Company Information Session for International Students

2月21日：外国人留学生のための企業説明会！！

★開催日　2月21日(月）

★時間　Aコース　　10：00～12：00
　　　　　　　　　　　　（受付開始9：40）
　　　　　Bコース　　13：00～15：00
　　　　　　　　　　　　（受付開始12：40）
　　　　　Cコース　　15：00～17：00
　　　　　　　　　　　　（受付開始　14：40)

★場所　エル・おおさか　南館7階　72号室
　　　　　大阪市中央区北浜東3－14

★最寄駅　京阪線　天満橋
　　　　　　　地下鉄谷町線　天満橋駅

＿＿＿＿＿＿＿＿＿＿＿＿＿＿＿＿＿＿＿＿＿＿＿＿＿＿＿＿＿＿＿＿＿＿＿＿＿＿＿

　各コースごとにお申し込みが必要です。　(複数申込可）
　各コース　募集人数48名限定　（先着申込み順）

<<A コース>>  　理系のみ対象
　　　　　　　　　　・ホソカワミクロン株式会社
　　　　　　　　　　・ハリマ化成株式会社

<<Bコース>>　　理系・文系対象
　　　　　　　　　　・タイガー魔法瓶株式会社
　　　　　　　　　　・ロート製薬株式会社

<<Cコース>>　　文系のみ対象
　　　　　　　　　　・株式会社カネカ
　　　　　　　　　　・株式会社高島屋

※2012年卒業見込み対象

お申込みはコチラから！
http://www.grs-project.jp/international/seminar/

お申込み・お問い合わせ先：　大阪府グローバル人材活用推進プロジェクト
TEL：　06－4791－5221　EMAIL：　grs_rookies@spice.ocn.ne.jp
                                                           教育機関担当：　葛巻
　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　外国籍留学生担当：　辻本

2011 Job Fair Success and Afterthoughts

Hello international students!
在日外国人留学生の皆さん、こんにちは。

First of all I'd like to wish all of you a happy new year!
改めまして、大変遅くなりましたが、あけましておめでとうございます。

It's been a while since I've posted. As you can probably imagine, we were extremely busy in the weeks leading up to and after the 2011 Job Fair for International Students.
合同企業説明会の当日までにかなりバタバタしていて、ポストをする時間がなかなか無かったんです。(汗）

Thanks to all of you who came and participated, the job fair was a huge success, reaching almost 1,200 students from various countries all over the world.
しかし、皆さんのお陰で当日は見事な合同企業説明になり、約1,200人も参加頂いたという
ことで間違えなく、日本に於ける外国人留学生向けの最大級就職イベントになりました！

Osaka Prefecture, as well as most of the companies who attended, expressed their gratitude as
well as their admiration for the effort and professionalism put forth by the students who participated.
大阪府や企業の採用担当者の方々も感謝しているそうです。

We also received surveys from almost 90% of the total attendees, which provides valuable
feedback for our project to continue to aid all of you in your job hunting activities.
そして、皆さんの努力を頂いて、アンケートの回収率が90％に近いということでした。
皆さんの活躍機会を増やす為、当プロジェクトにとってとても役に立ちますので、
ご協力有難うございました。

We here at the Osaka Prefecture Job Support Service for Foreigners Project would like to extend our
heartfelt thanks.

Now, regarding a few reoccurring comments from surveys we received.
　
さて、まとめた意見に関しまして。。。
■　Obviously the size of the venue was a bit small for the number of companies and participants.
We realize this and apologize if it disrupted your experience. Since the job fair was
so successful this time, we believe that we will be able to secure a larger venue in the future.
当然ながら、会場は少し狭かったですね。迷惑をかけただろうが、今回の成功の上、
次回にもっと広い会場を借りることが出来るじゃないかと思います。

■　Many participants also said they'd like to hear advice from former international students now
working in Japanese companies. We'd like to organize events in the future in which this is possible. However, ideally we'd like the environment to be one in which the former international student is able to speak freely and honestly about his/her company without fear of reprimand.
「外国人留学生OB・OGの体験談を聞きたい」という声がかなり多かったので、今後とも現在日本の企業で活躍している外国人留学生OB・OGが自由に体験談が話せるようなイベント・セミナーも真剣に考えております。
■ Some students expressed that they felt there weren't enough companies represented looking for their particular field of study.
「自分の分野を求められている企業が少なかった」という声もありました。

We intend to take your feedback seriously so as to provide the best forum in which to aid your job hunting activities. If you have any additional feedback, your comments will be appreciated.
皆さんから頂いた意見をまとめて、今後とも皆さんの就職活動の役に立つ情報を提供できるよう、全力を尽くして頑張っていきたいと思っています。

I will post some pictures from the event in the next couple of days.
後ほど当日の写真もアップしますので、お楽しみに。
In the meantime, here are links to a couple of articles about the event.
とりあえず、下記のリンクもチェックしていただければ

産経新聞は1面記事です
http://www.sankei-kansai.com/2011/01/16/20110116-048460.php

MBS放送
http://www.mbs.jp/news/kansaiflash_GE110115161900423495.shtml

役に立つニューズ

●文系も理系とも安定志向、就職先人気ランク

「円高などに影響しない安定性の高い企業を目指す傾向が例年より高い」
http://www.yomiuri.co.jp/atmoney/news/20110111-OYT1T00939.htm

●外国人留学生にＵＲ賃貸を紹介…大阪
「冷蔵庫や洗濯機などのほか、家具、食器なども完備し、保証人や敷金、礼金は不要という。」
http://www.yomiuri.co.jp/kyoiku/news/20101119-OYT8T00516.htm

Interview Tip: Entering and Exiting the Interview Room 【面接の入退室の流れについて】

On paper it looks easy; spoken it sounds simple: open the door, walk in, close the door.
Of course, as you should already be aware, nothing about the job hunting process in Japan is simple - and this is no exception.

Being confident is key in an interview, so the last thing you want is to be nervous about something as fundamental as entering and exiting a room. Below are a list of simple steps to help you navigate your way through this simple yet somewhat baffling process.

【Regarding entering and exiting the interview】
 
You’ve made it through the document screening process and at last you’re ready for the interview but once you get there you realize there are still some things you are unsure of…

"How should I enter the room?”

“Is it OK to be holding my coat and briefcase?”
"When should I say Shitsureishimasu?

If you simply remember this pattern, you’ll be able to speak more confidently once the actual interview begins.
（１）Knock “3” times with the back of your hand (lightly)
（２）Open the door and enter the room

・Upon hearing “Dozo” from inside, open the door slightly. 　　・With an energetic “Shitsureishimasu”, enter the room.　　・With your body turned sideways, politely close the door with both hands (if possible).
（３）First Greeting　　・Facing the interviewers, smile and greet them with “Shitsurei-itashimasu”.　　 ・After greeting the interviewers, stand up straight and bow at a 45 degree angle. (Make sure you completely finish saying Shitsurei-itashimasu before begining your bow.)

（４）Proceed to your seat.　　・Proceed to your seat and stand next to it.　　・Place your briefcase next to the chair and drape your coat over it, folding it slightly.
（５）State your name and your school’s name　　・While making eye contact with the interviewer, state your「school name・department・name（full name）」in a loud and clear voice. 　　・Lastly say,「Yoroshiku O-negai-itashimasu」and bow.
（６）Sit down　　・Once the interviewer makes the offer「Dozo O-kakekudasai」,　　　with a slight bow say “Shitsureishimasu” and take your seat. 　　・With good posture, sit on the front 2/3 of the chair（７）When the interview has finished　　・While still seated, say “Honjitsu arigatou gozaimasu”
（８）Stand and Greet　　・Stand in front of your chair and say “Shitsurei-itashimasu”, and bow at a 45 degree angle. 

（９）Final Greeting　　・Proceed to the door while holding your things and stop before the door. Turn around and face the interviewer, greeting him/her with “Shitsurei-itashimasu”　　・Open the door, exit the room and quietly close the door behind you

【面接の入退室の流れについて】

書類選考を通過し、ようやく面接にすすむことができた
ものの、実際にその場に立つと分からないことばかり・・・

「どうやって部屋に入ればいいの？」
「かばんやコートは持ったままでいいの？」

この流れをしっかり覚えておくだけで、面接そのもので
自信をもって話すことができますよ。


（１）手の裏で「3回」ドアをノックする

（２）ドアを開け、中に入る
　　・中から「どうぞ」という声が聞こえてからドアを少し開ける
　　・「失礼いたします」と元気よく言って入室する
　　・体を横に向けて、両手で静かにドアを閉める

（３）はじめの挨拶
　　・面接官の方に向き、「失礼いたします」と笑顔で挨拶
　　・挨拶した後、姿勢をまっすぐにして４５度のお辞儀をする

（４）椅子まで進む
　　・前に進み、椅子の横に立つ
　　・かばんは椅子の横、コートはかばんの上に丸めて置く

（５）学校名・氏名を名乗る
　　・面接官の目をしっかり見て、はっきりとした大きな声で
　　　「大学名・学部名・氏名（フルネーム）」を言う
　　・最後に「よろしくお願いいたします」と言ってお辞儀をする

（６）椅子に座る
　　・面接官に「どうぞおかけ下さい」とすすめられてから
　　　「失礼します」と軽く会釈して着席する
　　・姿勢よく、椅子の後ろを3分の1ほど空けて座る

（７）面接が終わったら
　　・座ったままで「本日はありがとうございました」とお礼を言う

（８）立ち上がって挨拶
　　・椅子の前に立ち、「失礼いたします」と言ってから
　　　４５度のお辞儀をする

（９）ドアの前で最後の挨拶
　　・荷物を持ってドアに進み、ドアの前で立ちどまり、面接官の
　　　ほうに振り返って「失礼いたします」と挨拶する
　　・ドアを開けて退室し、静かにドアを閉める

Only 4 Days Until The 2011 Job Fair for International Students

Hey international students and other stumblers.

Happy New Year!

I hope you enjoyed your winter vacation. I realize most of you were probably really busy with part time jobs and other job hunting activities, but I hope you were able to spend time with friends and family.

I was fortunate enough to do the former. I also had an opportunity to witness Osaka's transformation into a somnolent ghost town as many of its residents fled back to their inaka for some quiet family time.

Things have hence returned to normal and in the spirit of the entrepreneur Ebisu,  I wanted to post a reminder that the 2011 Job Fair for International Students is just around the corner, this Saturday, January 15.

Presently, 938 students have already signed-up for the job fair, putting us about 60 short of our 1000 goal.
Nevertheless, it's quite impressive and just goes to show many active and serious international students there are. We've received applications from all over Japan as well as from students from the US and Australia.

If you are a student in Kansai or have the means to travel to Osaka and have yet to sign-up, make sure to sign-up for free at our website: http://www.grs-project.jp/
You can still come without signing-up in advance, but signing-up in advance is highly recommended (failure to do so will require that you spend quite a significant portion of time on the day of the event filling out entry forms by hand...).

Of the 60 companies participating, some of them are only offering positions to international students they meet at our job fair.

This is a great opportunity to meet with several Japanese companies that are seriously invested in hiring international students. Don't let it pass you by.

See you Saturday!

(Not) Getting Lost... (And The Importance of Being Punctual)

It has recently come to my attention that despite the ubiquity of iphones and other hand-held devices it is still relatively hard for most people to navigate through an unfamiliar part of the city. Look, we all get lost sometimes. This may be especially true in the case of Japan with its narrow streets, multiple subway exits and more often than not lack of street names.

If you've lived here long enough you've probably done the following: ask a person politely on the street for directions, only to (A) be told they're not from around here (B) be given a long, detailed, perfunctory explanation which only confuses you more (C) be drawn a map of labyrinthine proportions (D) be graciously lead to your destination by a complete stranger to whom you now feel awkwardly indebted.

In most cases, however grateful, you probably wished you had just written the directions down. Or printed them out.

When it comes to job fairs, company explanations, or interviews - being late is absolutely unacceptable (you might as well shot yourself in the foot before a jumping contest). Remember that the company is making time for YOU: they are doing you a favor, not the other way around.
Needless to say it is vital that you know where you are going beforehand. Blaming your iphone - while always a great excuse for friends - unfortunately doesn't work in this case.

■　Here are some basic tips for getting to interviews on time.

・Know basic directions - Learn about the city you'll be living (interviewing) in. Get a basic idea in your head which direction is north, south, etc. This isn't always a simple task and I'm not suggesting you should always carry a compass (although it'd be kind of cool if you did), but at least know which direction major streets run (for example, in Osaka, most streets with the suffix (-suji) run north-south while most with the suffix (-dori) run east-west.

・Know the exact address of where you are going and have it written down in Japanese.

・Map out the address online (or with a map - they sell them at most convenience stores) first to get a visual of where you are going.

・If you have the time and are really concerned, go a day in advance. This way you'll have plenty of time to make mistakes and find the most effective way to get there (you'll also be able to scope out a good place to have lunch after the interview).

・Always give yourself 15-20 minutes additional time just in case.

・Being early is important, but don't show up more than 15 minutes early. Chances are the place you are interviewing is also busy and won't be ready for you yet.

■　In case for some reason you absolutely cannot make it on time:

・Call the interviewer at least 20-30 minutes before your interview is scheduled to start.

・Make sure to give a reason for being late as well as how long you will be late by.

・Never blow off the interview altogether.  If for some reason you can't make it, ALWAYS call and give a reason, apologize, and thank them for the opportunity. Believe it or not, these things get around.