RIREKISHO (RESUME)

Rirekisho (履歴書) is a resume or CV that is needed when applying for jobs, universities or part-time (arubaito) in Japan. Rirekisho is the standard for accepting companies to assess each applicant. Therefore, you need to know how to write good and correct rirekisho so that you can give a good first impression to the company. 

There are certain parts of a Japanese resume that always must be included. Rirekisho has 4 sections:

1. Basic Personal Information

2. Educational background and employment history

3. Qualifications and/or awards

4. Motivation and Jiko PR

Section 1 (Basic Personal Information)

1. Date: in this section write the date when the rirekisho was created and it must be updated every time you send your resume.

2. 氏名 (Shimei): Enter the name in Latin script. Then, write how to read the name in the ふりがな (furigana) section using katakana letters.

3. In the following line, write your date of birth, age and circle your gender.

4. Photo: The more professional your photos are, the greater your chances of being called for an interview.

5. 現住所 (Genjyusho): Address; generally written based on your current place of residence. If you plan to move or want to be contacted at another address, you can write this information in "contact information" (renrakusaki). If not there, please leave blank.

6. 電話 (denwa): Fill in your phone number

7. E-mail: enter your email address

Section 2 Educational background and employment history

1. 学歴 (Gakureki): Each level of education should be listed chronologically with dates of entry (nyugaku) and graduation (sotsugyo). Writing starts from high school until the last education. For universities, also write the names of the faculties and departments on the nyugaku and sotsugyo lines.

2. 職歴 (Shokureki): Work history is listed chronologically just like educational history. Usually written in 2 row, when entering the company (nyuusha) and when leaving the company (taishoku). Any type of part-time work or internship can also be written, but it is recommended not to be written if it has nothing to do with the job being applied for.

Section 3 Qualifications and/or awards

In this section, you can write down the titles or awards if any were earned. Write them chronologically. Qualifications such as proficiency in Japanese (JLPT, JFT, etc.) and English (IELTS, TOEFL, TOEIC etc.) can also be considered.

Section 4 Motivation and Jiko PR

This section is considered the most important and difficult part of the rirekisho. Basically, in writing this section there were two questions.

1. Who will read this?

2. What are th ey looking for in your PR Motivation and Jiko?

To impress an employer, you must write down what they expect from a potential candidate.

The motivational writing section is your chance to get creative and really make a point for the company. Through what you write, the company will understand whether you understand the job. Look at the job description or company website to find out the characteristics of the company. Then provide evidence of how you fit those characteristics.

★★Background based motivation

Write down the motivational reasons you want to work at the company based on work experience and educational background (as in Part 3). Make sure the motivations written are in line with educational and work backgrounds. Also emphasize your strengths to prove that you are suitable for the job to be applied for, and by joining you will help strengthen the company.

★★Make sure you have researched in advance about the company you are applying for

Show the employer that you have done research on previous jobs and companies rather than just following trends. Find out the advantages of the company and make a sentence that shows that you really want to enter the company.

★★Why did you choose this company?

With your answer, the company will see whether you have done research on the company before or not, whether you already know what you want to do and what you can do for the company.

To make an impression on a company, you should write down what they expect from a potential candidate.

Who will read this? => recruiter/employer

****Keep in mind that you are writing a CV and it is the employer, not your Japanese teacher, who is the reader. The grammar used does not have to be perfect, what is important is enough to understand ****

If you write a list of your hobbies such as drinking coffee while chatting with friends, reading manga, studying at such and such a university, etc. in Japanese then you will get high marks from your Japanese teacher as long as the list is organized in a structured manner, perfect language.

However, for employers they want to hear things like what are your targets and what are you going to do to achieve your targets? What can you do for work with your strengths and how do you work with the weaknesses you have? What can you do for the company?

★★What they want is INFORMATION

What information do they want from your PR?

This section always includes information about interests or hobbies, strengths, weaknesses, experiences, and special skills. Reading the content written in this section usually helps employers or recruiters determine whether applicants will be suitable for the company or not.

It is very important to give reasons why you are applying for this job and tell what you can do for the job with your strengths and how you deal with your weaknesses. In addition, recruiters will read the content listed in this section, such as hobbies and special skills.

★★ What are your strengths----> the strengths you mention must be relevant to the job you are applying for.

Make a list of your strengths and then select three or five of your strengths that match what the job requires. Then, be sure to explain in detail with examples, how you sharpen your strengths and how you apply your strengths to previous jobs. Example; I used to work in the A position when I was in school so I could get B experience, and I think that experience can help me do well in C.” This is what they want to hear from a candidate. Don't write sentences like "I have ability B. I have ability D. I used to work as an A. I like doing E.." This will sound more like a rhetorical sentence than informative. These advantages should be made sequentially from the time you went to school until now.

★★ What is your weakness? This is not in the rirekisho but may be asked during the interview (mensetsu) so you should be prepared for this.

Recruiters or employers want to know how well you know yourself, are you aware of your weaknesses and how you learned them. They can decide what you will do in the future if you face difficulties regarding your assignment. Don't say, "I'm bad at A's, I'm good at B's." You should prepare for something more like, “I have an A deficiency because of B and am trying to fix this in a C way.”

★★ What is your hobby?

Don't just list your hobbies as recruiters want to see your character and personality, as well as your daily habits. Write something that shows a special aspect of you so that employers can visualize your personality and way of thinking.