So you’ve submitted your paperwork and now your perspective employer is no doubt going through the process of 書類選考. Should you pass, prepare for a series of interviews. The most common procedure is 2 interviews. The first interview is with potential direct supervisors and other co-workers. Some places may require you to take an entrance exam before or after the interviews. The second interview, should you get it, is the 役者 interview, or upper management. If you’ve made it to a 役者面接 then you’ve pretty much got the job and this interview is more about salary negotiations than picking your brain about your skills or experience. If you’re not currently located in Japan, you could squeeze a regular and management interview within a few days of each other.
Before the interview:
- Do your homework on your interviewer. Play their most recent games. You really have no excuse not to do this, especially if you’re interviewing for Free to Play game studio. Be ready to talk about what you liked and what you think you would improve, especially when it comes to increasing appeal for Western audiences.
- Get groomed. Japanese interviewers can be especially harsh when it comes to judging people by appearances. If you are a recent graduate applying for your first job, wear a suit to your interview. Japan has a standard “recruit suit” that applicants wear when looking for jobs. If you have a suit in good condition already, use what you have. If you need a new suit and you’re in Japan, off to Aoki!
- Pay attention to any instructions from your interviewer.
- Think about some answers to boiler plate questions. Do not memorize any answer more than a sentence or two. People who tend to try and memorize something tend to slip up if they miss a word or 2 when trying to recall the answer.
- Know how to get to the interview site. Japan doesn’t have street names. Ask for precise directions from the nearest train station convenient to you. Google earth street view wouldn’t be a bad idea either.
As you can see, a lot of interview prep is universal; while you should be prepared, don’t freak out!
Next up, interview questions.