What is Self-Assessment?

Shuukatsu is the process of job hunting, companies recruit fresh graduates from the university. Students go through various steps from self-analysis which is a pre-preparation before the actual application to the job interview session to the job offer arrival. The 4th step in Shuukatsu is the Entry Sheet which is the main part of the application, where you have to send the documents to the company.
Entry sheets (ES) are the first and foremost application that is required when applying for the Job positions for the company. You have to send it to the company through the post or via email.
Entry sheets differ from company to company with only a little difference in the content. Companies make decisions only with the flow of content from your Entry Sheets and then they invite you for an interview. Never consider this a hard process when applying for multiple companies. You can edit in accordance with the company and send the documents.
ES is the document that gives the recruiters the description and understanding of your goals. ES contains entry-level questions and some basic questions. The contents that are required are personal information and educational background and a short essay about your experience and motivation.

Entry Sheet and Resume

Don’t confuse the difference between the Entry Sheets and Resume. They are quite different. A resume is a document where it contains your personal data, history of education, and job history to show the recruiters about you. You can send the same resume to all companies without a change in content. That document leads to the interview selection as the next stage. This is a widely practiced process in most countries for employment selection.
But it is quite unique in Japan when it comes to Entry Sheets. The entry sheet is the job application form. The format differs from company to company. So, when making an application careful consideration must be given for the contents in the form. Unlike resumes, changes in the description of the contents must be made if you want to impress recruiters. Entry sheets can also be hand-written or many companies accept online applications.

What do you need to consider with the entry sheets?

When the company’s recruiters look into the entry sheets, they see two things you need to be careful about in your answers.

• Reasons for application
• Self-promotion (PR)

Reasons for application:

First, they see how passionate you are in applying for the job role and why? Your values towards the company? Does the motivation drive you toward your goals and future? 

The research about the company, how far does your knowledge align with the company? For example: giving the information on the company’s achievement or press release you read, the current satiation happening around the company and their work culture, markets, and innovation in their product or service. 

Be sure and clear in your goals. The specific, straightforward answers to why you want to join the company? You have to show them you have a strong foundation for the reasons for joining the company. 

Self-Promotion (PR):

This is the column where you describe your non-academic side. Your strengths and weaknesses, your decision-making skills when encountering a problem, and your contribution and efforts throughout your life and education. Letting them know what kind of personality you are. Don’t forget to let them know your weak side and the efforts you put in to overcome that.
Entry sheets strongly influence your chance of getting into the next stage of the job interview process. If you are done with your entry, make sure to proofread it with the help of your friends, family, or professors. Feedback can help your application to improve more. If you manage to impress the recruiter with your entry sheet you passed the first step towards your goal.

Summary: 

Entry sheet or commonly known as ES is one of the factors when job hunting in Japan. It is a crucial step in understanding yourself and also helps the companies understand you when you apply for the job as it acts as an analyzing tool. It is one of the documents which will help you in getting an interview. It is also recommended to ask your family and friends to have a neutral perspective.