Do you want to transfer jobs abroad, but aren't sure where to start? What is the hiring process like past the point of application? Using the experience from the various hiring ventures Washokujob has supported up until now as a reference, we have summarized some of the key points for this process. While these are Washokujob's personal opinions and perspectives, we hope they are of use to you.

【Before Diving in, Take a Look at Your Situation】

Why do you want to work abroad? Why do you want to go to a certain country? What do you want to experience there？
To start, you should ask yourself these questions.

It will be easier to understand the trajectory of your transfer abroad if you have a solid understanding of your own goals.
Here are some reasons other candidates have provided us here at Washokujob. ☆I studied abroad as a student, and loved living life overseas. ☆We have many foreign guests at my current restaurant, and I would like to help spread Washokujob abroad even further
☆The food and beverage industry is highly competitive in Japan, so I would like to hone my skills abroad, and save money to open my own restaurant in the future
Whatever the reason my be, it is a special thing to be able to say this is why I want to work abroad.

Additionally, reasons like the following are also okay, of course: ■I will work anywhere if it pays well. ■Things aren't great at my current place of employment, so I think working abroad could be a fresh start for me. However, these reasons won't exactly impress employers on your resume or during interviews, and we've had people with shallow reasonings end up quitting the job they just received.

【Tangible Necessities】

If you have a strong idea of why you'd like to transfer abroad, next you'll need to prepare the necessary documentation.

Application Materials

You'll be at an advantage if you can prepare your resume, work history, a clean-cut photo of yourself, and photos of some of your dishes if you are applying for a culinary position. These documents will also be useful for applying for your visa.

Widely Recognized Documents

Diplomas, proof of past employment, bank statements (required by some countries), proof of health insurance (required for working holiday visas).

*・Money on Hand

The time frame between being hired and actually being able to work abroad varies heavily from country to country. Depending on the strictness of that country's visa application process, you can start working in as little as one month after being hired, or as long as eight months. It is desirable if you are able to continue working during this 'wait period' as you will need to still support yourself. We also recommend that you have enough savings for your relocation expenses, as well as two-month's worth of living expenses.

【Applying to Positions and Beginning the Process!】

Below, we have outlined the general flow of application and hiring process.

Resume Screening（including the above-mentioned documentation）

Your resume and the other above-mentioned documentation will be what provides employers with your first impression of you, so please try to make it as thorough and organized as possible. Maybe people will apply for positions through Washokujob, and it is unfortunate when the documents provided are the bare-minimum or otherwise incomplete. For example, if you have two applicants with resumes written in the following ways: 1.) Kaiseki experience, general. 2.) Worked evenings at a Kaiseki restaurant, where costs were 25,000 JPY per plate.The restaurant seated 20 guests, and I mainly oversaw Kaiseki preparations, in addition to boiled, fried, grilled, and general preparations. The second chef has more details and paints a better picture of their experience, making them a more appealing candidate.

Interviews

If you move on to the next round, you will have an interview face-to-face, on the phone, via Skype or Line, etc. They typically last from 30 minutes to an hour. You will often introduce yourself, go over you work history and current position, discuss if you plan to relocate alone or with family, talk about past experience working abroad, why you applied to this position, why you want to work abroad, what your strengths are, what you hope to do going forward, etc. If you can't seem to come up with an answer for a certain question, try to put yourself in the interviewers shoes and think what they are hoping to confirm by asking you this question. Doing this can help you come up with an appropriate, strong answer.

The interviews are also a time for you to ask questions about the company. If there's anything you felt was odd about the posting, anything you wanted to ask, or if you wanted to negotiate salaries, now is the time to do it. If the offer letter comes up, it will be too late for you to try and negotiate most terms of the employment. Therefore, please also keep in mind that the interview is your opportunity to create an image of what this employer is like and if it fits you and your needs or not.

Culinary Evaluation

While the employer may be able to get a grasp on your personality and communication abilities during the interview, they won't be able to get a measure for your level of cooking abilities. That's why employers will often include a culinary evaluation as part of the hiring process. Many employers will request a video of the candidate preparing certain dishes, or will fly the candidate over to complete the evaluable on-site at the restaurant.

【You Got the Job！Now What？】

Offer Notice

If you pass the interview and culinary evaluation stage, you will next get an offer notice. You will check that all the terms are as previously agreed upon, sign it, and return it. One road block people often experience here is, as we mentioned above, deciding too late that a certain term or condition isn't desirable, the most frequent point of this issue being in regards to 「salary」 Having such an issue after the period of initial negotiations will leave a bad impression, especially since other countries differ from Japan in customs so heavily. Most employers will think why didn't they speak up sooner about something so important？！ If you think about it, you will be working with this person in the long-term, so having such a rocky start isn't a good sign, and often the employers will revoke the offer of employment at this point.

Preparing to Relocate Abroad

Next, the employer will begin the necessary visa application processes. There shouldn't be any issue if you have provided all of the documentation listed above, and make sure to follow through with the employer. One common issue here is making the assumption that the employer will also provide visas for your immediate family. While some companies do provide this assistance, most will require the candidate to provide any other visas aside from his/herself. You can discuss this with your employer during the interview stage, put it will be best to consult with Washokujob about this issue first.

Relocating Abroad

Once the visa is prepared, you are in the clear to travel abroad. When you receive your offer notice, please check that your passport validity period is not expiring, and renew it immediately if that's the case. Sometimes you won't be able to leave the country if it isn't properly renewed. You will also need to work on establishing housing, insurance, etc. in the country you will be relocating to.

And that's the basic flow of things. Please try to have a good understanding of your goals, and create a schedule for yourself to ensure this process goes as smoothly as possible. If you have any questions or concerns at all, please feel free to direct them to Washokujob's staff.