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It is essential to understand who reviews your job application when you are submitting it.

When you want your application to be considered, it is crucial to prepare well for that. In this article, I will be introducing two case studies that will help you better understand the application process. Similarly, I will be outlining the items to take note for companies that hiring to improve on their process and any biases that may be present. 

Here are the case study topics: 

Scenario 1: Job application controller does not understand the nature of your job due to the complicated job designation you used to hold

Scenario 2: You’ve received an interview request for another role from the company that you applied for previously

In the first case, my experience as a head hunter was applied where I used to source for talents and introduce them to clients for a job opportunity. 

Scenario 1:

Candidate A: 30-year-old male, graduate, and working for a Japanese electronics company for seven years. He has been handling all the process and new projects from purchase order to delivery for both Japan office and other regional offices. 

Hiring Company: A multinational manufacturing company, looking for an internal consultant for SCM KAIZEN project. 

Result of application: Not shortlisted because the candidate has a sales background while the company prefers a candidate with more robust corporate experience. 

It was unfortunate that Candidate A didn’t get selected as the client’s requirement matched the candidate’s profile. To ensure the client sees the value of the candidate, I made a few adjustments to present the profile in a slightly different manner that aligned with the client’s requirement. 

(When the application was rejected)

　・　Designation: Sales department in charge of South Asia

　・　Handles from purchase order to logistics, from the warehouse to end delivery monitoring

　・　Negotiates contracts with clients

(After adjusting the profile to highlight key job scope)

　・　Designation: Lead in South Asia, PO to delivery monitoring, leads the internal project

　・　Lead KAIZEN project to improve order process and supply chain activity for the Japanese market and other markets regionally

　・　Handles purchase order to maintaining logistics, including warehouse to delivery monitoring

　・　Negotiates contracts with clients

(Result)

Candidate A was hired after two interviews

So, how did I turn around his profile even though at the initial stage, his profile was not shortlisted? The bottom line was to adjust the candidate’s resume that aligned and highlighted the requirements of the job interviewer.

The different organisation have a different review system, and the candidate’s full job scope was not clearly highlighted in the resume which caused the misinterpretation that looked like the candidate was only part of the sales team.  

Scenario 2:

Candidate B: Applied to a company and got hired for a different role that was not as stated on the job description. When he applied with the company three months ago, he was not shortlisted for the job. But after three months, he received a call for an interview for a different role, an operation specialist. So, what was the status of his job application? 

His job application was stored in the job portal where he was considered for the operation specialist role that matched with his skill set more than for the trading job that he applied previously. By offering him the operation specialist role, the interviewer felt that it would be an added value to his long term career growth with the company. 

This practice is a norm in most of the multinational companies – to store the candidate’s profile in their job portal for future reference. The surprise came in for candidate B when there was an opportunity that came to him unexpectedly from the company. Storing his resume in the portal enabled the hiring manager to source, identify and select candidate B for the job. 

This proves that resumes that get stored in the job portal are being looked up when necessary and where there’s a job opening to fill. 

In summary, I hope both the cases were informative in helping you understand the application process. First, through the importance of preparing the resume that clearly exhibits your experience aligning with the job that you are applying to. And secondly, a candidate needs to accept the choice of allowing the company to store their resume in the job portal as it can present an opportunity in the future. 

It is vital to put in the effort during a job search and understanding the seriousness behind the review process to bag an interview. I wish all the best for the candidates out there and continue to do your best! 

Message me for any questions or ideas for hiring in Japan.