The steps for receiving a job offer and joining a company

When you pass the final interview and receive a job offer, you now have the right to start working at a company. There are a few steps to go through before you can begin, however. This article discusses the process from receiving an offer to starting your first day.

From the Job Offer to Joining – All the Steps Involved

Getting an offer and joining a company often plays out with the following process –

  1. Job Offer Notice
  2. Acceptance of Offer
  3. Changing Your Visa Status
  4. Joining the Company

Job Offer

If you pass the final interview, you’ll receive an official job offer notice from the company. Of course companies send their offers in different ways. Some will give you an offer on the spot after your final interview. Others will contact you by phone, e-mail, or even post. It’s standard for companies to tell you the results within a week of your final interview. However, if there are many candidates for the position or if it takes time to make their final decision, you might wait around two weeks.

Accepting a Job Offer

Even if you receive an offer, you don’t have to accept it right away. You might be waiting on the results from your first choice company, or just want to continue searching even though you’ve received an offer. In such cases you might be able to defer your job offer. Since it’s an employee’s market in Japan right now, it’s not unusual for job seekers to hold on to several offers while continuing their search. There’s no need for you to stop looking until you’ve received an offer that you’re 100% satisfied with. When you finally decide on joining a specific company, you can then state your intention to accept.

Changing Your Visa Status

When you decide to join a company, you’ll have to change your visa status as soon as possible. You’ll of course not be allowed to work for a company on your student visa, so you’ll have to change it to a working visa. It usually takes around one to three months for this process. It’s important to start this process as soon as you can, so you can have permission to work before starting your first day.

Joining a Company

Once you’re finished changing your visa, all that’s left is waiting for your first day. In your company, there may be social gatherings and lodging/training together, and training and recruiting for internships. Make sure that you understand your schedule and necessary duties before you start, so that things will go smoothly on your first day of work.

Summary

So there you have it! You still have to be careful even if you receive an offer – companies can withdraw offers depending on your behavior, or you might not have your visa ready for the first day of work. An offer is just the beginning – until you start your first day, keep in mind that you have to follow your company’s instructions and prepare as well as you can.

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