Ms. Trần Thị Minh

Born in 1993 in Vietnam
2015: Graduated from a national university and found a job
2016: Japanese Language Center (4 months)
2017: Japanese language school (Osaka)
2018: Vocational school
2020: Employment (Osaka)

Costs of Studying in Japan and Debt

I worked in Vietnam for 3 months after graduating from university. However, I wanted to work in a foreign country and decided to study in Japan first.

I borrowed about 900,000 JPY from a bank to pay fees for a mediation company and tuition for my first year in Japan (730,000 JPY). The repayment period is 10 years (monthly repayment is about 25,000 JPY). If the repayment period is short, you may have to work a lot of part-time jobs during your study in Japan, which may lead to overwork. Avoid short-term repayment loans.

Part-time Job and Immigration Control Act

If you are an international student working part-time in Japan, there is a rule that you can work up to 28 hours per week. However, there are other important things to know in addition to this ‟28 hours per week” rule. Let’s take a look at regulations on part-time work.

Interact a lot in Japanese

I passed the JLPT (Japanese Language Proficiency Test) N2 one year after coming to Japan. I studied 2 hours a day at home outside of class and had many opportunities to speak Japanese.

For example, I frequently met up with a Japanese person I met at a Japanese language center in Vietnam, my neighbor who was French, and a Japanese woman close to my age who the French person introduced me to, and we all talked in Japanese. It was also an encouragement for me to study because I could use the Japanese I had learned in my studies, which helped me improve my skills, and made me want to speak it better the next time we met.

In addition, I often watched Japanese movies (audio in Japanese, subtitles in Vietnamese) and spoke a lot of Japanese at my part-time job. I worked at Japanese-style pubs, Chinese restaurants, convenience stores, etc., and often went out to eat with my Japanese colleagues.

Job Hunting in Japan

I started job hunting at the beginning (April) of my second year at a vocational school. I searched for companies that hire Vietnamese through job websites and recommendations from acquaintances, and attended recruiting sessions of companies. After attending the recruiting sessions, I submitted my resume and application and waited for the company to contact me. In some cases, you may be able to have an interview at the site of the recruiting session. I attended 12 sessions (including a joint job fair) from April to September.

Job Hunting Schedule for International Students

How can international students find jobs in Japan? Looking for a job in Japan is called Shukatsu (job hunting). Some schools explain that job hunting starts in April, but many students start preparing before that. Here is the schedule of job hunting.

I attended the most sessions from May to June. Some students receive early job offers during this period, but I received mine at the end of September.

Job Hunting Tips I Learned

At first, I had a hard time passing the interviews and failed in 4 interviews, but later I was accepted by 2 companies. I would like to share with you two things I learned in the process.

1. Do your research on the Internet and at companies’ recruiting sessions to learn more about the business of the company and the type of people they are looking for. With this information, think about how you can contribute to the company and present it on your resume and at the interview.
2. It is important to think about the questions you will be asked in the interview and practice your answers many times beforehand. Reasons for applying and personal summary are especially important.

I hope you all have a fulfilling time studying in Japan.

A Story of an International Student #2: Overcoming Job Hunting and Enjoying Working Life

During her study in Japan, Ms. Thảo Nhi improved her conversation skills by talking a lot with Japanese people at her part-time job. She had a hard time when she first started job hunting, but in the end, she found a job with a good working environment. Here is her story.