All you need to know about job-hunting in Japan

Until February, 3rd year in college
Preparation

During this period, there are different methods for students to look into industries or companies that caught their attention, including attending company information sessions, seminars, and alumni visits, doing internships and researching on the Internet. You also have to look back on their student life, self-analyze and start preparing before being overwhelmed and pressed by time with the submission of résumés and interviews.

From March onwards, 3rd year in college
The actual start of shūkatsu

In order to avoid hindering your studies, companies restrain from starting their recruiting activities until March. Still, shūkatsu support websites (Rikunabi, Mynavi, en, etc.) open their doors around that period and enable the submission of entries to companies. Then, documentation regarding information sessions, company guides, recruitment, and such is sent out by companies to students who submitted “entries”. You must remember that sending an entry is different from an application; it sends companies a declaration of intent, basically conveying your interest in their activities. Furthermore, each corporation’s website provides information on its recruiting activities. Since the number of corporate information sessions greatly increases over that period, all of a sudden shūkatsu becomes rather hectic and time-consuming. While gathering detailed data on companies–their work, achievements, recruits, etc.–you need to start concentrating your aim an industry or companies of interest. Regarding corporate information sessions, attendance becomes compulsory as you progress along the selection process.

From June onwards, 4th year in college
Résumés and entry sheets

In addition to résumés, some companies also request the submission of an entry sheet (ES). ES require more than simply filling out your academic background and achievements, you have to write about your accomplishments during your student years, your strengths and weaknesses, as well as a variety of details.
June and July represent the peak period for submissions, and after passing the document screening step, you can now continue with written exams, group work and interviews.

From August onwards, 4th year in college
Interviews

August will be the month with the largest number of interviews, of which there are two types: in groups or individually. Companies usually carry out an average of three to four interviews, but this number varies from one corporation to another, some of them even conducting up to ten interviews.
Also, other than interviews, group works are often established to see how you can actually work. Students whom the companies may want to recruit are informed of their “naitei” (内定 is a Japanese word which refers to an unofficial/early official job offer) by telephone, e-mail or sometimes even during the final selection. From October to winter, students receive unofficial offers, thus completing their shūkatsu process.

This wraps up the main process for students who wish to enter a company as new graduates. Yet, there may be slight changes schedule-wise, considering that some companies may carry out their recruitment activities over a different time period while others do so all year round.

We took the April 2016 graduates as an example to best illustrate the shūkatsu process. However, don’t forget that dates change depending on the school year, so you will have to check dates yourselves for other 2017 promotions onwards.