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Preparing for a Job Interview with a Japanese Company

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Preparing Your Profile and Rirekisho (履歴書)

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Preparing Your Profile and Rirekisho (履歴書)

Japanese companies usually choose candidates from their documents first, before meeting them. There are two main documents: 履歴書 (rirekisho, resume) and 職務経歴書 (shokumu keirekisho, detailed work history). This lesson covers your profile and the rirekisho. The next lesson covers the shokumu keirekisho.

What goes into a rirekisho

Formats differ between companies and organizations, but the content is almost always the same:

SectionWhat to writeNote
Personal dataName (and katakana), date and place of birth, gender, marital status, height and weight, blood type, addressName and date of birth must match your passport and KTP exactly
PhotoA recent photo from the chest up, plain background, neat clothesA common size is 3×4 cm
Education (学歴)School name, major, month and year of entry and graduationList from elementary school to your latest education unless told otherwise
Work history (職歴)Company name, employment type (contract, permanent, internship), period, and your own dutiesNot the company’s line of business. Details go in the shokumu keirekisho
Qualifications (資格・免許)Japanese tests (JFT-Basic, JLPT, NAT, etc.) with score and date, SSW skills tests, driving licenses, other certificatesWrite “not yet” or “studying”; do not leave it blank without explanation
Family (家族構成)Relationship, name, age, whether you live together, occupationCompanies want to know whether your family supports you
Health (カルテ)Medical history and serious injuries, eyesight, alcohol, smoking, tattoosAnswer honestly. Hidden issues usually come out at the medical check
Strengths, weaknesses, hobbies, skillsShort and realGive an example from your work experience
Motivation (志望動機)Why Japan, why this fieldTwo or three sentences in your own words
Self-promotion (自己PR)A strength that is useful for the jobOne strength, one piece of evidence from experience
Confirmation questionsAcquaintances in Japan, past entries to Japan, past applications for a medium or long-term visa (COE)Must be answered honestly

Photo

  • A recent photo, face clearly visible, looking straight ahead.
  • Plain background, neat clothes like on interview day, tidy hair.
  • No filters, no sunglasses, no casual poses.

Keep your data consistent

  • Your name, date of birth, education and work history must be the same in every document: rirekisho, shokumu keirekisho, passport, and your profile on the application platform.
  • If you have been to Japan before (for example as a technical intern), the data in a new application must match what was recorded by Japanese immigration back then. Do not add or remove work history that was reported before.
  • Different spellings of your name can hold up the visa process, even after you pass the interview.

Do not use machine translation

Machine translation often produces Japanese words with the wrong meaning. Real examples: “disciplined” was translated as a word meaning “fond of punishing”, and “responsible for my work” became “resigned from my job”. A Japanese reader notices immediately, and the first impression is poor.

  1. Write the content in Indonesian in your own words.
  2. Ask a teacher, your training institute, or a Japanese speaker to help write it in Japanese.
  3. Make sure you understand and can explain everything written, because it will be asked in the interview.

Be honest, do not exaggerate

Do not write a language level or experience you do not have. Interviewers often test you on the spot. It is better to write “studying for JLPT N4” than to claim you have passed.

Common mistakes

  • Writing the name of a training institute or agency where it is not asked for.
  • Describing the company’s business (“this company makes auto parts”) instead of your own duties.
  • Leaving the Japanese test, driving license, or family sections empty.
  • Not updating your age.
  • Data that differs between the rirekisho and the shokumu keirekisho.

Checklist

  1. Name and date of birth match your passport.
  2. A recent photo from the chest up with a plain background.
  3. Every section is filled in, including family, driving license and Japanese.
  4. Work history describes your own duties.
  5. Data matches your shokumu keirekisho and other documents.
  6. The Japanese version has been checked by a Japanese speaker, and you can explain it.

What goes into a Japanese rirekisho, keeping your data consistent, and why machine translation causes problems.

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