Certification Examinations that could give you an edge over others while searching for a job in Japan

Certification of some examination is sometimes important for getting a job in Japan for foreigners. Let’s see the types of examinations.

There are various types of certification tests in Japan, getting the certifications not only helps you to level-up your specialized skills but also to prove your ability objectively. Most of the Japanese companies while searching for a job candidate utilize such certifications for employment screening and hiring prospective employees.

1.JLPT (Japanese Language Proficiency Test)

JLPT is for people who don’t use Japanese as a first language. This test is the most common one for measuring your Japanese skills. The testis divided into 5 levels (N1~N5), which are constructed by “word”, “vocabulary”, “grammar”, “reading” and “listening”. This exam is carried out only 2 times per year. It is said that at least N2 level is required to get hired at Japanese company, but it all depends on what kind of job one lands in.

2.BJT (Business Japanese Proficiency Test)

This test is a little bit different from JLPT, where in JLPT Japanese is learnt as a foreign language ranging from basic to advanced level, BJT measures the ability of your Japanese communication for business. This test is marked on the score of 0 to 800, and then it’s divided into 6 levels (J1+~ J5). The test is specifically targeted for and at business industries, so it’s highly regarded for getting a job in Japan.

3.Licensed Guide Interpreters Test

It constitutes of 2 stages, which are first-stage examination (paper test) and second-stage examination (oral test). The first-stage examination comprises of Japanese history, Japanese geography and areas of common knowledge in foreign language and Japanese. The foreign language used in this test is English but some other languages such as French, Spanish, German, Chinese, Italy, Portuguese, Russian, Korean and Thai are also available. People and individuals regardless and irrespective of their nationality, academic background or age can appear for the examination.

4.Microsoft Office Specialist

Word and Excel have 2 levels, “specialist” and “expert”. The test is carried out 2 times on every months. The ability of using computer has been quite lucrative in recent years. Furthermore, the certification of the test is known through out the world, so it’s highly practical even if you decide to move outside of Japan.