What Does Kisotsu Mean? Graduate Hiring Eligibility and Job Search Options in Japan

Kisotsu refers to someone who has already graduated. In Japanese recruitment, an employer may use it more narrowly for a graduate without regular employee experience. The meaning varies across companies, programs and statistics; it is not a universal “under 25” category. Check your graduation date and experience against the actual vacancy requirements.

Daini shinsotsu is commonly used for people changing jobs within the first few years after graduating and entering employment. It can include someone still employed. You do not have to resign first to fit that description, and “three years” is not a uniform boundary for every employer.

Compare the hiring labels

Part-time work is work experience. “No regular employee experience” does not mean “never worked.” If an application form forces you to choose a category that does not clearly match your history, ask the hiring contact and describe the facts. Do not omit paid employment simply to match a label.

What does the three-year graduate guideline mean?

The MHLW employer guidelines ask employers to make efforts to let previous graduates apply through graduate hiring tracks for at least three years after graduation. This is not a guarantee that every vacancy accepts every graduate within that period, nor a promise of selection. Read the company’s conditions and the date from which it measures the period.

A recruitment deadline and an intended entry date can produce different eligibility questions. The roughly three-year scope of a public support service is also separate from a company’s eligibility rules. Being eligible for advice does not automatically qualify you for a particular graduate vacancy.

Read requirements with three fictional examples

Someone who graduated in March 2024 and has since worked part-time can state the dates, employment type and duties when asking about eligibility. Someone who graduated earlier can also investigate open-entry or experience-based vacancies. One graduate track’s limit does not establish that all other routes are unavailable.

A short eligibility inquiry

Could you confirm whether I am eligible for your graduate hiring track?

I graduated from [school] in [month/year] and have since worked as [employment type] for [period], handling [duties].

Please let me know whether I may apply through this track or should use another route.

This is a drafting template, not a message to send unchanged. Identify the role and the specific requirement you are asking about. Give the relevant chronology before a long explanation of personal circumstances, and keep the employer’s reply for reference.

Move from the label to an application plan

1. Write a one-page chronology of graduation, work, responsibilities and qualifications.
2. Decide the work, location, hours and entry date you need.
3. Compare graduate, open-entry and experienced-hire routes separately.
4. Prepare the rirekisho and any requested detailed work history document.
5. Resolve eligibility questions and schedule applications, advice sessions and revisions.

Prepare for questions about your activities after graduation without assuming every interviewer will ask them. Describe what you did, what you learned and what you want to do now. You do not need to volunteer unnecessary medical or family detail. Explain work-related availability and requirements accurately.

A fictional practice answer might be: “After graduation I handled customer service and closing tasks at a restaurant. I now want a role where I can develop the checking and handover experience I gained there.” Replace it with a real example rather than claiming an outcome you cannot support.

Public support and age concerns

Shinsotsu Ouen Hello Work provides support for students and people roughly within three years after graduation, including application and interview advice. The MHLW youth employment support page also lists other services, including Wakamono Hello Work for people seeking regular employee roles. Check each service’s current scope, location and appointment arrangements.

Support-service age conditions are not universal hiring deadlines. Age restrictions in recruitment are generally prohibited, with specified exceptions. Do not translate a service’s age range into a claim that you can or cannot find work at that age.

Before you apply

• Check the graduation and experience conditions, not just the label.
• Keep part-time and contract work in your factual chronology.
• Separate employer eligibility, official guidance and support-service scope.
• Ask about unclear conditions and save the reply.
• Choose the route that fits the actual vacancy and your experience.

Related guides

• Should You Change Jobs Early in Your Career in Japan? A Daini Shinsotsu Decision Guide (Japanese)
• From Part-Time Work to a Regular Employee Role in Japan: 5 Job Search Steps (Japanese)
• Free Japanese Resume Templates: MHLW Excel and PDF Downloads (Japanese)

The linked Otame4 guides are in Japanese.

Sources and further reading

• MHLW: employer guidelines on young people’s employment
• Hello Work: graduate employment support FAQ
• MHLW: employment support for young people
• MHLW: age restrictions in recruitment