Job Hunting Schedule for International Students in Japan: From Internships to Offer

The conventional shukatsu timeline

For students graduating in March and joining a company in April, the conventional schedule that many large companies follow looks like this: public recruiting information opens in March of the year before graduation, selection such as interviews starts from June of the final year, and formal job offers (内定) are given from October 1 of the final year. These dates come from guidelines that the government asks companies to follow, not from a law.

In practice, many companies start earlier. Summer and winter internships in the year before graduation have become a major entry point, and some companies make informal offers (内々定) before the conventional dates. Foreign-owned companies, startups and small and medium-sized companies often recruit on their own schedules, and some hire all year round. Treat the conventional timeline as a baseline, not a guarantee of when each company will act.

• Around two years before graduation: self-analysis, industry research, first career fairs
• Summer of the year before graduation: summer internships (applications often open in spring)
• Autumn and winter of that year: autumn and winter internships, company research
• March of the year before graduation: entry opens and company briefings (説明会) begin
• Spring of the final year: entry sheets, aptitude tests, early interviews at some firms
• June of the final year onward: interviews at many large companies
• October 1 of the final year: formal offer ceremonies (内定式) at many companies

What each step involves

Entry (エントリー) means registering your interest with a company, usually through its recruiting site. After that come company briefings, where the company explains its business and the selection process, and entry sheets (ES), written answers about your strengths, what you worked hard on as a student and why you want to join.

Most large companies then use aptitude tests such as SPI, which include Japanese language and math sections, before several rounds of interviews: group discussions, interviews with staff, then interviews with managers and executives. The process can take weeks or months per company, so most students apply to many companies in parallel.

An informal offer (内々定) is a promise of employment before the formal offer date; the formal offer (内定) usually comes with a written notice. An offer is generally conditional on graduating, and for international students, on obtaining a residence status that allows the work.

Planning around graduation as an international student

Start earlier than you think. Language takes time: entry sheets, aptitude tests and interviews are usually in Japanese at Japanese companies, and many employers expect around JLPT N2 for general positions. Use the year before your job hunt to improve business Japanese and practice writing about yourself.

Match your studies to the jobs you want. For the Engineer/Specialist in Humanities/International Services status, the review generally looks at whether the job relates to what you studied at university or vocational school. Graduates of Japanese vocational schools in particular should check that the job matches their field. Knowing this before you apply saves time on offers that may be hard to explain later.

Watch your part-time work. Students with permission can generally work up to 28 hours a week, with more allowed during long school vacations. Working beyond the permitted hours can cause serious problems when you later apply to change your status, so keep records and stay within the limits.

Changing your residence status after an offer

Once you have an offer, the next step is to apply to change your status from Student to a work status before you start work. For an April start, the Immigration Services Agency typically begins accepting applications from new graduates several months in advance, around December; check the current notice on its website for the exact start date and required documents.

The application usually needs documents from both you and the company: your graduation certificate or expected graduation certificate, transcripts, the employment contract or offer letter, and company documents explaining the business and your duties. After approval, you normally receive the new residence card once you submit proof of graduation. You cannot start full-time work before the change is approved.

If you have not found a job by graduation, you may be able to apply for the Designated Activities status for continued job hunting, which usually requires a recommendation from your school and can allow a limited period of further job hunting. Conditions apply, so talk to your career center well before graduation. Final decisions on all status applications are made by the Immigration Services Agency of Japan.

Support from your career center and Hello Work

Your university or school career center is the first place to go. Staff can explain the shukatsu schedule, review entry sheets, hold mock interviews and share job postings sent directly to your school. Many schools also run sessions specifically for international students, and the center is usually where you get the recommendation letter needed for the continued job hunting status.

Hello Work, the public employment service run under the Ministry of Health, Labour and Welfare, also supports international students. Employment Service Centers for Foreigners in some major cities and Hello Work offices for new graduates (新卒応援ハローワーク) offer job consultations, introductions to companies and interview practice free of charge. You can also search job listings on the Hello Work Internet Service.

On OlaJob you can filter for jobs that accept international students and for positions that lead from student status to the Engineer/Specialist status.

A practical year-by-year plan

Two years before graduation, focus on Japanese, research industries and attend your first career fairs. In the following spring, apply for summer internships and prepare a short self-introduction in Japanese. Through autumn and winter, join more internships and narrow your target companies.

From March of the year before graduation, register with companies, attend briefings and submit entry sheets. From spring into summer, take aptitude tests and interviews. Once you have an offer, gather the documents for your change of status and apply as soon as applications open. Keep one or two backup options until your status change is approved.