I’m an international student from some SEA country in English-based program at a university in Nagoya. I don’t speak Japanese well even after living here for 1 year, something I’m quite ashamed of myself. I also am generally a shy and quiet person who doesn’t really try to go out of my comfort zone.
Lately I have been trying to “break out” of my shell and gain more experience in life here, so I’m trying to find a part-time work in service industry like restaurants. Obviously I kind of need the money, but I also just really want the experience and get better with my Japanese after being in a slump for so long
I have applied to more than 5 jobs around my area and came to interviews. I struggled with communicating and writing the application sheet on the spot during interview in Japanese. I couldn’t really express my wish and aspiration and ended up only answering the questions the store managers gave in really basic manner. They all just said we’ll contact you again within a week or so which I understand now is basically a rejection (and most of them have contacted me again notifying of the rejection)
I understand that I have a busy schedule with my courses and labs every single weekday until 18.00, which only allowed me to work on evening shifts. I also don’t have that much energy as a person myself so I am usually quite drained after school and try to limit myself to work for only 3-4 days max a week, to give myself time for schoolwork which is still my main responsibility. My Japanese is also definitely one of the biggest factor of all the rejections. But I really didn’t expect getting basic service work would be so hard as an international student here. I keep hearing stories of students getting work and seeing that so many students work part-time job here, so I’ve always thought it would just be a really easy process
Gotta say I’m quite humbled but also a little sad and discouraged after all this. It feels like I’m being forcibly put back into my shell again, like I’ve been rejected and I should just not bother. Should I just keep trying and failing? It also feels like a waste that I’m spending so much of my time on these work searches, applications, and interviews while my own schoolwork is piling up. My friend told me I can try again next semester but by then I’d only have around 1.5 years left here and I probably would only be working for a little over a year, something I’m not sure most restaurant managers would bother to train someone with no experience only for them to leave after a bit
20 comments
Are you looking for a job for money or to get out of your shell?
Try a free local Japanese class for getting out of your shell. Tell them specifically that you want to practice Japanese for a baito and they will most likely help you out.
Google “city name 日本語教室’
At job interviews, lie and say that you will live in the area forever. Don’t tell them that you have to leave at some point lol.
Nothing in life is easy. I applied to a lot of Jobs aswell by Yolo Japan. Got a couple of interviews but got rejected. I even got an interview for one company, as soon as they saw my bald head, no other questions asked. Just said we dont accept bald heads. (Wanted to be angry for wasting my time but he was extremely polite). Their job ads says we accept students/foreigners/no experience/n3 but I cant figure out why they didnt accept my application.
I think I applied for over 20-30 jobs. And only one of those accepted me. And even if I was accepted, I feel like Im hanging on a string because the job is quite difficult if you cant communicate well. (Im on n3 level and yet Im still having difficult) I tried putting myself on their shoes and I thought of a few reasons why they wouldbt hire me. Hiring a gaijin is a pain because aside from teaching the job, you also gotta teach the language.
Anyway, eventually I met a fellow countrymen who helped me. Havent started yet but hopefully it goes well for me.
My advice to you is keep on applying. Attend interviews because thats good practice. And study the languagre
Does your country have a decent size community in Japan? When your Japanese is still weak, it’s easier to connect with your fellow countrymen first then find work through those connections.
Hello work? When I arrive in Japan I went hello work and that’s it, was washing dishes in no time with zero Japanese lol. Later Spanish restaurant (waiter), Brazilian restaurant (pasador cutting meat ) and others just to improve my Japanese .
If you just want social interaction, join a club at your university.
Well at my experience there are 2 points important in here. 1, you don’t speak Japanese. Not like fluent, but most of the jobs want a person able to communicate (it depends on the hiring person actually). And 2, you just applied for 5 offers… that’s pretty low. It also depends on the job, etc. etc. Just keep appling, eventually you’ll find something.
Talk with your school, they might be able to help your job search. Part-time jobs are aplenty in Japan, there will be rejections but it honestly isn’t hard unless you’re being quite picky about the work you apply for. Resumes are also just copy paste pretty much or not needed.
Don’t be discouraged! It’s hard living in a new country. I’d recommend to study Japanese specifically for job interviews. What they ask you every time is basically the same, so if you get familiar answering the questions you know they’ll ask, that could be a start. You could also try to apply somewhere run by an English speaker and learn from there.
Yes, you need to keep trying and failing. Failing is worth your time because now you have experience with part time jobs interviews and that will make you better every time you keep trying. And when you do get a job you are probably going to fail again, make mistakes and someone might scold you. That’s just part of learning, you have to keep trying to get better.
sounds like you dont have the time to do part time if you need to neglect school works due to job search.
Learning japanese on top of english class is tough.
not impossible of course but not everyone can do it.
If it is just to break out from shell, then meetup would be better.
Part time jobs are mainly for money especially restaurants. People are so busy there is barely enough time to socialize.
Part time jobs are easier for language students where their main job is to study language. I worked part time for 9 months and I dont want to repeat that period of time.
Have you thought about working at Ichiran? Off the top of my head, I’d say around 30% of the staff at the store I was working at were from SEA countries with varying levels of Japanese abilities.
School and friends networks are generally best. Easier to get in with a recommendation/pass than to just blind interview. Especially if a Japanese friend from school is willing to speak to them for you.
I don’t speak Japanese well after 5 years here, don’t feel too bad.
Try searching for a job that has minimal Japanese requirements. Most of them are dish washing, hotel room cleaning staff, and kuroneko yamato warehouse.
Then after your Japanese getting better, you can try more front side job like hall staff, konbini cashier etc.
Goodluck!
Five applications is nothing. Are you applying at places targeting foreigner or foreign students? Look for places with part-time job flyers advertising that foreigners and/or low Japanese are OK. (I see this language on flyers most often at conbini and izakaya in university areas.)
If you just want socialization, join a club on campus. That’s how a lot of university socialization happens.
Given your schedule, bar work could be good for you. There are tons of international bars around that would take you.
Fellow SEA international student who just got a baito rejection email here. When I first got my baito earlier this year here I applied for almost 12 or so. After my contract ended I wanted to do a more interactive role with customers and I applied elsewhere but it turns out during the interview my Japanese is still not enough. Even though I’m pretty confident during the interview. Don’t get too discouraged, keep trying and you’ll find something! Because that’s what I’m doing right now.
Try to find jobs that have hired foreigners, in my last workplace most of the staff are foreigners. Or talk with the student affairs office of your university, maybe they can help you find a part time job in the university.
This is so Gen-Z it hurts.. “I applied for at least FIVE customer-facing jobs when I can’t speak the local language: getting a job here is sooooo hard!”
Bro..
Fellow international student here!
I feel you in the last paragraph. I love to believe in willpower, stoicism, if-you-schedule-enough-you-can-do-everything, emotions are nothing discipline is everything kinds of narratives on the internet. But I’m starting to realize that it’s just not really possible and the people that actually do live that kind of lifestyle have a ton of advantages that we don’t have as people that are basically immigrants in a foreign country with a completely different language than our mother tongues, completely different value system and culture. The human body has it’s limits and often it’s just counterproductive to try get past it to feel like you’re productive when you’re actually not…
Do you have school on the weekends? If not, you could try applying for night shift- 1am to 6am- at convenience stores, 1 night a week on Friday or Saturday night. A lot of convenience stores lack night shifters so it’s easier to get consistent shifts. The money is better than normal shifts too and you get free food. That’s what I’ve been doing since April this year.
Good luck to you!
I got introduced to part time jobs based on recommendations from friends I made. If that helps.