Voice of SenpaiCommunicating Proactively Can Shape Up Your Language Skills and Career

Mr. Hoffman felt drawn to Japan ever since he was 10 years old. After graduating from university, he brushed up his customer-service skills in Japanese through part-time jobs while attending a Japanese language school. We interviewed him about his attitude towards work and his aspirations for the future.

I have been working for CondeHouse, a furniture maker headquartered in Asahikawa City, Hokkaido, for three years now. I have been interested in the country ever since I watched a TV documentary on Japan when I was 10 years old. In 2016, I visited Japan for the first time through an academic exchange program during my freshman year at university. At that time, I did a one-month internship at a hotel in Kita-Karuizawa, which kindled my interest to work in Japan.

While in France, I deepened my knowledge by reading books on Japan, studying its history, and browsing online articles written by people who had experience studying or living in Japan. I also made some Japanese friends online and learned about life in Japan from them in English, as I was completely unfamiliar with the Japanese language at that time.

Shortly after graduating from university and with no prior knowledge whatsoever of the language, I came to Japan for a one-year language study program. Making the jump to Japan without any Japanese language skills was quite challenging, but I thought being here would help me assimilate the language more effectively.

While attending the language school I worked part-time jobs, such as at an apparel shop or as a ground staff at Haneda Airport.

I had already passed the Japanese Language Proficiency Test (JLPT) ‘N2’ level before starting working as a ground staff at Haneda Airport, but I still lacked confidence to communicate in real-life Japanese. Using ‘keigo,’ or honorific expressions, is a prerequisite in the service industry, so it was quite challenging for me at the beginning, often using it redundantly. By closely observing my seniors’ interactions with customers and following their advice, I eventually mastered proper Japanese expressions and how to serve customers.

I had no prior work experience in France, so working in Japan has been my first job experience. When I was in France, I had the impression that all Japanese companies imposed strict hierarchical relationships. However, after joining a company here in Japan, that image was completely effaced, since I found everyone at work very nice and the workplace environment also very friendly. So much so that we often hanged out together on our days off.

While working as a part-time employee, I was asked if I would like to join full-time, which I accepted and officially joined the company.

After joining, I was eventually entrusted with handling the employees’ shift schedules and in-house training programs. However, the COVID-19 pandemic restrictions forced people to stay at home for long, prompting me to consider a job change. With my aspiration to become an executive, I was eager to build my sales experience.

For hunting a new job I prepared by thoroughly reading advice on recruitment agencies’ websites, such as checking corporate websites and employee interviews, as well as studying how to get job interviews. I used to write down key takeaways and read them repeatedly while commuting by train.

While I felt nervous during my interview, I was able to ask some ‘reverse questions’ I had learned from the recruitment agencies’ websites and the interviewer sympathized with the aspiration I shared about become an executive that will work to bridge Japan and the world. When I advanced to the interview with the CEO, our conversation became so animated that we ended up talking for two hours, resulting in my being successfully offered employment.

CondeHouse is a furniture manufacturer headquartered in Asahikawa City, one of Japan's five major furniture production hubs.

Soon after joining, I was assigned as a representative for domestic customer services at CondeHouse’s Tokyo Shop. After one year, I was transferred to the headquarters in Asahikawa, where I worked in the personnel and administrative section for another year and a half.

After the International Division established its Tokyo Office Satellite, I have been working in Tokyo. My current responsibilities include dealing with foreign dealers and customers coming from abroad, handling recruitment activities—particularly the hiring of highly skilled foreign professionals—and improving the work environment by participating in in-house projects.

We are now exploring marketing strategies to raise CondeHouse’s brand recognition going forward. For instance, we have recently started promoting our new Hokkaido Smoked Coffee, made by smoking coffee beans with wood leftovers from furniture manufacturing processes.

Since coming to Japan, I have prioritized making as many Japanese acquaintances as possible. Given that I only attended the Japanese language school for one year and did not really study at home, I instead created an immersive environment by surrounding myself exclusively with Japanese people. I forced myself into a situation that made communicating in Japanese indispensable to understand my work duties and make friends, but the effort paid off since it boosted my language skills. I made progress by not being afraid of making mistakes and focusing, above all, on communicating and expressing my thoughts in Japanese.

I want to be an executive. In foreign countries, it is not uncommon for talented people to get promoted to managerial positions even in their 20s, whereas in Japan, many companies still enforce a seniority-based system where employees climb up the ladder as they advance in age.

That said, I think that Japanese SMEs, in particular, offer many opportunities for employees to step up their careers despite fewer years of experience. In fact, at CondeHouse, I proactively make proposals and am entrusted to lead projects based on them.

What matters most when getting a job in Japan is finding a company aligning with your own vision and dreams and communicating in Japanese without being afraid of making mistakes. The more you ask questions in Japanese, the deeper your understanding of work will be. This will also help you communicate with seniors and coworkers, and enjoy a fulfilling life in Japan.

JETRO publishes a corporate database (the “List of Japanese Companies Interested in Highly-Skilled Foreign Professionals” [OFP List]) for those who are interested in working in Japan.
See various companies from traditional corporations to dynamic startups, that want to grow their business together with highly-skilled foreign professionals.