Many people are unsure of what path to take after completing graduate school. This page introduces employment, one of the career options. We also share the job-hunting experiences of our seniors

Graduate student job hunting

There are, of course, many different patterns when it comes to finding employment for graduate students. Like undergraduates, you can start by attending information sessions and seminars, get a job at a research institute or university-affiliated institution, or get a doctorate and work as a researcher. In any case, what makes graduate students different from undergraduates in their job hunting is that they can make use of the specialized knowledge they learned in graduate school more than undergraduates
Graduate school allows you to study a specialized field in greater depth and for longer than undergraduate studies, so you will be expected to apply that knowledge to your work. The further you go to graduate school, the more you may be evaluated favorably in terms of how diligently you have studied, but at the same time, the level of expectation is higher. It is important to set your sights firmly on your goal and start planning your schedule early so that you can balance your research and job hunting
Unlike in the past, it is rare to get a job offer immediately through a faculty member's introduction, but depending on the company you are applying to, you may be asked for a recommendation from your supervisor, especially for research positions, so it is best to maintain as good a relationship as possible with your faculty members. Make full use of them, including alumni from the lab, as a window for information

Job hunting season

The diagram below shows a rough schedule for job hunting. For those graduating in 2023, the government is recommending that public relations activities begin after March, recruitment selection activities begin after June, and official job offers be made after October. However, because job hunting is expected to be strongly affected by the spread of COVID-19, it will be necessary to make efforts to gather information early on, such as by attending company information sessions, and to proactively find out about recruitment information for your desired industry and companies

Job hunting experiences of seniors

A.K. (Master's graduate in 2017) Graduate School of Interdisciplinary Information Studies, Cultural and Human Informatics Course

It is generally said that "graduate students are at a disadvantage when job hunting," and I have found this to be true. In fact, I have seen many of my friends struggle with job hunting. For graduate students in the humanities, the spring to summer period of their second year of master's studies is when they often begin full-scale research and analysis, and they have no time for anything else, so it's no surprise that they are at a disadvantage when job hunting
However, there are also benefits to being a graduate student. When asked the standard job-hunting question, "What did you work hardest on as a student?", you can proudly answer, "My research." The effort you put into research is surprisingly highly valued in job hunting. In addition, the perspective you gain through your daily research, which allows you to objectively view your own position, and the ability to persuasively assert your enthusiasm within that perspective, are valuable assets in job applications and interviews
Looking back, I regret that I should have started job hunting seriously before the "job hunting ban" began. If I had gained experience with application forms and online tests through a summer internship during my first year of master's degree, when I had more time, and if I had been lucky enough to receive an informal job offer during my first year of master's degree, I might have been able to focus on research during my second year of master's degree
That was my job hunt. I went to the interview in casual clothes and talked about the mistakes I made in my seminar presentation that day. I was hired by a company. I will be working in the consulting and research industry from 2017. I think I was able to promote myself as a graduate student, including all my strengths and weaknesses, which was appreciated in my job hunt

A.T. (Master's degree, 2021) Graduate School of Engineering, Department of Electrical Engineering

I received a job offer from an electronics manufacturer through a school recommendation. As a result of attending joint company information sessions held both inside and outside of the university while job hunting, I decided that I wanted to work for a company where I could utilize the field I had studied, so I started job hunting at companies that I could go to through the recommendation of my department
When applying for a technical position, you will generally undergo a "technical interview." Whenever I interviewed at a company, I prepared slides about my research and gave a 10-minute explanation of the content and significance of my research, as well as my outlook for future research activities. After that, I was asked questions mainly about the content of my research, the efforts I made in my research, and what other things I focused on outside of research. These questions were frequently asked at every company, so it's a good idea to think about what you want to say in advance
The format of school recommendations will differ depending on your department, but in my case, I needed to receive an informal job offer in order to be recommended, and it was difficult to receive that offer by March. Also, my job search overlapped with my mid-term research presentation at the university, which was mentally tough, but I was finally able to receive the informal job offer in May. Even if you use a school recommendation, I think it's a good idea not to neglect job hunting, but to gather information on various companies and apply to them

Y.A. (Master's degree, 2021) Graduate School of Information Science and Technology, Department of Computer Science

In the so-called information-related field, it is sometimes possible to directly utilize experience gained through internships or part-time work, and there were people in my major who were also doing this. I did not take this route, but rather found a job through both a job search based on "scholarship" and "personal strengths," which is probably no different from finding a job in the humanities, and a job search using a school recommendation (note that there are some companies that will not hire someone with a regular application, but will only hire someone with a recommendation, so be careful)
The biggest difference I felt between standard and recommended applications was the support provided by employees during the job search process. With standard applications, unless you specifically request it, there are no opportunities for individual consultations before the selection process, such as alumni visits. Instead, you must gather information through internships and information sessions. On the other hand, with recommended applications, although this depends on your major, there are often information sessions within your department, and ample time was allotted for alumni visits. They also provided support to ensure a smooth selection process, and I felt like I was given significant preferential treatment. It's easy to talk about your specialty and use what you've done at university to highlight your accomplishments. While the acceptance rate for recommended applications is likely to be significantly higher than for standard applications, it's still likely to fail if you're not careful. While internships and information sessions are not required, gathering information as you would with a standard application and taking part in the selection process as practice will likely be helpful for recommended applications
There are also disadvantages to applying for a recommendation, such as restrictions for each major and the general inability to decline, so I recommend thinking carefully before applying. In my case, I started my recommendation application in May and completed it by the end of the month, so I don't think there's any need to rush into applying. However, if possible, I think it's a good idea to take the opportunity to visit alumni. Seniors in your major will be kind enough to help you, which should be a great help mentally (I personally ended up asking for an alumni visit in May when I still hadn't received a job offer). If you're in trouble, it's a good idea to use support available to some majors, such as the Career Support Office or the Science and Engineering Collaborative Career Support Office. I think you'll get good advice when you're in the most difficult situation