I just finished my Japanese resume. I’m tailoring it towards IT positions, but intend to make variations that would work for other fields. The hardest part for me was definitely the 自己PR. In English resumes/cover letters, all you really do is talk broadly about your experience and relate it to the job you’re applying to. But the 自己PR is more about finding specific examples that highlight your personality to show the company you’re a good fit for the job.
Well, I read through tons of examples before I tackled my own 自己PR and when I was finished it felt absolutely absurd, almost childish. I have IT, office administration, and teaching experience. I mustered up an example where I assisted a doctor gaining access to his emails because Microsoft had updated their web application which temporarily caused connection issues. I installed the desktop application to “fix” the problem.
Needless to say when I wrote that out it felt dumb. But honestly, my IT experience is made up of setting up workstations, tablets, phones, computers, and acting as an extension of IT in the office. In other words, a bunch of tiny projects, not one big one I could point to.
The examples I read had impressive accomplishments and this seemed to be consistent throughout various sites I went to on the topic. Things like “I updated the web page and increased our traffic ten-fold” or “I started a donation for an NGO and raised 20万円 for an elementary school in Cambodia.”
Anyways, sorry if this got long-winded. But I’m wondering if anyone else also struggled when writing their 自己PR?
Also, mods, sorry ahead of time if this post isn’t allowed. This seemed like the best sub for it. Please remove it though if it breaks any rules.
5 comments
This is a copy of your post for archive/search purposes.
—
**Anyone else with experience writing a 自己PR feel like it was absolutely ridiculous?**
I just finished my Japanese resume. I’m tailoring it towards IT positions, but intend to make variations that would work for other fields. The hardest part for me was definitely the 自己PR. In English resumes/cover letters, all you really do is talk broadly about your experience and relate it to the job you’re applying to. But the 自己PR is more about finding specific examples that highlight your personality to show the company you’re a good fit for the job.
Well, I read through tons of examples before I tackled my own 自己PR and when I was finished it felt absolutely absurd, almost childish. I have IT, office administration, and teaching experience. I mustered up an example where I assisted a doctor gaining access to his emails because Microsoft had updated their web application which temporarily caused connection issues. I installed the desktop application to “fix” the problem.
Needless to say when I wrote that out it felt dumb. But honestly, my IT experience is made up of setting up workstations, tablets, phones, computers, and acting as an extension of IT in the office. In other words, a bunch of tiny projects, not one big one I could point to.
The examples I read had impressive accomplishments and this seemed to be consistent throughout various sites I went to on the topic. Things like “I updated the web page and increased our traffic ten-fold” or “I started a donation for an NGO and raised 20万円 for an elementary school in Cambodia.”
Anyways, sorry if this got long-winded. But I’m wondering if anyone else also struggled when writing their 自己PR?
Also, mods, sorry ahead of time if this post isn’t allowed. This seemed like the best sub for it. Please remove it though if it breaks any rules.
*I am a bot, and this action was performed automatically. Please [contact the moderators of this subreddit](/message/compose/?to=/r/movingtojapan) if you have any questions or concerns.*
自己PR is more for students during their shukatsu than for a mid career hire like you.
> In English resumes/cover letters, all you really do is talk broadly about your experience and relate it to the job you’re applying to.
Not necessarily.
> Needless to say when I wrote that out it felt dumb.
Don’t. I read a lot of resumes, from college graduates to industry veterans. As you can imagine, their experience and impact vary widely.
自己PR is where you do what you’re describing you’d do with your resumes and cover letters. Say why you’re the one THEIR looking for.
志望理由 should be specifically why you want this job in particular. It’s about why they are the one YOU are looking for. If that makes sense.
Writing a 自己PR can be challenging, especially in a different cultural context. It’s normal to feel unsure or self-conscious about how to portray your accomplishments. While some examples you found may seem grandiose, it’s equally important to highlight your expertise in smaller, everyday tasks. Seek feedback from native speakers or professionals in your field to refine your self-presentation. With adjustments, your 自己PR can become a compelling representation of your skills and personality.