Japanese style of job hunting

Hi, guys!

Today's weather is so nice, isn't it?

But I stay at home... My mom and dad are in Hokkaido right now!! That's unfair!!haha

As I wrote in my blog the other day, season of job hunting has started in Japan.

And, I went to job orientation (説明会）at Teijin the day before yesterday.

It was interesting and useful to get to know the distribution firm is, thought I was really tired after finifhing.

These days, I am thinking that Japanese style of job hunting which is unique and something weird. I don't know other countries', but maybe they are not the same as Japanese.

In Japanese style, it takes really really long time to get final offer from the company.

The process is like this:

1. get the accunt in the job-hunting web site

2. search companies you wanna work

3. entry some companies through job-hunting web site

4. get a mail from companies you entried

5. go to participate in company's orientation

6. take a written test ( or web test) ← That's sucks!!

7. If you pass a test, you can go to job interviews ( 2~4 times) →

8. Get a final offer from a company

See? It is a loooooong distance to get a job in Japan. And, I think this system was made since the Internet was widly popularized, so there are many job-hunting web sites in Japan. I also feel that job-hunting is toooo commercialized by that wer sites. They give us a good opportunity to consider our career and advices how to succeed at job hunting, which are good points of web sites.

But, they also have bad points that season of job seeking starts earlier year by year, they make job hunters hurry, and it is really difficult to chose from tooo much information.

I am a job seeker now, and I already feel difficulties to chose good companies for me from too much information in web site. When I was in America, I did not see senior ( or junior) students who wear black suit, busy doing job hunting, and say something like " I have to do job-hunting".

I don't know Japanese job hunting is good or bad... What do ya think?

Japanese culture is really "Not touch" culture??

Hi guys!!

Today's weather is not good, though it is Sunday.....

And, I found an interesting article in newspaper today!

It is about "Japanese hot spring".

I love hot spring!! It makes me relax~~!!

And, Japan is really famous for hot spring among travelers from foreign countries.

I think there are also hot spring all over the world, but it is really rare to take a bath with naked!! But, in Japan, it is normal thing, and everyone does.

So, article said that many Japanese hotels which have hot spring made a sign with detailed derection of bathing for foreign travelers.

Now, one thing came up in my mind that I discussed in a class.

"Touch culture and not-touch culture"!!!

As you know, Japanese culture is definetly "non-touch culture".

We don't hug even with parents, or don't with boyfriend/girlfriend in public place.

Of course, we don't kiss like Western people do.

But!! Don't you think something weird??

Yeah, I am talking about Japanese cuture thinks being naked in hot spring is OK though it is "not-touch culture"!!!

But, I still love Hot Spring!! hehe

Cultural difference....?

Hi, guys!!

As you know, economy is getting worse and worse day by day, and even big company like Lehman Brothers bunkruped......

What ' s gonna happen next....? I am really worried about my job hunting....

The other day, I watched news program on TV, and they focused on interesting point which is connected with cultural difference.

The topic was " Apology"!!

They compared Japanese CEO and American CEO.

That program said that Japanese CEO ( or president) whose company was bankrupted always say sorry with crying in the interview. Gateway and Yamaichi stock company, for example.

But!! They said American CEO had not done to do so. In the case of Leaham Brothers' CEO, he looked confident and did not cry. He said " I did do well, and I do not regret what I had done."

In the end of this program, one essayist commented it was because of cultural difference.

Yeah, that is right. I think so, too. But....

Which CEOs are ideal for company or employees?? Japanese one who kept saying sorry?

American one who took a defiant attitude?

I think Japanese one is better than American in Japan, because CEO has a responsibility to keep company well but the result was failed. I think CEO has to apologize.

Hummmm, to say sorry or not ; That is the question...

Movie again!!

Hi, guys!!

I went to see a movie yesterday with my friends!!

Movie again!! haha



I think this year is the special year I have been to the theater so often!!!

Especially from last month, I already have watched over 5 movies!!



The movie I saw yesterday was......

Japanese one which is called " Yogisha X no Kenshin". Sorry I don't know English title...

Maybe.... "Devotion of Suspect X" in English!

This film was originally from famous novel which was written by Keigo Higashino, and it connects with famous Japanese drama called "GALILEO", so actors and actresses in this film were the same as drama.

Story was that one genius named Tetsuya Ishigami devoted himself to save a lady he loved, because she accidentally killed her ex-husband. So, police could not solve this case because it was really clever trick.

And!! There was another genius guy whose nickname is " GALILEO"!! He was gonna solve this case.... But..... Those two genius were friend!!! When Galileo realized Ishigami was the criminal....

If you wanna know more, GO TO THE THEATER!! hehe

These days, I watched only foreign films like HANKOK and WANTED. And, I preferred to watch those movies than Japanese ones. But, I felt that Japanese films are also nice and Japanese actor&actress are playing very well by watching " Yogisha X no Kenshin" yesterday.

Movies I saw last week!

Hi, guys!

I haven't updated my bolg again!! hehe

Last week was kind of busy because I had to go to get a new passport, go shopping with my mom, go to classes, go to see a movie with my friend, etc....

Yeah, as you can see, it was mostly because of pleasure!!hehe

Then, I gonna introduce movies I saw last week.

First one is " Mr. Baseball". I watched in the class. Has anyone watched this??

Before I watched, I did not know even know the title!! haha

This movie is about that American baseball player came to join Japanese baseball team ( Chunichi Dragons) and finally he made a new record as foreign player in Japan.

However, it was first time to come to Japan for him and he was forced to go to Japan, so he did not know Japanese culture like taking-off shoes, the way of taking a bath, and even Japanese language!!

As you can imagine, he experienced a lot of culture shock.

But!! One day, he met a beautiful Japanese lady, and she helped hime to get accustomed Japanese culture. But!! This lady was really strong and not like a normal Japanese lady!

I also got culture shock by her!! haha

If you want why, watch "Mr. Baseball"!!! I think this movie help you to know Japanese culture and how difficult to live in the othre country.

Second one is " WANTED"!! I watched this in the theater with my friend!!

I thought this was just an action film.....

But it was not!!! It was over action film!!

Bullet went clean through a head, blood streamed from head, and........

I do not remember because I almost always close my eyes during that scene!!

So, after a movie ended, I feel no energy in my body!!

But, Anjelina Jolie was really cool!!!

Time has come....

Hi guys!

Can you guess what I am talking about??

Today, I'm gonna talk about.........

JOB-HUNTING!!!!!

I think if you live in Japan, maybe you see some advertisement somewhere from the begining of this month. In the train, on TV commercial, by magazine, etc.....

When I see advertisement, I really feel worried because I am a job seeker!!!

This is an example of an advertisement.

I do not know why Japanese season of job-hunting comes so early and makes job-hunter( Senior or grad student) soooo narvous. Comparing with America, I did not see students who dress formally and busy to go to one after another firms. Although I do not know American job-hunting style very much, I am sure that Japanese style is wierd.

Season of job-hunting starts pretty early, we need to find a job before graduation, and there are many web sites for job-hunting.

One thing that makes us annoy is self-analysis!!!

We have to analize ourselves so deep to make better resume, so we really must be really careful and consider a lot!! Of course, it takes a long time to finish.....

I have not finished yet.... OMG!!

Since last week, I have started analyzing ( too late!), but it is really difficult....

When I was senior in undergrad, I also did, but I did not feel harder than this time.

I think it is because I changed what I want to do and what I want to be.

It is easier to change my mind, but it is really difficult to look for my ideal job.....

That is why deep self-analysis is necessity!!!

So, this video really heals my heart.

This is the link of that video. http://www.veoh.com/videos/v15604771RPPtheEK

What does " How are you?" mean?

Hi, guys!!

OMG!! I have not update since last month!!

I experienced many things last week, but if I write all of them it'll be too long and boring, so I gonna select 1 thing!!

It is about one interesting discussion in my class. Can u guess what we discuss?? hehe

As you can read in title, we talked about what " how are you?" is real meaning.

In this case, which person should say first?? Man?? Woman?? I think man should do first. haha

Have you ever been asked " How are you?" by stranger, especially American?

It really do happens in America, because I experienced!!

And, It was my first surprise because Japanese people, we don't speak to strangers without constraint. But, in America, people speak to me with saying " How are you?".

During waiting a bus, in campus, in cafeteria, in airport....... It happens everywhere!!

Although I was scared at first, I became to like their asking " how are you?" culture.

But!! " How are you?", " How are you doing?",and "How's it going?" , those questions can easier to respond for me, because all I need to say just " Good!".

" What's up?" was really tricky, because I did not know how to answer.....

When I went to shopping mall with my friend and we met a really handsome American boy who is in our same class. And then, he said " What's up?" to me.......

I really did not have any idea to respond, so I just smiled to him...... So sad!!

I really really regaled not to know the answer phrase, because it was good chance to talk with handsome American guy!! haha

I think " How are you?" is the good and convenient phrase to start talking with strangers.

Comparing with Japanese, I think there is no phrase as " How are you?".

Maybe "元気ですか？" has the same meaning, but it is not casual.

English is sometime useful, but sometime really difficult.