job fair

Awhile back I wrote about the new employees called freshers...here.

Did you know that in the 2nd year of college, most students start looking for a job (for after graduation)?!

Some run into problems after graduation like when the company they supposedly have a job with folds prior to their graduation...eep!

I thought this was an interesting scene...a job fair on a Saturday.

Everyone wearing their black suits (guess this is to keep everyone neutral), still with the weather as hot and humid as it is...I felt sorry for them.

I also felt sorry for them as they should be enjoying their college life instead of "rushing" to enter the working world...

work transfers

About this time of year and again during the Fall, Satoshi's company has transfers.

If you are being transferred, they usually give you 2 weeks notice. Within that two weeks, you need to move and be able to report to work on February 1st or if it is in the Fall, October 1st.

Can you imagine packing up all your belongings and moving within 2 weeks? (If you are being transferred overseas the notice is about two months prior)

Oh, and you'll have to find your own housing. Sure the company will compensate you a little, but still.

Recently, Satoshi's co-worker, got transferred from Osaka to Tokyo. He has a family (wife and child) and a mortgage, so his wife and child will stay in Osaka.

This type of transfer is called "tan-shin-fu-nin" (tahn-shin-foo-nin = to work away from your family). Can you imagine paying your mortgage and paying rent?! Ridiculous.

You might ask why his wife and child don't move with him to Tokyo.

Well, depending on the age of the child, transferring schools will disrupt their "daily routines" and may even affect the child's study behaviors, maybe even risking bad grades (which will screw up everything for getting into college).

Anyway, that is the main reason why a lot of businessmen who get transferred often end up going to their new assignments alone.

And if you think 2 weeks is short notice, I've heard that banks in Japan give their workers notice on a Thursday and they must report to their new assignment by the following Monday. The reason for this is so that they can't "mess-up" accounts or do anything "bad" to affect the bank system (a.k.a. retaliation).

I guess the whole system is similar to the military, but I'm still thankful Satoshi has a job.

How do transfers work in your country or for your job?

freshers

Today is the 1st of April. School years start and companies bring in their new employees.

Did you know that most new employees are called "freshers"? Why? Who knows...it is Japan's way of labeling their new employees. (By the way, the correct Japanese word for a new employee is "shinnyushain" (shin-you-shy-in))

In school, there are freshmen, but not freshers...I think Japanese love to take words and add "-er" to them to create labels for people.

What do you wear for an interview? Something bright? Your best suit/dress? In Japan, everyone wears black with a white shirt/blouse. Subdued neckties for guys. You can't wear any old black suit though, it has to be a "recruit suit".

These suits usually come out onto the market during job hunting season (before April). If you look for them at any other time of the year, you won't find them (trust me, I've tried).

Oh and what about your resume? Do you get them printed or print them out yourself? In Japan, they are hand-written and each one needs to have your photo (like the kind you take for your passport, except you are wearing your "recruit suit") attached to them.

As I was sitting and having coffee, I happened to catch this guy writing out his resume. Can you imagine if you apply to 100 companies how many you have to write out? My hand is feeling achy already.

Anyway, it is the start of a new fiscal and school year, hope it is a good one!

culture shock

The following is a conversation between Satoshi and I about college and jobs in Japan.

K: When you went to college, did you know what you would major in? I didn't.

S: We have to apply to the department that we want to graduate from before entering college.

K: What if you want to change?

S: You can't.

K: So, when you were in college, how early or when did you start looking for a job?

Not to work at while going to school, a job that you would work at after graduating from college. Me, I started looking after I graduated.

S: In my 3rd year of college. Now, it seems they start in their 2nd year of college.

K: You just started college and you are looking for a job??

What if after graduating, the company that said they would hire you isn't what you thought?

S: You can't change your mind because most times you have already declined other offers.

K: Or, what if the company that said they would hire you decides that they don't want you.

S: You are screwed because most times you have already declined other offers.

K: So, what if you didn't want to go to college right after high school?

S: That usually doesn't happen in Japan. Everyone goes at the same time and gets out at the same time.

K: So, you never have people taking longer than 4 years?

S: Usually, no. Only people who didn't pass the exam on their first try will be a year or two behind their age group.

K: Isn't it kind of boring that there aren't different age groups in your class to share their experiences?

S: I dunno, I never went to class. I was always playing baseball.

dusting off the resume (for a day)

Last Friday night I got a call from Kazumi, her son's friend's sister was in a bind. The interpreter that was scheduled for a job cancelled at the last minute, so would I be willing to work?

Me? An interpreter? I get nervous speaking in front of people, let alone having to translate what the person is saying.

This job was easy (so she said), a make-up artist from France was coming and they needed someone to translate what he was saying to the customer and staff and what the customer and staff was saying to him.

There are so many technical words when dealing with cosmetics or any subject for that matter. But, when someone says that they need my help, something jumps out at me, and I'm always willing to oblige.

So, yesterday, I reported for work in Kobe. The make-up artist, G.H. works for a big french cosmetics company, G. He's done many model's make-up as well as the make-up for the Opera de Paris.

He was a nice guy, we chatted when we had free time, had lunch together and also took our breaks together. I think he enjoyed the company, just to be able to talk about stuff he wanted to talk about, as he travels around the world doing makeovers for most of the year. (I wish I spoke French or German as those were his stronger languages.)

The day went by quickly, he corrected my make-up several times during the lulls and got LOTS of samples. (I think if you are looking for a husband, you may want to get a make-up artist, girls, he'll make sure you look good all the time, plus, he wasn't gay either (not that being gay is a bad thing)--G.H. is available for those of you looking!!)

The job was only for one day, but it was fun and luckily it was easy. He says that the next time he comes to Osaka/Kobe to work, he's asking for me to help him.