Don’t be late!

The first step to a successful job interview starts with setting a mutually convenient time for both of you. Be honest and let them know what hours you currently work (if you have a job) and what dates and times work best. Give them at least 3 or 4 potential times when you could have the interview and try your utmost to make at least one of these during their normal working hours. Avoid rushing to the interview straight from work, but if it is absolutely impossible for you to do otherwise, let them know that is the case, that way they won’t write you off automatically if you turn up a few minutes late (although they will be far from impressed if you aren’t at the very least five minutes early).

“If you aren’t 10 minutes early, you’re late!”

To avoid being late, it is a good idea to have a trial run of finding the interview location before you go there for real. It may seem like a tedious task, but sweating over Google maps on your mobile minutes before your allotted interview time will leave you both stressed and potentially tired if you have to dash to the finish line. Knowing where you are going will help you keep to the golden rule of almost every formal occasion in Japan: “If you aren’t 10 minutes early, you’re late!”