There are a variety of employment opportunities for foreign nationals working in Japan. Japan is famous for being a perfect mix between the old and the new, tradition and modernity, nature and man-made with its volcanoes, enchanting forests, traditional Shinto shrines and modern buildings. With Japan being strict when it comes to migration with low-skill and mid-skill jobs virtually unattainable for foreigners, it is much more lax with its migration policies for highly skilled jobs. The average population of Japan is highly educated which makes its job market quite competitive. Although the level of difficulty gets lowered for foreign nationals if you can speak Japanese, have a university degree and more than three years of experience in a particular high-skilled area. The most popular cities to work in Japan are Kobe, Kyoto and Osaka.

A job application in Japan requires a resume or a Curriculum Vitae and a cover letter. The resume should be chronological but Japan has a different approach from western countries when it comes to resumes and cover letters The golden rule of Zen Minimalism is the way to go when crafting a resume for Japan’s labour market. In Japan it is common to include personal information that isn’t usually included in a western resume. Information such as headshot, nationality, marital status, age, date of birth, visa status and address are usually added in a Japanese resume. The resume should include professional experience, educational background, soft skills and career goals. A complete dossier of educational certificates, diplomas, job recommendations and references will be requested by the company you are applying to. The cover letter should explain why you are right for the job and how you could add value to the company despite not being from the country. It is also advisable to translate the resume into Japanese with the help of a professional translation service.

As with most countries, Japan also requires a work visa if you want to work in the country. The Certificate of Eligibility is a document that is required before applying for a work visa and is usually applied for by your potential employer in Japan. The Certificate of Eligibility certifies the nationality, the type of visa and Japanese sponsors (usually the employer to be) that will act as a patron for the work visa. Japan has almost thirty different work visas depending on the variety of jobs and their own unique sets of requirements including Basic Work Visa, Specified Skill Visa and highly skilled professional visa among several others.