Hi everyone. I’m an international student in Japan, graduating this March with a degree in Business Administration.
I started job hunting in my 3rd year, but even now I still haven’t been able to secure a full-time job. I’ve been rejected around 40 times, and honestly, it’s starting to feel really discouraging.
I didn’t rely on school alone. I did long-term internships, learned and built websites using WordPress, designed using Canva and Figma, and handled project management through spreadsheets and timelines. I also created a chatbot using Dify to manage customer inquiries.
On top of that, I run my own logistics shuttle service business, where I handle planning, coordination, customer communication, and operations. It’s been successful, and I can confidently talk about this experience during interviews.
Despite all this, I haven’t received any job offers yet. I’ve done interviews in Japanese, including final interviews, but I often don’t move forward. I’m not always given clear feedback, but I suspect my Japanese ability or communication style may be one of the reasons.
At this point, I feel stuck. I don’t know where else to look, what roles I should realistically apply for, or how international students are expected to gain “experience” if even real projects and running a business don’t seem to count.
If anyone has gone through something similar or has advice, I’d really appreciate hearing your thoughts. Thanks for reading.
by finding_hoomanity