write a good cover letter for a job in Japan

Author: Yukadon

How to Write a Great Message for Your Online Job Application

There are many opportunities to exchange emails with companies during job hunting, such as when applying for a position or to inquire about a job posting. If you do not write proper emails in accordance with business manners, you will give a negative impression to the company you’re applying to. Let’s learn how to write emails correctly that give a good impression to the recipient.

Points that give a good impression to the company to which you want to apply

  • Message in Japanese

In order to show your Japanese language ability, please write the messages in Japanese as much as possible. Even if it is not perfect Japanese, you can show your seriousness and motivation.

  • Good message leads to company’s reply

By writing a thorough message, the company receives a good impression of you, so the probability of replying surely rises. A good message conveys necessary information briefly and clearly; that is, sentences are easy to read for the recipient.

  • Let’s know common sense when writing Japanese sentences

Just as in sending messages to an applicant company in English, there are also some common conventions for corresponding in Japanese. For example, give an recipient’s name “To whom it may concern(ご担当者様)”, and end with “Thank you.(よろしくお願いいたします。)” at the end of the sentence.

  • Write what you can do for that company rather than what you want to do

Most people tend to write what they want to do as the reason for their application. But from the company’s side, they would much rather hear about what you can contribute to their company.

Examples of application messages

  • When you write a reason for your application

「お世話になります。○○○○と申します。貴社の求人広告を拝見しました。
以前から貴社製品○○にとても興味があったため、さっそく応募させていただきました。」
“Thank you for your help. My name is ○○. I saw your job advertisement.
Since I was very interested in your product ○○ for a long time, I applied for this job immediately. ”

  • When you ask a question

「お世話になります。○○○○と申します。貴社の求人広告に『年齢条件:25歳まで』と書いてありました。私は現在26歳なのですがぜひ貴社で△△のスキルを活かしたいと思っています。応募させていただいてもよろしいでしょうか?お忙しいところ恐縮ですが、ご回答いただければ幸いです。」
“Thank you for your help. My name is ○○. Your advertisement for a job mentioned “Age requirement: until 25 years old”. I am currently 26 years old, but I really would like to make use of my skill in △△ in your company. May I still apply for the job? I hate to bother you, but I would appreciate it if you could respond.”

  • When you reply to a message from a company

「お世話になります。○○○○と申します。●●のメッセージを拝見いたしました。誠にありがとうございます。では、●月●日までには返信させていただこうと思いますので何卒よろしくお願いいたします。」
“Thank you for your help. My name is ○○. I saw the message about ●●. Thank you very much. So, I will reply by ●●, thank you humbly.”

Email rules you should follow

  • Do not use pictograms or symbols.

I understand that you want to express emotions with pictograms or symbols like “(笑)”, “♪” etc. at the end of the sentence, but it’s not good during job hunting. Also, if you use “!” frequently or multiple “?”, you may look unprofessional.

  • If you do not know the Kanji name of the recipient, write it in Hiragana.

For example, if you do not know whether the name of the person sending the mail is “伊藤” or “伊東”, write 「いとう様」in Hiragana. Also, if you do not know the name at all, write 「ご担当者様」(To whom it may concern).

  • Reply within 24 hours.

Basic etiquette is to reply within 24 hours of receiving a message. If there is some reason you can’t reply immediately, you should send a message with “I received your email” and specify by when you will reply.

 

How was it? Messaging with the company to which you want to apply is a good chance to show that you can do basic greetings and are considerate of others. Companies will take all your interactions into account for screening, not only your resume and interview, so take this chance to make a positive impression; it could be advantageous later. Please refer to the above points!


By Yukadon
社内翻訳、通訳経験後、2年前に独立。現在は、特許翻訳、法廷通訳者の傍ら、Webライターとしても活動中。

?Read more TalentHub blogs: https://talenthub.jp/blog/?lang=en

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