Foreign part-time workers indicate stricter etiquette is the main difference between Japan and their home countries, according to Mynavi survey

Getting a part-time job in Japan while at school could be a good way to get first-hand experience of Japanese culture. Or, for those who are preparing for job hunting in Japan, they might find it a viable option to make some money to cover their job hunting related expenses. On April 24, Mynavi Corporation, which is famous for its recruitment information websites, released the results of a survey about the part-time job experience of foreigners in Japan. Here’s a summary of the survey results, which will give you an idea of what it is like to get a part-time job in Japan.

First, to the question “What is the main difference between working in Japan and in your home country?”, the most popular answer was that “Japanese workplaces have stricter standards for courtesy and manners.” Second, to the question “What do you look for in a part-time job?”, the most popular answer was whether the job is foreigner-friendly. This question also revealed that about 40% of the survey respondents felt that there are not many jobs or only limited types of jobs which welcome them.

When the subjects were asked about the main difference between working in Japan and in their home countries, the top three answers were all about the strictness of etiquette. 39.1% pointed out courtesy and manners, 36.1% suggested punctuality, while 34.7% suggested hierarchical relationships. The Japanese way of observing courtesy and manners, and work ethic seems to have made a large impression on many respondents.

Regarding the question about priorities in looking for a part-time job, 48.6% answered foreigner-friendly environments, 41.8% answered wage rates, and 37.1% answered travel compensation. For this question, about 70% of the respondents with employment visas highlighted these three conditions, and it can be said that a positive work environment and appropriate compensation are the two things that foreigners value most when looking for a part-time job.

Finally, to the question about the challenges they face when looking for a part-time job in Japan, 40.1% noted that there are not many jobs or only limited types of jobs that welcome foreigners, which implies that the current Japanese part-time job market isn’t up to par with what foreigners expect. 27.9% suggested difficulties in preparing resumes and related documents for job applications, and 26.5% suggested their Japanese proficiency level was lower than what is appropriate for the job, which shows that the application methods for Japanese jobs and the language barrier are the key challenges that they face.

In conclusion, these survey results indicate that when it comes to getting a part-time job, foreigners are also expected to have a deep understanding of Japanese work culture and high language proficiency just like their Japanese counterparts. Therefore, it is advisable to keep these results in mind, so that you know how to prepare for your part-time job search.