Global Career Guide
- Jobs in Japan @ Daijob.com
- Global Career Guide
- Tips & Advice
- Getting Ready
- Get to know the job market!
2. Get to know the job market!
When having thoughts such as"I want to find a place where I can play a more active role!" or "I want to take on a new industry!", first you must understand your chosen industry and should have a good plan for a career change.
(1) How to set a career change schedule
At the beginning of your job hunting, you should first make a backwards calculation of the schedule and put together a plan. The average time required to change jobs is three months.
- ⑤Preparation to Application
2 weeks - ④Interviews
1 to 2 weeks ×number of companies - ③Offer Negotiations
1 to 2 weeks - ②Resignation Notice
1 to 2 months - ①Joining a company
- ① Desired Start Date
- ② Subtract the number of days required to quit your current job and pass on all the nescessary information to your successor. Under Japanese law, you may leave your position with a minimum 2 weeks notice to your employee, however generally as a courtesy and sometimes necessity, you may need to give earlier notice, from 1 to 2 months.
- ③ The deadline for the offer response is often set within 1 to 2 weeks after receiving the offer.
- ④ It takes approximately 1 to 2 weeks from setting the time and date until having the interview. (* Based on the number of job offers)
- ⑤ Approximately 2 weeks to properly prepare a resume. It could take longer to prepare if you need to study or research companies or industries.
（2）Success Stories
How did you accelarate your career by changing jobs? Let's have a look at some job seekers who successfully found employment through Daijob Agent.
Annual income Previous salary: ¥3.5 million → After changing jobs ¥3.5 million
Motivation for Job Change
Wanted to start a career in Marketing
Active History
The candidate wanted to start a carrer in marketing and managed to find a position that required no experience and also a place where they could use their English skills.
Applied to 10 companies and received offer from first choice.
Annual income Previous salary: ¥5 million → After changing jobs: ¥5.5 million
Activity History
The candidate applied to only 5 companies because they were not in a hurry to change jobs. Received an offer from a global growing venture company.
Annual income revious salary: ¥3.8 million → ¥4.2 million after changing jobs
Active History
Applied to 8 companies as sales representative for manufacturer-affiliated companies, and received an offer for a new start-up position in a Chinese company.
（3） Should I begin my job search whilst still employed, or leave my position first?
According to Daijob AGENT data, 66% of employees are seeking new employment while they are still employed. You can manage to have interviews during your after-work hours or make use of your paid days-off. Note that in many cases, if is difficult to arrange for interviews on Saturdays, Sundays, and national holidays.
Employees who begin their job search while unemployed can fully focus on their job search activities. On the other hand, it is necessary to prepare the funds to cover living expenses while unemployed. Also, if you are currently working abroad or are a foreign citizen, your VISA might expire if a certain period of time has passed after leaving your current employment. Check the expiration date and conditions of the VISA in advance.
（4）What about the salary?
According to the Daijob AGENT data, the annual salary increase for those who change jobs was 116%(50,000 yen). Generally, a career change would not end up in you having a higher income. If you intend to significantly increase your annual income, please make sure to let your consultant know so they can prepare negotiations.