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This article does a poor job of explaining just how soul-crushing the shukatsu system is. For example, you're traditionally expected to hand-write your resumes
by 9nGQluzmnq3M 7y ago
This article does a poor job of explaining just how soul-crushing the shukatsu system is. For example, you're traditionally expected to hand-write your resumes [1] and application letters, in ink, from scratch, for every single company you apply to. Make a single mistake while writing it? Throw it in the bin and start again. Now repeat for every single company you want to apply to. The system is also a colossal time suck: the only way to apply to most companies is to attend their application sessions (setsumeikai) in person, and each Japanese graduate goes to, on average, 76 (!) of these. And only then does the interview process actually start!
[1] https://soranews24.com/2014/10/02/to-handwrite-or-not-to-handwrite-recruiter-lays-into-laziness-of-young-japanese-job-hunters/ https://soranews24.com/2014/10/02/to-handwrite-or-not-to-han...
- esotericn 7y agoSo, presumably you find the nearest teenager and give them 100K yen or whatever to write up some resumes? :)
- Simon_says 7y agoThat does seem like a lot of work, but surely there's a benefit in terms of signaling? If you apply to a job, it shows more than a bit of interest.
- whatshisface 7y agoIf everyone is expected to do it, it doesn't stand out.
- mantas 7y agoIt's not about standing out. It's about signalling that you're genuinely interested in a job.
- cyberbanjo 7y agoWhat makes it a signal if it's a rather uniform thing?
- mantas 7y agoSignal doesn't have to be unique or non-uniform. If a signal helps to remove all noise and there's only the signal left, does it become the new noise?
- avs733 7y ago...as would getting a tattoo of the companies name.
- mrtksn 7y agoSounds like DDOS protection to me. Wouldn't a touch heavy process of application result in equally careful consideration? In the West everybody is simply spamming everybody, I wish recruiters went through similar exercise before sending me an e-mail or calling me just because a keyword search match my CV.
- sleepysysadmin 7y agoIf an employer were to expect a handwritten resume. I wouldn't even consider applying to them. If they had such a bad policy on that, I can just imagine how terrible it will be to work for them.
- mantas 7y agoPeople ain't programming on whiteboards nor doing dumb test projects either. Yet vast majority of people are fine with such indirect testing.
- SenHeng 7y agoI did shukatsu 10 years ago using printed resumes. Had my fair share of rejections but I still got interview offers anyway. No way to tell if rejection was because of printed resume or some other reason, though I find it hard to believe that anyone made an exception for foreigners. I did ask my manager about printed resumes at my new job and he mentioned that he preferred handwritten ones but a large number submit printed, even digital ones so they had to adapt.