JobsinJapan.com Video Interview Guide

Our data shows that applications with videos attached get opened more often than those without a video. The video interview gives you an opportunity to show your professionalism, and allows you to introduce yourself as a person, and not merely a set of qualifications and experiences. Face time is especially important in Japan, and your video interview will put you directly in front of hiring managers without needing to:

• figure out each other’s schedule or take a day off to interview for a new job
• travel across town on packed trains to meet in-person
• Needlessly suffer through an interview where you both figure out five-minutes in that it’s not a good fit for either of you.

This is a time saver and a game changer for interviewing for jobs in Japan.

The video interview consists of a number of general interview questions that you might expect during a live interview, but you can record your answers on your own time. Even better than a live interview as you will have three attempts at each question, so if you said something that you’d rather not be on the record, you can easily take it again.

The whole interview should take about 20 minutes, perhaps a bit longer if you take multiple attempts at each question or wish to really think about your response before answering.

Employers click the applications with the video interview first before inviting those without one. With one click, an employer can see the video responses to some common interview questions and save themselves the time inviting you to an interview based on how you look on paper. Employers are checking those with video interviews first, so there’s no reason not to do yours.

This way, when the employer contacts you, they have already seen you and are interested in you. It’s like you are starting at the second interview and already have a positive impression established.

While some smartphones have cameras superior to many webcams, please be sure to use some kind of holder (kickstand, tripod or a stack of books) to keep your phone stable. Also be careful of the camera angle to have it level with your face or pointed slightly downward.

If you are using a tablet or smartphone, you will need to install the VidResponse app to record your answers. This app is optimized to take as little bandwidth as necessary while still giving a clear video and sound.  A link to install this app will be included in an email with further explanations when you sign up for the interview.

Please be sure to create an online resume and have your privacy settings for your online resume set to “viewable” allowing registered employers to view and contact you. While you can apply to jobs using your PDF or MS Word resume, you need an online interview to be a part of the resume bank which employers can search for potential employees.

Employers can search via key words or various other criteria such as location, language skills, visa status, etc.

If you have taken the video interview, employers will see a video player icon next to your resume listing as below.

Following is an example of what employers see when they open an online resume. The employer can then see the video interview, download your resume file or message you.

Absolutely! If you receive an invitation from an employer to take an online interview and fail to do so, you are basically ignoring the hiring manager at the company you applied to, which will probably eliminate your chances of being considered for the position.

You will have three attempts to answer each question, so you should be alright. If for any reason you are not satisfied or would like to take any question or the entire interview again, let us know ([email protected]) and we will reset this for you. We want for you to look your best so let us know if you are not satisfied with the results.

You are not going to be the perfect match or best candidate for all the jobs that you have applied to. With the JobsinJapan.com video First Round video interview, you are filtering out all the employers that are genuinely not a good fit for you.

This system is proven to get you a better job faster, and those that have taken the JobsinJapan First Round Video Interview have received more offers in less time.

It only takes a few minutes to increase your chances for a job and actually saves you time and effort. No need to schedule lots of similar interviews, this way it is one-and-done.

Employers sift through dozens of nearly-identical resumes every day. It can be very hard to make a decision on who to invite for an interview when you have limited time to do so. Finishing your First Round interview gives them more information that could result in you being put on the shortlist of people to hire, rather than the pile of resumes that didn’t make it past a first glance.

A video interview makes your profile more noticeable, interesting, and attractive to the people who will be hiring you. Employers in Japan place a large emphasis on cultural fit and they want to see if you understand the Japanese culture well enough to work in their company.

Employers can see which of their applicants have taken a video interview as well as invite any applicant to take one. This is your chance to show yourself off, so don’t pass it up just because people usually just send in a paper resume.

The image below shows what employers see, and it’s easy to notice which job seeker applicants have a video and which don’t. If you don’t have one, some employers will just go with people who already have theirs done.

A popular feature is our Certified Teacher Database which is the largest pool of pre-interviewed qualified teachers in Japan! Here employers the ability to proactively scout for qualified teachers.  We have integrated the First Round Video Interviews into this section as well so employers can read your qualifications and see you. 

If you have a teaching degree or some kind of teacher or TESOL certification, being part of this unique database of teachers WILL help you get a (better) teaching job! 

Note: Certified / Licensed teachers will get a special set of teacher-specific questions to better highlight your skills.

How many times have you wasted your time on inconveniently scheduled interviews which both you and the employer knew right away were not a good match? At least this way you do it once and save both you and your potential employers time wasted in awkward interviews. Now you are in control of the hiring process. You are telling employers “Here I am. If you like what you see, let’s talk.”

By letting employers see you first, you eliminate all those garbage interviews and just streamline the process to have pre-qualified interviews with interested employers. It’s a no-brainer!

There are no trick questions, but rather the questions are designed to highlight your skills, knowledge and achievements, thereby improving your chances to get a better job.

By letting employers see you first, you eliminate all those garbage interviews and just streamline the process to have pre-qualified interviews with interested employers. It’s a no-brainer!

What do employers hate seeing?

• Distractions – Pets climbing across the keyboard, people walking behind you, or a messy room.
• Sloppy appearance – It is an interview so dressing casually may be frowned upon.
• “Winging it” – Prepare as you would for a live interview.