千葉大学（ちばだいがく）における留学生（りゅうがくせい）の就職状況（しゅうしょくじょうきょう）
Job hunting of international students in Chiba University

After graduating or completing a program at Chiba University or its graduate school, some students may feel, “I want to get a job in Japan, but there are no other students around me in the same situation, so I feel a little worried.” Also, because there is not much information for international students, some people may want to know about “the job-hunting situation of international students at Chiba University” and “what kind of problems international students had when they were looking for jobs in the past.”

Therefore, we will think about these questions based on data from the Career Support Office at Chiba University. We will introduce information about the job-hunting situation of international students (separately for undergraduate and graduate students), including the number of students and the industries they entered. We will also explain the main concerns and difficulties that international students at Chiba University experienced when they looked for jobs in Japan.

千葉大学に所属する外国人留学生の就活状況　Job Hunting Status of International Students at Chiba University

According to data from the Career Support Office, the results for the 2019 (Reiwa 1) academic year are as follows. The percentage of international students who found jobs in Japan was 29%.

Figure 1: Employment and Further Study Results of International Students at Chiba University (2019 Academic Year, Overall)

Source: Career Support Office, Chiba University, 2020

Next, we look at the career paths of undergraduate students in 2019 (Reiwa 1). The percentage of students who found jobs in Japan was 40%, but the number was only 10 people. Graduates found jobs in many different industries, such as Japanese consulting companies, semiconductor manufacturers, and construction companies (general contractors).

Here is the table in the same format:

Source: Career Support Office, Chiba University, 2020

The career paths of graduate school completers in 2019 (Reiwa 1) are as follows. The percentage of students who found jobs in Japan was 30% for master’s students and 21% for doctoral students, which is lower than undergraduate students. However, the total number was 50 people, which is higher than undergraduate students. Their employers were also in many different fields, such as large venture companies, architectural offices, general chemical manufacturers, major plastic processing companies, telecommunications companies, and electronics manufacturers. Some students also found jobs at universities overseas.

Source: Career Support Office, Chiba University, 2020

就職支援課での相談内容　Consultation Topics at the Career Support Office

When we asked the staff at the Career Support Office, “What kinds of questions have international students asked in the past?”, they said there were six main types of questions, as listed below.

• Differences between job hunting in Japan and in other countries;
• differences between job types such as “general position (ippan-shoku),” “career-track position (sogo-shoku),” and “technical position”;
• self-analysis (including self-promotion and what students worked hard on during university);
• company research;
• checking entry sheets and resumes;
• and preparation for interviews and group work.

The biggest differences between international students and Japanese students are the first two topics above.

The first topic is “differences between job hunting in Japan and in other countries.” Here are two examples. The first example is about “reason for applying.” In Japan, you must write a different reason for applying for each company. However, in some countries, students can use the same reason for applying for several companies. The second example is about the timing of job hunting. In Japan, students usually look for jobs while they are still in university. In many other countries, students start job hunting after they graduate from university.

The second topic is about the differences between job types such as “general position (ippan-shoku),” “career-track position (sogo-shoku),” and “technical position.” The meaning may change slightly depending on the company, but in general the differences are as follows.

A “career-track position (sogo-shoku)” usually has no clear limit on job duties. The work can be rewarding, but the responsibility is heavy. In contrast, a “general position (ippan-shoku)” mainly supports career-track employees. The work often includes making documents for sales and doing office procedures, so it is mostly desk work. There are also differences in salary, work location, and job transfer, as explained below.

Salary: There are big differences in base salary, bonuses, allowances, and salary increases between career-track and general positions. In general, career-track employees receive higher pay.

Work location: Career-track employees may be transferred to different places in Japan, and in global companies, possibly to other countries. In contrast, general position employees usually do not have transfers.

Job transfer between departments: In many companies, career-track employees are moved to different departments every few years so that they can learn many skills. In contrast, general position employees are not transferred very often.

A “technical position” refers to jobs related to making products. It means creating production processes that turn raw materials into products and deliver them to customers. Technical jobs cover many different fields, such as architecture, machinery, chemistry, and IT.

In this section, we introduced “the job-hunting situation of international students at Chiba University” and “consultation topics at the Career Support Office.” We hope this information helps to answer some of your questions about job hunting in Japan.

出典　Source:

• Unistyle, 2019「年収?仕事内容?適正?採用方法の違いを比較！一般職と総合職の違いって…？」
  https://unistyleinc.com/techniques/1332
• マイナビ, 2020「今更聞けない、総合職と一般職の違いって？」
  https://mynavi-agent.jp/dainishinsotsu/canvas/2020/12/post-418.html

【参考】　Reference

• 千葉大学 就職支援課 留学生向けサイト
  https://www.chiba-u.jp/careercenter/international/index.html

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