Q.

What is "shukatsu"?

A.

Shukatsu means job hunting. This term is used specifically for soon-to-be- university graduates in Japan.

Once the government sets a start date for "shukatsu", companies start setting up seminars and workshops to attract students across Japan to apply to work at their companies. University students all go through rounds of seminars and interviews at the same time, until they receive naitei (an offer).

As you can imagine, this traditional system of job hunting can be very stressful, as societal pressure creates anxiety amongst students and families. If a student is unable to find a job during the "shukatsu" period, it can be difficult to find a job as an entry-level professional and they may even have to wait another year to go through the cycle again.

However, perspectives of "shukatsu" are changing, as students are starting to take a year off after graduation to explore what kind of career they want to lead, instead of letting companies decide for them.

What do you think about this culture?

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