Light Work and Interview Questions

A variety of light work is available in Japan. As many employers do not strictly require experience or qualifications for candidates, it is relatively easy to find a job. Also, many people actualize their work and life balance with light work.

Read on the types of light work, where to find a job and interview questions.

Light work and salary

There are many types of light work that you can find.

Retail

Shop sales assistants work in shops or supermarkets. Their duties include pricing and tagging items, assembling, sorting and packaging in order, stocking items, selling products, laying out products, cleaning floors. The average hourly rate is 967 yen. Working at fuel stations is also popular in Japan. The staff work mainly outside to wash and polish cars, pump fuel and operate an automated car wash, and deal with customer's payment. The average hourly rate is 966 yen.

Offices

A variety of office work attracts many job seekers. If you are a graduate or are interested in an office career as a permanent job, it could be helpful to try it part-time. An office workers' responsibilities are copying, scanning and filing documents, data entry, telephoning and other clerical tasks. The average hourly rate is 1,200 yen.

Food services

Restaurants' staff or kitchen assistant work at restaurants or cafes. Main tasks for waiters and waitresses are serving food and drinks, greeting customers, taking orders and delivering meals. Kitchen assistants help chefs by chopping ingredients, loading and unloading dishwashers and cleaning kitchen equipment and floors. The hourly rate is 1,000 yen.

Sports and event

If you like sports and are knowledgeable about a particular game, an assistant coach or a head coach could be interesting. You can help amateur players in training. The average hourly rate is 1,050 yen. Another one is event staff who sell refreshments or tickets in an event venue. Seasonal light work is fun as well, such as summer camp staff. You can work as a camp attendant who sells tickets and gives customer support. The average hourly rate is 900 yen.

Manual work

If you don't fancy sitting in an office all day along, manual work may suit you, such as light assembly, weeding, planting and watering plants, dog walking, pet feeding and wood staking. Light assembly's hourly rate is 1,200 yen on average.

Education

In Japan, many children take a variety of lessons after school. Especially, English, swimming and piano lessons are popular. Many boys also belong to a local football or baseball club. Teaching what you like will be exciting. Piano teacher's hourly wage is 1,500 yen.

Delivery

Delivery jobs are in high demand in Japan. It needs a driver's license and a clean driving record. The job includes filling out papers, loading and unloading goods, and talking with customers. Package delivery staff's average rate is 1,300 yen.

Publication

Online work has been popular recently. Writing and editing are one of them. If you are good at communication, customer support via internet or telephone could be suitable for you. The average hourly rate is 1,500 yen.

How to find light work

There are many ways to find a job. Why not go to online job boards or temporary employment agencies?

Job search (Online job boards)

Explore job search sites below!

・Quick Jobs Japan (https://quickjobsjapan.com/)

・Careercorss (https://www.careercross.com/en)

・Daijob.com (https://www.daijob.com/en/)

・GaijinPot Jobs (https://jobs.gaijinpot.com/job/index/lang/en)

・バイトル (https://www.baitoru.com/tohoku/)

・Shotworks (https://shotworks.jp/)

・from A navi (https://www.froma.com/P01/)

・マッハバイト (https://j-sen.jp/)

Temporary employment agencies

Going straight to temporary employment agencies focusing on light work makes your job search quicker and easier.

・Randstad (https://www.randstad.co.jp/)

・Temp staff (https://www.tempstaff.co.jp/)

・Willof (https://willof.jp/works/entry_forms/t2)

・Hataraku navi (https://www.hatarakunavi.net/)

・Adeco (https://www.adecco.co.jp/）

Light work interview questions

Although it is light work, it does not mean that it is easy to get the position. Because dozens of candidates go for each vacancy. It would be an excellent idea to know and practise answering interview questions before your big day.

Shop sales assistant

-What experience do you have with a retail sales system?

-What are your strengths and weakness when communicating with customers?

-Why did you choose our shop?

-How do you deal with a problematic customer?

-What makes a good sales assistant?

-What is your career goal?

Waiters and waitresses

-Why do you want to work at our restaurant?

-What is your weakness?

-What is your strength?

-Do you have bar experience?

-What is your favourite part of being a waitress?

-Please describe a time you had to overcome a challenge.

-How would you deal with an angry customer?

Delivery job

-Do you have a clean driving record?

-Have you ever been in a car accident?

-Do you have a vehicle you cause for this work?

-What delivery experience do you have?

-What would you do if you got into an accident while working for us?

-How do you stay focus while driving?

-What do you think of your physical fitness?

Teaching job

-Why do you want to be a teacher?

-Why do you want to work for our school?

-How did you manage challenges at work?

-What qualities do you have, which would make you an effective teacher? Tell me some of the current issues in education.

-Tell me about the lesson that did not go well and what did you solve it.

-What is our teaching philosophy?

Last remarks

Many people take on light work in Japan for many different reasons. Before starting your permanent career, working in various industries or positions may help to know which job you want to take. Before an interview, practice the interview questions to shine you through. Good luck!