CV Format in Japan

Every company you are eyeing in Japan will require you to brief them about your work experience in a few sheets of paper we commonly know in the corporate world as Curriculum Vitae. Although you may have already made one for another company back in your home country, customizing your CV for Japanese companies can also get you ahead of the competition.

Whether or not the company you are applying for would require you to know Japanese or not, you should always prepare for a Japanese version of your CV. Japanese employers are quite strict, and it is common for companies in this country to expect a CV handwritten in kanji (Japanese script). Don’t you worry about this, there are websites that could create the texts for you. Resume maker sites are a common help for expats that wish to land a career in Japan.

Here are the necessary parts that should be present in your CV:

Parts of your CV	Content
Heading	With or without a heading title is okay. But should you prefer one, just type in ‘Curriculum Vitae.’ Always put a decent and most recent photo of you on the upper right corner of your CV.
Personal Information	This should contain your full name, contact details with international dialing codes, email address, and nationality. This doesn’t need a subheading, and should just be written on top of your document. You must also write your name in any of the following types: How your name should sound in hiragana Katakana characters Standard Japanese Characters
Professional Experience	This is where your employer focuses, make sure you have a consistent structure that includes your job title, the name of your employer, dates relevant to your work. A brief discussion of your job description does not need to be included and your work history should be in chronological order with the most recent history of your work appearing at the top.
Educational Background & Trainings Attended	List your educational background from your highest education attainment first. You may also include the seminars and trainings you took under this portion. Avoid irrelevant information that may not be value-adding to your application.
Other Personal Information	Japanese employers are eager to learn more about you. You may include in this section other general contact information you have, your marital status, number of dependents, and would even prefer to know your travel duration should you be accepted to the job.
Career Objectives	This last potion of your resume is a paragraph that allows you to express your expectations in the position you are applying for . For example, your career targets, skills you desire to develop, and preferably your salary expectations.

Just take note, keep your CV brief and relevant to the job you are applying for. Keep it neat and have it printed on high-quality paper. Below are samples of CVs in Japan you may want to check out:

If you have taken education from other countries, it will be a great help to mention it. Give emphasis on the qualities they may require of you and write in the third person in singular form. Lastly, do attach a cover letter translated into Japanese!