview, then imagine what it’ll be like in Japan, in the hot summer, for a full 8-hour day.
I think it’s better to wear a blazer for the interview. Will the lack of one kill your chances? As a woman, probably not. However, I do think it’s better because in Japan, it’s customary and looks the most professional. Yes, even in the summer.
The tattoo likely won’t be an issue. People in Japan are now well aware that a lot of foreigners have tattoos, so it’s not a major issue. However, some workplaces will make you cover it. It just depends.
This sounds fine, but you should bring your interview clothes just in case (like a blazer or a suit with a skirt, etc..). You will probably attend more formal events than you expect, it’s good to be prepared.
Standard advice for interviews is to dress conservatively. If the interviewers think you’re flashing too much skin, they won’t say anything but it will hurt your chances. If it’s easy to cover up the tattoo, and it would look natural, that will increase your chances, because although tattoos are generally not a problem, you don’t know who will be on the interview team.
To put it bluntly, it sounds like you want to get rejected.
I thought the application asked if we have tattoos but now I cant find it. Do you remember if it asked?
You will need to bring the suit to Japan as its required for orientation and if I remember right they won’t let you in without one (this was in 2018). Also my prefecture orientation required one so definitely would recommend it! Even if you have to wear it on the plane
Listen to what everyone is saying. You seem adamant to stick to your ways, but take the thread as an example of Japanese society.
Japan is a collectovist society. You will hear the idiom “the nail that sticks out gets hammered” frequently. You want to conform to their ways in all cases.
Take this to heart and do the sensible thing and present yourself well.
I think everyone is mostly saying the same things, tbh. These things won’t kill your chances, but they are not going to reflect positively. To be honest I don’t think the interviewers care where the clothes for your interview are coming from. But in most consulates you are expected to dress a certain way for the interview, just as you are expected to dress a certain way in Japan for work.
And while I completely understand your reasoning behind everything you’ve said, take it from someone who has some experience being on the other side of the interview table, in the eyes or an interviewer, if someone is not willing to do what is expected of them for a 20-30 minute interview, then that won’t inspire confidence for the year or more that they will be doing the job itself.