Friday, November 7--Tell Me About Yourself

Today I had my first Japanese job interview. A company that matches English teachers with prospective employers contacted me about the possibility of teaching a company class at a factory about an hour and a half from home. Before agreeing to the interview, Jim and I weighed the long commute against the pay, and we decided that since this job could lead to other opportunities, I should just look at the long train ride as an opportunity to plan other lessons, catch up on reading, or write letters (I nixed the idea of napping on the train, as I have no doubt I would sleep through my stop). So today I printed out my resume, got dressed up, tamped down the butterflies in my stomach (not for the actual interview, but for successfully finding the prearranged interview location) and met the company representative at a hotel coffee shop just outside the train station in Yokohama.

I had read that Japanese job interviews could be quite different than American interviews. Apparently the Japanese can and do come right out and ask all the nosy questions that American employers are prohibited from asking—how old are you, are you married, do you have kids, do you drink, how much do you weigh? So I was ready for anything, but the interview was very informal, and actually more like meeting someone for the first time at a social function. Over a $10 cup of tea, I answered questions about my education and teaching experience, and learned about the factory I would work for and the placement company’s contract, all cleverly disguised as polite conversation. The only clue that this was indeed a job interview came from the disconcerting notes she wrote in Japanese on what I assume was an interview checklist. For all I know, she was writing that I was a sloppy ignoramus with an ineffective teaching philosophy who must’ve gotten her teaching license from a Cracker Jack box! In spite of those cryptic notes, I feel that the interview went well, and I have a good chance of landing this job. There is one more interview to be conducted on Tuesday, and I should know their final decision on Wednesday. Stay tuned for results.