Japanese Job Interview -- (1) Manners at the Interview

(1) Manners at the interview in Japan

■Number of knocks

How many times do you knock? Two times is not good because it is for a toilet door. Three or four times is common in Japanese business.

■Bow angle

It is said that 15 degrees is a bow, 30 degrees is a salute, and 45 degrees is a deep salute. Basically, you should greet 30 degrees when the interview starts and 45 degrees when you say thank you after the interview.

■Mobile phone

Turn off your cell phone. Its vibration is not good, either.

■Appearance (dress)

Have a proper appearance for the interview. Cleanliness is the key. Look in the mirror for hair style, clothing, nails, and feet (Are your shoes clean?).

It is said that the factors of the first impression to the other person are as follows.

*Visual information such as appearance 55%

*Hearing information such as tone and speaking speed 38%

*Language information such as the content of the talk 7%

■When leaving

After the interview, thank them for taking the time out of their busy schedule by saying, "Thank you for your time today." and then make a light bow as you leave the room, saying, "Shitsureishimasu."

[Explanation]

The impression of the interview depends on the appearance. A "cleanliness" is required, so a bed hair or a stubborn beard is not allowed. Also, wrinkled shirts and flashy colored clothes are not liked by Japanese people. Hair should not be dyed. Basically, for both men and women, suits or set-up suits with subdued colors such as black, navy and grey are acceptable. Plain white shirts are the norm.

Also, you bow at the beginning and end of the interview. Just like Japanese martial arts such as "judo" and "kendo," it is called "It begins with courtesy and ends with courtesy." This kind of thing can be taken for granted by Japanese, but if foreigners do it properly, it will lead to high evaluation.