When having thoughts such as “I want to find a place where I can play a more active role!” or “I want to take on a new industry!”, first you must understand your chosen industry and should have a good plan for a career change.

(1) How to set a career change schedule

At the beginning of your job hunting, you should first make a backwards calculation of the schedule and put together a plan. The average time required to change jobs is three months.

Back-Calculate and Schedule

• ① Desired Start Date
• ② Subtract the number of days required to quit your current job and pass on all the nescessary information to your successor. Under Japanese law, you may leave your position with a minimum 2 weeks notice to your employee, however generally as a courtesy and sometimes necessity, you may need to give earlier notice, from 1 to 2 months.
• ③ The deadline for the offer response is often set within 1 to 2 weeks after receiving the offer.
• ④ It takes approximately 1 to 2 weeks from setting the time and date until having the interview. (* Based on the number of job offers)
• ⑤ Approximately 2 weeks to properly prepare a resume. It could take longer to prepare if you need to study or research companies or industries.

（2）Success Stories

How did you accelerate your career by changing jobs? Let’s have a look at some job seekers who successfully found employment through Daijob Agent.

（3） Should I begin my job search whilst still employed, or leave my position first?

According to Daijob AGENT data, 66% of employees are seeking new employment while they are still employed. You can manage to have interviews during your after-work hours or make use of your paid days-off. Note that in many cases, if is difficult to arrange for interviews on Saturdays, Sundays, and national holidays.
Employees who begin their job search while unemployed can fully focus on their job search activities. On the other hand, it is necessary to prepare the funds to cover living expenses while unemployed. Also, if you are currently working abroad or are a foreign citizen, your VISA might expire if a certain period of time has passed after leaving your current employment. Check the expiration date and conditions of the VISA in advance.

（4）What about the salary?

According to the Daijob AGENT data, the annual salary increase for those who change jobs was 116%(50,000 yen). Generally, a career change would not end up in you having a higher income. If you intend to significantly increase your annual income, please make sure to let your consultant know so they can prepare negotiations.