Achieve Success in Job Interviews with Japanese: Key Phrases and Vocabulary

For Japanese job interviews, key phrases and vocabulary focus on polite self-introduction, expressing motivation, and answering common interview questions with respect and clarity. Here are some essential phrases and terms:

Basic Greetings and Self-Introduction

• はじめまして (Hajimemashite) – “Nice to meet you”
• よろしくお願いします (Yoroshiku onegaishimasu) – Polite closing phrase meaning “Please take care of me” or “I look forward to working with you”
• 自己紹介をさせていただきます (Jikoshoukai o sasete itadakimasu) – “Allow me to introduce myself”
• 名前は___です (Namae wa ___ desu) – “My name is ___”
• Mention your educational background, previous job experience, and relevant skills politely.

Common Interview Questions and Phrases

• なぜこの会社を志望しましたか？ (Naze kono kaisha o shibou shimashita ka?) – “Why do you want to work for this company?”
• あなたの強みは何ですか？ (Anata no tsuyomi wa nan desu ka?) – “What are your strengths?”
• 弱みは何ですか？ (Yowami wa nan desu ka?) – “What are your weaknesses?”
• 5年後の目標は何ですか？ (Go-nen go no mokuhyou wa nan desu ka?) – “What is your goal in five years?”

Vocabulary for Job Positions and Skills

• 職種 (Shokushu) – Job type/position
• 経験 (Keiken) – Experience
• スキル (Sukiru) – Skills
• 責任感 (Sekininkan) – Sense of responsibility
• 協調性 (Kyouchousei) – Cooperativeness

Polite Expressions to Use

• お世話になります (Osewa ni narimasu) – “Thank you for your assistance”
• 失礼します (Shitsurei shimasu) – “Excuse me” / polite phrase when entering or leaving
• よろしくお願いいたします (Yoroshiku onegaishimasu) – “Thank you in advance”

These key phrases and vocabulary form the foundation of respectful and effective communication in Japanese job interviews, reflecting politeness and professionalism essential in Japanese business culture. If more specific example sentences or practice dialogues are needed, those can be provided as well.

This information is based on typical Japanese interview practices and common phrases used in introductions and responses.Here are key Japanese phrases and vocabulary useful for job interviews: ^{11, 12}

Basic greetings and intros

• はじめまして (Hajimemashite) – Nice to meet you
• 自己紹介をさせていただきます (Jikoshoukai o sasete itadakimasu) – Allow me to introduce myself
• よろしくお願いします (Yoroshiku onegaishimasu) – Please treat me well / I look forward to working with you
• 名前は___です (Namae wa ___ desu) – My name is ___

Common questions

• なぜこの会社を志望しましたか？ (Naze kono kaisha o shibou shimashita ka?) – Why do you want to work at this company?
• あなたの強みは何ですか？ (Anata no tsuyomi wa nan desu ka?) – What are your strengths?
• 弱みは何ですか？ (Yowami wa nan desu ka?) – What are your weaknesses?
• 5年後の目標は何ですか？ (Go-nen go no mokuhyou wa nan desu ka?) – What are your goals in five years?

Vocabulary for skills and qualities

• 職種 (Shokushu) – Job category/position
• 経験 (Keiken) – Experience
• 責任感 (Sekininkan) – Sense of responsibility
• 協調性 (Kyouchousei) – Cooperativeness/teamwork skills

Polite expressions to show respect

• お世話になります (Osewa ni narimasu) – Thank you for your support/help
• 失礼します (Shitsurei shimasu) – Excuse me / polite leave-taking phrase
• よろしくお願いいたします (Yoroshiku onegaishimasu) – Thank you in advance

These phrases help convey politeness, respect, and professionalism expected in Japanese job interviews.

References

• Learning Trajectories of High-Performance Teacher-Coaches in Japanese High Schools: A Mixed-Methods Study

• The Effect of Organizational Culture on Employee Job Satisfaction in Kaizen Excellence Centre

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• Request Expressions in Japanese Language for Educational Purpose

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• Discourse Structure Analysis of Making Request in Japanese Conversation

• Japanese Idiom Learning through Cognitive Linguistics Concept (Idioms Presentation)

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• Typology Lexical Verb ‘To Use’ in Japan: Natural Semantics Metalanguage Study

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