What is it exactly?
If you watch today’s video, there should be a hint to the answer.
So, stay tuned!
Today’s topic is… "What is self-analysis?"
This will be very useful for your job hunting.
Let’s See the 2 Examples of Interviews!
Before we explain what it is, first let's have a look at two examples of interviews.
If you were a hiring manager, which student do you think you would like to hire?
Scene 1. -Student 1-
(Interviewer) Please tell us about yourself.
(Student) Yes, I have been studying in Japan as I want to work here in the future. After school, I would like to work for a Japanese company. My hobby is reading and I like talking to many people, so I think I have good communication skills. I have part-time job experience, so I think I can make use of that too.
Scene 2. -Student 2-
(Interviewer) Please tell us about yourself.
(Student) Yes, I believe that I am a person who can set my own goals and continue to work toward achieving them without giving up. I understand that I need to increase my value if I want to work in Japan until retirement. Therefore, since I started studying abroad in Japan, I have worked part-time and done my internships to acquire actual work skills, not just language skills. I believe that I can utilize my work experience and also my perseverance to achieve goals in any situation will be useful in your company.
How about you, Misodog? Which student would you want to hire?
Perhaps most of you favor Student 2 over Student 1.
Here’s another question for you, Misodog.
What do you think was the difference between Students 1 and 2?
What made the difference between these two is actually self-analysis.
Student 2 has done a better self-analysis than Student 1 has.
In fact, both Japanese and international students often misunderstand self-analysis and waste their time and effort.
So everyone, watch this video and let's get a better understanding of self-analysis to avoid wasting time.
Today’s Main Topics
There are 3 important contents that you need to know for understanding “Self-Analysis.”
- The meaning of "self-analysis"
- What is self-analysis in relation to job hunting?
- Find out your “ability” and establish your “sense of value” from self-analysis
1. The meaning of "self-analysis"
First, let's understand the meaning of the word self-analysis itself. "Self-analysis" is literally "analyzing yourself". In a sense, all analyses about oneself can be self-analysis.
This is an extremely simple example, but when you eat rice and think it is delicious, that could be considered self-analysis as well.
In other words, because anything that you do can be self-analysis, you might not be able to find the right answer from self-analysis if you do not do it correctly.
So, please keep that in mind when conducting self-analysis on your own.
2. What is self-analysis in relation to job hunting?
Next, we will be answering the question, "What is self-analysis in relation to job hunting?”
Actually, the answer is quite clear.
There is a specific type of self-analysis that needs to be completed for job hunting in Japan.
Most of you have probably never done self-analysis in your life. Especially once you start working full time at a company, you do not need to do it, right? Unless you want to change your job.
Self-analysis is almost always done for job hunting. Therefore “self-analysis” here refers to “self-analysis in job hunting” even if the phrase does not specify it.
So, do not forget that the purpose of self-analysis is for job hunting.
I remember that one of the upperclassmen from my school was having trouble self-analyzing during job hunting. And he was like, “Who the heck am I?”
I bet he hadn't done self-analysis for job hunting.
Self-analysis is really important, and if you don't understand it properly, it's like entering a labyrinth.
3. Find out your “ability” and establish your “sense of value” from self-analysis
Finally, the 3rd point, what is the purpose of self-analysis in job hunting?
To put it simply, self-analysis is used to find out your “ability” and establish your “sense of values.”
Many people understand that clarifying their abilities is important, as it is a commonly asked question in interviews. But are you aware of the importance of establishing "a sense of values"?
There are two things that are directly connected to your sense of values:
- For you, criteria for selecting a company that will make you feel rewarded
- For the company, assessment of your potential growth and how long you will stay in the company
In other words, it means that “your abilities may not always be demonstrated and you feel rewarded at every company."
Here is a question.
Let us say you worked hard to achieve your dream of studying abroad in Japan, overcome various difficulties in this foreign country, and you have bettered yourself through those experiences.
With all that effort you made and the grit that you acquired, do you think you will be satisfied with the simple tasks that you do not want do or you are not interested in?
I assume that your efforts have come from a variety of motivations, such as your dream of studying abroad, the desire to give back to your family, or the willingness to try something new. It would be a waste to end up doing work that you don’t want to be doing.
I have another question for you.
"Would you be able to put the same amount of effort into any job, regardless of the position or type of work?"
No matter how capable you are, you can't devote yourself to something that your values don't match up with.
This is the last question. Please answer it while taking into account what you’ve learned today.
"How serious were you when selecting a company?"
3. In Conclusion
To sum up today’s lecture,
I explained what self-analysis is all about.
Your upperclassmen and teachers might often say,
"Do self-analysis."
"Self-analysis is important."
But the important thing is to truly understand what self-analysis is.
Conduct self-analysis properly for job hunting and get a job at a company that matches your abilities and sense of values.
For the next lecture, you will learn about specific methods of self-analysis that can help you find your abilities and establish your sense of values!
Check out the previous articles for information on Job Hunting in Japan:
3 Characteristics of Japanese Companies that you should know [Job Hunting in Japan Series - Part 1]
7 Things That You Should Do in the Job-Hunting Process [Job Hunting in Japan Series - Part 2]
4 Ways to Search for Japanese Companies [Job Hunting in Japan Series - Part 3]
“I wish I knew this sooner!” Internship in Japan Basics [Job Hunting in Japan Series - Part 4]
How to Find Excellent Companies in Japan [Job Hunting in Japan Series - Part 5]