Dear all,
Thank you once again to those who joinined us last night for the third session of our JET x Ashinaga Career Support, hosted by 日賑グローバル株式会社 (Nisshin Global) in collaboration with National AJET and Ashinaga Africa Initiative (AAI). I really appreciated your attention and excellent questions. Also, special thanks to our wonderful guest speaker, Kyler Watson, who volunteered his time to share his own career journey and insights.
For those who participated, I kindly request your feedback on last night’s session. Your input directly shapes the content and structure of upcoming events: https://forms.gle/hmiL4awEAu9AuACi9
For those who missed the event—or would like to revisit the key takeaways—here is a link to the full recording.
For those who prefer a written summary, here’s a recap of the takeaways from our session:
1. You Bring More Value Than You May Realize
Many JETs and AAI alumni struggle with portraying their unique personality and strengths during the interview. The “soft skills” developed through years of teaching, adapting, and navigating Japan’s systems are exactly what many companies looking for. You just need to connect those experiences to business value.
Focus on how you showcase those skills in a narrative way that’s easy to digest → What’s your “one episode”?
2. The Most Important Shared Strengths of JETs and AAI scholars:
- English + Conversational Japanese
Enables you to act as a bridge between Japan and overseas clients/partners.
- Proven Commitment to Living in Japan
Companies fear “flight risk.” Your years here and love for Japan give them confidence.
- Cultural Insight & Global Perspective
You notice things Japanese teams miss, and this improves marketing, messaging, and product innovation.
- Adaptability, Patience, and Collaboration Skills
Years navigating Japan’s consensus-based work culture are a major asset.
- Unique Global Network
Something no Japanese hire can replicate — especially valuable in sales/marketing.
- Youth & Tech Familiarity
Many companies seek younger employees to refresh their digital and SNS practices.
- Communication & People Skills
You can present, listen, problem-solve, and communicate ideas clearly — especially in multicultural settings
3. What Japanese Companies Are Actually Hiring For
JET Career Fair data from 2025 shows companies hire foreign talent primarily to:
- Work with overseas clients/partners
- Expand into global markets
- Bring new ideas and diversity of thought
- Eventually lead overseas branches (less common, but real)
- Improve international branding & communication
In short: They want someone who can help them go global.
4. How to Tell Your Story in Interviews
- Listing experiences is fine, but it’s important to connect them into a clear narrative → Show why your background matters for the role.
- Prepare a few strong “one-episode stories” that demonstrate:
-
- problem-solving
- resilience
- creativity
- leadership
- cross-cultural ability
Your ability to tell your story — especially in Japanese — is often more important than the content itself.
5. Interview Realities & Strategies
- First–round interviews in Japan follow a predictable pattern. Practice answers for:
-
- Why Japan?
- Why this company?
- What value can you bring?
- A failure you overcame.
- Your “one strong episode.”
- Research the company deeply — especially their products and overseas activity.
- Expect multiple rounds of interviews with different styles.
- Rejections are normal. Every round helps you get better.
6. Kyler’s Practical Advice For Job Hunting
- Start early — keep your “finger on the pulse” of job postings.
- Leverage JET After-JET resources: internships, training, translation courses.
- The JET Career Fair is extremely effective — take it seriously.
- Don’t fear taking a “stepping-stone job.” Experience helps you leap later.
- Cast a wide net — you may end up in an industry you never expected.
- Maintain your network — former colleagues often become future opportunities.
- Read HR documents carefully (e.g., evaluation cycles). They matter.
7. Life in a Japanese Workplace
Challenges:
- Bureaucracy & slow decision-making
- Indirect communication styles (feedback, evaluation, ideation)
-
Switching from educational environments to corporate settings.
- Strong teamwork and camaraderie.
- Opportunities to contribute new ideas.
- Structured training and support for new employees.
- A real sense of impact when supporting Japan’s global growth.
8. Central Theme of the Session (Main Takeaway):
JETs do not struggle because they lack value — they struggle because they don’t articulate it clearly.
Your job is to translate your experience into a story that makes sense to a Japanese hiring manager, showcasing your communication skills, personality, what problem you can solve for their company, and why you’re committed to Japan (and their company) long-term.
Nisshin Global’s Career Support
At Nisshin Global, our goal is to support your journey by helping you build the skills, confidence, and connections you need to succeed professionally in Japan. Through our Collaborative Leadership Workshops, we’re working directly with managers and teams who are learning how to leverage global talent more effectively—so when we introduce a candidate, the environment is already aligned for your success.
We offer:
- 🔍 Tailored job introductions to Japanese SMEs that welcome foreign talent
- 🧭 Post-hire counseling and support to ensure your smooth integration
- 🤝 Cultural onboarding and long-term career development guidance
Whether you're just starting your job hunt or looking to pivot your career path, we're here to guide you every step of the way.
👉 Interested in our career support?
Simply reach out to me (Brett Huestis) on LinkedIn, or contact me via email at [email protected]
If you’d prefer not to receive future updates from us, just reply to this email and let me know—I’ll make sure to remove you from the list.
Sincerely,
Brett H.
Write a comment