CV format for Japan
In Japan, you apply with a rirekisho. It is a fixed form of about two pages, and a photo is often mandatory. It lists personal details such as your date of birth, age and gender. Education comes before work experience.
At a glance
Format: East Asian standardized CV
Shared with China, North Korea, South Korea and Taiwan.
- Photo
- Often mandatory
- Use a passport photo.
- Length
- About 2 pages
- A fixed form, often provided by the company.
- Personal details
- Extensive
- Date of birth, age and gender.
- Section order
- Education first
- References
- Varies
- Local name
- Rirekisho
- It comes with a shokumu-keirekisho, a sheet of your work history.
- Special fields
- Self-introduction essay
- Paper
- A4
- 210 × 297 mm
These are each country’s usual conventions, not rules. Real practice varies by employer, industry and seniority, and it is changing with anti-discrimination law, screening software and remote hiring: photos are fading even where they were traditional, and multinationals usually expect none. Treat this as a starting point.
How it is written
A rirekisho with a passport photo, your age and your sex; sometimes handwritten.
- Highly templated, often on a form the company provides.
- Formal and indirect: overt self-promotion reads as arrogant.
- In Japan: a rirekisho, plus a shokumu-keirekisho, a sheet of your work history.
What to leave out
The photo and personal details, at a multinational
Multinationals usually expect the international format: no photo, and contact details only.
Questions
Do I need a photo on a CV in Japan?
Yes. A photo is often mandatory in Japan. Use a passport photo. Multinationals usually expect a CV without one.
How long should a CV be in Japan?
About two pages, on a fixed form. The company often provides the form.
Which personal details go on a CV in Japan?
Usually your date of birth, age and gender.
Does education or work experience come first in Japan?
Education comes first, then work experience.
Should I list references on a CV in Japan?
It varies.
What is a CV called in Japan?
A rirekisho. It comes with a shokumu-keirekisho, a sheet of your work history.
Applying for a job in Japan?
CVMake detects the job’s country from the posting and formats the CV for it.
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