Industry research｜A Perfect Guide to Get Jobs and Work in Japan

Industry research plays an essential role when trying to make the job hunting experience a more comfortable process and getting a successful outcome. Here is some detailed information about how and why you need to conduct industry research.

What is industry research?

Industry research is part of the job hunting process in which you explore and clarify the attributes of different industries. There are many different types of industries in Japan such as manufacturing, trading, finance, logistics/retailing, service, and information to name a few. Moreover, the customs, culture, and work style vary greatly from industry to industry. These things considered, it is important to take your time and look into various industries carefully to find a job that matches your personality.

The purpose of industry research

The purpose of industry research can be split into three main reasons:

To get a general idea about the various industries.
To understand the characteristics of industries such as future trends, employment stability, and working style.
To narrow down your target industries based on your interests.

First of all, it is crucial to get a general idea about the various industries in Japan. Next, it’s a good idea to skim through the characteristics of each industry, such as possible future trends within it, employment stability, working style, industry-specific culture and some common personality traits of the employees working in the field. After considering all these aspects, you can narrow down the list of industries you want to focus on based on your interests.

In job interviews, you are often asked about the reasons for choosing a particular industry. The key to giving a convincing answer to this question is to support your reasons with a good understanding of the industry and its appeal to you.

Tips for industry research

What should you keep in mind when doing industry research? The suggestion can be divided into these two main points:

Get an overview of different industries.
When you select a few industries that you like, take a close look into each one.

Whether you already have your dream industry that you want to get into or not, doing some proper research into the different industries in Japan is the first step in the job hunting process. When doing this, it’s probably a good idea to be open-minded and examine various different industries so that you have more options to choose from. There’s a possibility too, that you’ll actually find an industry that you previously had no interest in suddenly appealing.

After you get a general idea about different industries and shortlist the ones you are interested in, take a close look at each of these industries now focusing on aspects like the following; market scale, future outlook, available positions, common personality traits of employees, and average salary.

How to conduct industry research

Here are the common ways to conduct your industry research:

Get information online and from books.
Attend industry research seminars.
Attend company information sessions.
Consult senior alumni from your alma mater.

The first step is to find out what industries interest you by getting information online and from books. Secondly, attending industry research seminars and company information sessions is a good idea so that you can get more up-to-date and detailed information in a setting where you can also possibly ask your own questions. You can also consult senior alumni from your alma mater now working in a particular industry that you’re interested in to hear about their first-hand personal experiences.

Recommended websites for industry research

Some employment information websites offer useful content about industry research for students looking for post-graduation employment. These websites allow you to pick up some information about each industry effectively. Here are two websites that might be helpful for this:

Conclusion

The more time you take doing proper industry research, the better chance you have to avoid landing a job that’s a bad fit. This also enables you to talk about your reasons for applying for a specific position more concretely during job interviews, which in turn gives you a better chance of getting the job. Therefore, it is advisable to spend sufficient time looking into different industries thoroughly.