Before you apply in Japan, finish a 履歴書 (rirekisho) and a 職務経歴書 (shokumu keirekisho), put a 40 × 30 mm photo on the form, and rewrite 志望動機 for that company. The rest of the hunt is repeating that loop without losing the dates.
This is a checklist, not a theory of 就活. Use it in order. Skip a row only if the posting told you to.
What do you need on paper?
You need the pair of documents most postings name, plus the photo the 履歴書 expects. An English CV can exist as a backup. It does not replace the form.
- 履歴書, complete, digital unless the posting says 手書き
- Photo: 縦40 × 横30 mm, portrait, business attire, taken within 3 months
- 職務経歴書, length matched to your career (one page if you are new, more if you are not)
- 志望動機 and 自己PR rewritten for this company, not last week’s company
- 本人希望記入欄: 「貴社の規定に従います」 unless you have a real condition
- Dates in one system (西暦 or 和暦) across both documents
- Name with ふりがな or カタカナ
- JLPT, if you have it, under 免許・資格 with the official name
If any of that is still in a Google Doc titled “resume FINAL v7”, convert the file or start from a template and stop rearranging headings.
How do you send an application without mixing companies?
One posting, one folder. Copy the 履歴書, rewrite 志望動機, export, send. Then record where you sent it.
NihonResume’s application tracker is for that record: company, role, date, document used. The fit-check is for the posting text. Paste the job description and see which of your sections actually answer it before you spend another evening on a role that wants a visa you do not have.
Do not send the same 志望動機 to two companies with the names swapped. Readers notice. The rewrite is the work.
What do you prepare after you hit send?
Prepare the next two things the process usually asks for: a version of your story you can say aloud, and a clean copy of the same facts.
- Read your 自己PR out loud once. If you cannot say it, you cannot interview it.
- Keep the 履歴書 you sent. Interviewers will hold that paper, not the draft on your laptop.
- If they ask for 職務経歴書 in a different length, duplicate the document. Do not shrink the original you already submitted.
NihonResume AI can tighten a section. It cannot sit in the interview. Use it before you send, not as a plan to “fix it if they reply”.
Common questions
Do I apply in Japanese or English?
Use the language of the posting. A Japanese posting that asks for 履歴書 wants Japanese documents. An English posting at a foreign-affiliated firm may want an English CV. When both are listed, send both.
Can I skip the photo?
Not on a 履歴書. The box is part of the form. 40 × 30 mm, within 3 months.
How many applications can reuse the same 職務経歴書?
The history can stay. The 志望動機 cannot. Reuse the work history; rewrite the motivation every time.
If the documents are still the blocker, start with how to write a 履歴書 or build your first resume. Then convert or template, and send from a list you can actually see.