“You’ve built your career in Japan, but your resume doesn’t really show it.”
Have you ever felt that frustration?
Japanese resumes follow a fixed format, and are not as free in style as many overseas CVs.
That’s why you need the ability to “present your experience in a Japanese way” in your Self-PR section.
If you are thinking about a job change or the next step in your career, this is a good time to review how you communicate your story on paper.
Introduction｜When Your Experience Doesn’t Fully Show in Your Resume
Many foreign residents who have worked in Japan for a long time say:
“I have plenty of experience, but it doesn’t come across well on my resume.”
Japanese companies value not only your experience itself, but also how you work and how you contribute to your team.
That’s why the Self-PR section often becomes the key point that catches the recruiter’s eye—or not.
In this column, we will share tips on how to express your experience naturally in the Self-PR section of a Japanese resume.
How to Write a Self-PR That Fits the Japanese Style
In Japanese resumes, companies look not only at your results, but also at your attitude toward work and your contribution to the team.
The same experience can give a very different impression depending on how you write it.
Here are three tips to organize your experience so it’s easier for Japanese companies to understand,
plus key points for keeping your Self-PR short and clear.
💡 Three tips for communicating your experience “the Japanese way”
1) Describe both your duties and your role
Example: instead of just “Sales”, write “Handled new client inquiries and post-contract follow-up”.
2) Show how you contributed to the team and results
Example: “Managed the overall project schedule and helped shorten delivery time by one week.”
3) Include any improvements or proposals you made
Example: “Reviewed the workflow and improved operational efficiency by around 10%.”
In many Japanese companies, people pay attention not only to the final numbers, but also to
how you approached your work and how you cooperated with others.
If your writing shows both your skills and your attitude, you are more likely to leave a positive impression.
📝 Three points for structuring your Self-PR
1) Combine “skills + attitude”
Example: “Through my customer service experience, I learned the importance of supporting my team and sharing information.”
2) Keep it short—around 3–4 sentences
Rather than writing a very long paragraph, focus on clarity and readability.
3) Add numbers or concrete outcomes
Example: “Helped increase sales by 15%” or “In charge of training new staff.”
The Self-PR section is not only a place to list “big achievements”.
It is where you show how you think and act at work.
Even small improvements or daily efforts can become strong points when you describe them properly.
Common Self-PR Mistakes and How to Improve Them
It’s easy for Self-PR sections to end up being “wasted opportunities”.
Below are some common patterns and ideas on how to rewrite them so your message is clearer.
*These are just examples. The best style will vary depending on the company and the role.
| Common Self-PR pattern |
How to improve it |
| Only writing “I am serious” or “I will do my best” |
Add a short example of when and how you showed that attitude.
Example:
“At my previous workplace, I actively supported my team during busy hours,
and tried to help whenever there were sudden changes in shifts.” |
| Using direct machine translation, which makes the Japanese sound unnatural |
First, write your Self-PR in your own language so the meaning is clear, then turn it into Japanese.
Example:
“I am the type of person who takes responsibility and completes my tasks to the end.
When problems occur, I focus on finding the cause and sharing it with my team so we can prevent it next time.” |
| Writing only keywords like “I have good communication skills” or “I’m a team player” |
Add at least one episode that shows those skills in action.
Example:
“I have experience working in a multinational team,
where I helped coordinate shifts and share information clearly,
so that everyone could work smoothly together.” |
The important thing is to communicate through a story, not just keywords.
You don’t have to write everything, but even one concrete example can show your attitude very well.
💡If you are not sure how to start, try writing your episodes first in your own language.
With the YOLO JAPAN Resume Builder, you can type in your native language and have it automatically converted into Japanese.
Summary｜Organize Your Experience So Your Strengths Stand Out
You already have a great deal of experience and trust built in Japan.
By organizing that experience and presenting it in a way that is easy to understand,
the impression your resume gives can change dramatically.
In Self-PR, what matters is not “perfect Japanese”, but your own story and attitude.
Start by thinking in your native language and writing down your strengths and what you care about at work.
💡 Today’s key points
・Japanese resumes are based on a fixed “format”
・In Self-PR, combine skills, attitude, and a short episode
・How you present your experience can change the impression a lot
・Start in your own language, then adjust it into Japanese
With the YOLO JAPAN Resume Builder, you can simply type in your own language
and the tool will automatically convert it into a Japanese-style resume.
You can stop worrying about the format and focus on creating a Self-PR that really represents you.
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