Recently (as of March 2023), looking only at Japan, the political and economic end of the pandemic is beginning to be in sight, and although the economic situation is still bad, there seems to be a slight trend towards recovery. As a result, we are seeing more job advertisements in various media (including online), and it seems that labor mobility is returning.

Given the ever-changing economic situation and the policies of the Japanese government, labor mobility is only going to increase, so the probability of job changes is quite high (although this is an outdated perspective, it can also be described as the unfortunate situation where one company cannot accommodate a diverse range of talent).

Thinking about that reminded me that in my mid-30s, I went through a job search and received offers that were close to job offers from several companies (although I ultimately didn't change jobs due to various circumstances).

I hope that this will be helpful to at least a few people, so I've decided to write a series of articles sharing the information, methods, and ways of thinking I learned from my own job-hunting experience as an engineer (automotive engine design).

One of my motivations for writing this article is that recently, in the job market for science and engineering graduates, there's been a lot of information about software, including AI and other IT-related topics, and very little information about hardware-related fields like mine (there's only a little bit related to semiconductors).

While software and hardware are inherently interconnected, a situation where only software demand continues to increase is logically and practically impossible. A balance between software and hardware will eventually be restored, and it's easy to imagine a rebound effect leading to a surge in hardware demand (I believe this kind of trend-driven behavior is undesirable).

The IT sector has been hyped up by the media and is currently experiencing a bubble-like inflated economy, but it is highly likely to subside eventually. In the worst-case scenario, after the boom ends, the balance between the supply and demand for IT professionals may be disrupted, potentially leading to job losses (although I believe a certain level of demand will continue).

Therefore, I will do my best to share information on the hardware side. However, since I'm at it, I will try to make the information useful for job changes in other fields as well (generalization of information).

For this first post, I'd like to give an overview of my job search.

My situation before starting my job search

When I graduated from university and started my job search, it was the height of the job market freeze, but I somehow managed to get a job at my first-choice company (I was lucky). My employer is a car manufacturer.

I joined the company hoping to work in engine design, but back then, there was hardly any job-specific recruitment (which seems to be more common now), so I was hired as a generalist in science and engineering. Therefore, I was anxious even after joining the company, as there was a possibility I might end up in a completely opposite role, such as factory equipment management (which is also an extremely important job). Especially since, even back then, it was said that it was practically impossible to work in research and development at a manufacturer without a graduate degree (this was and still is completely false).

However, luckily, I was assigned to the engine design department, which was my preferred field.

And so, I was able to successfully begin my career as a mechanical and engine designer.

It's an old-fashioned way of thinking, but I never even considered changing jobs and always thought I would stay at the same company and work hard (I'm actually a freelancer now).

My brief biography

I want to read it together

Profile, Career Introduction, and Inquiry Information | Former Honda R&D employee specializing in motorcycle engine and drivetrain design, CAE analysis, MBSE… Hello, my name is Kazubara, and I am the operator and author of this website. I previously worked in the powertrain development department at Honda R&D (motorcycles), where I was involved in engine and drivetrain design, CAE analysis (fluid/thermal/structural...).

The circumstances leading up to me considering a career change

A few years had passed since I started my job, and I was working fairly hard, when the Lehman Brothers collapse occurred (fall of 2008), an event that dealt a major blow to the global economy.

The company went bankrupt around the fall of 2008, but the full impact on Japan didn't really materialize until about a year and a half later, and by 2010 the situation had become quite dire.

Furthermore, in 2011, as you all know, the Great East Japan Earthquake occurred, causing chaos in Japan.

These two major events had a significant impact on the company I work for, leading to various changes (in particular, the slowdown in the European and American markets and the decline in domestic production were tremendous, making it very difficult to cope).

Just as people's spirits become gloomy and pessimistic when the economy worsens, when a company's performance deteriorates, the overall atmosphere of the company sours, and a negative aura begins to permeate the entire environment.

Even worse, factional disputes intensified from top management down to the frontline managers, resulting in frequent changes in leadership positions, from department heads to frontline managers.

Due to this factional infighting, I was gradually sidelined, replaced by department heads and superiors whose views didn't quite align with mine (it felt like everyone except those in the current establishment was isolated). Even though I was sidelined, I wasn't idle; instead, I was single-handedly handling multiple market quality issues (to put it extremely simply, things like product recalls), which were unappreciated but carried heavy responsibility. This wore me down both mentally and physically.

Feeling that there was no point in staying at the company if things continued as they were, I directly appealed to managers at various levels, including my department head, to allow me to work in the direction I wanted, but it didn't go very well. My already poor relationship with the managers worsened, and I fell into a negative spiral.

At the time, I was approaching my mid-30s, and it was a period when my future within the company was starting to be decided. I felt that if I continued as I was, my future wouldn't be very bright, and the stress would break down both my body and mind, so I decided to look for a new job (I learned that while people can endure hardship, when hope disappears, their physical and mental health can deteriorate very quickly).

My job search experience (mid-2010s, in my mid-30s)

As I began my job search in earnest, I realized that simply acting on my emotions without a plan wouldn't yield good results. So, I decided to rationally control my eagerness to change jobs and my dissatisfaction with my current workplace, and instead approach the process logically and carefully, taking my time to make informed decisions.

The method is simple: you start with your abstract feelings, gradually make the information more concrete step by step, and finally derive the action requirements.

Based on the circumstances so far, my motivations for changing jobs (my feelings, such as dissatisfaction) can be summarized as follows (my own feelings).

Upon investigation, it appears that all of these items are among the top 5 reasons for changing jobs, so there may be many people with the same reasons.

Based on these considerations, I thought about the necessary objectives for resolving my dissatisfaction in my job search (making my feelings a little more concrete).

As things gradually become more concrete, it becomes clearer what you're looking for in a new job.

Next, I considered what I was looking for in a new job and decided on my goals, setting criteria for selecting a company from the many job postings available.

Based on this goal, you will be able to select which companies to apply to for mid-career positions from among a large number of diverse job postings.

My approach to selecting companies for my job search was quite normal; I looked for job postings on the websites of promising companies. However, one of my requirements was to search as broadly as possible, so I felt there were limitations to my own job search and registered with multiple job search websites (recruitment agencies).

Job search websites and services used

Maytec Next

・Rikunabi NEXT (used in conjunction with Rikunabi Agent)

Jump to Rikunabi NEXT

Jump to Rikunabi Agent

Pasona Career

Jump to Pasona Career

JAC Recruitment

Jump to JAC Recruitment

I search worldwide (scouted via JAC Recruitment)

I jump to search

I've gained a good understanding of the features and strengths of each service through actual use, so I'll introduce them in detail in a separate article.

After speaking with agents from various companies and discussing the options together, I decided which companies to apply to and took their mid-career recruitment exams (ultimately, I only applied directly to one company, a domestic automobile manufacturer).

I was able to apply to and go through the selection process for various industries, job types, domestic and international companies, and startups, as per the requirements (I was able to experience many different types of recruitment tests).

The companies that ultimately decided not to hire me after my application was as follows (commonly known as "rejection emails").

Luckily, I received job offers from many companies, but various conditions (actual job duties, position, salary, work style, location, etc.) didn't match up, and I was strongly persuaded to stay by an executive at my current company, so I ultimately didn't change jobs (a barrage of nightly drinking parties and a transfer to a project directly under that executive made me decide to stay).

Now, a few years later, I've quit my job and become a freelancer—a rather inexplicable life (two or three years after the retirement of the executive who had been so helpful to me).

This is an overview of my job search. In terms of results, I used six recruitment services and applied to roughly 14 companies, so the process lasted about two years (which allowed me to meet many people and learn about various circumstances and behind-the-scenes stories).

Having gained a fair amount of experience in job hunting, I'd like to explain in detail my own job-hunting methods, including tips, insider information, and specific processes.

Also, the company I worked for had many people joining and leaving through mid-career recruitment, and there were people from various industries and companies, so I heard a lot of different stories, which I will incorporate into future information.

Furthermore, the company I used to work for utilized a large number of guest workers (technical staff), and by chance, someone I was close to within the company became a full-time employee (at the company where they were dispatched, which is the same company as me), so I will also share that process.

Thank you for reading this long message.

Next time, I'll introduce what you need to do and what you'll need to start your job search.

I want to read it together

Things mechanical engineers need to do and things they need to start their job search. Last time, I explained the overview of job hunting based on my own experience. This time, I'd like to explain what you need to do and what you need for a job search. I'll go into detail about the actual process and steps involved…