What Is a Job Type? Industry Differences and 50 Common Roles

A job type describes the work you do, such as sales, accounting, or engineering. It is different from an industry, which describes a company's business activities. A single company can therefore employ people in many different job types.

If job searches or application forms leave you unsure, separate the company you worked for from the work you actually handled. This guide explains related terms, outlines 50 common roles, and shows how to describe your experience in application documents.

Job type, industry, business sector, occupation, and position

Consider an HR manager responsible for recruitment at a food manufacturer. In Japanese, the following terms describe different aspects of that person's work.

Business sectors are often named by convention and are not always broader than industry classifications. If a company operates several businesses, mentioning your division's business can make your experience clearer. Do not automatically write “company employee” in every occupation field; follow the form's instructions or available choices.

Job categories vary between recruitment sites

Similar work may appear under sales planning, marketing, or business planning on different sites. Search related terms rather than relying on one label, and read the actual duties in each listing.

There is also more than one official classification. The Ministry of Health, Labour and Welfare's occupational classification, revised in 2022, has 15 major groups and is used for employment placement. It is distinct from the Japan Standard Occupational Classification used for statistics. The 50 roles below are an editorial guide for comparing jobs, not a reproduction of an official classification. See Hello Work's explanation of occupational classifications.

Responsibilities of 50 common job types

The roles are organized into 10 broad groups. These are representative responsibilities; the scope of the same job title varies by employer size, products, and assignment.

1. Five sales roles

• Business-to-business sales: Identify corporate customers' needs and propose products or services. Check the products sold and the scale of the customers.
• Consumer sales: Recommend products or services to individuals. Check whether sales take place in a store or through visits, and whether after-sales support is included.
• Existing-account sales: Maintain and expand business with established customers. Some listings also include deliveries or finding new customers.
• New-business sales: Approach customers who have not previously traded with the company. Check whether outreach involves visits, calls, referrals, or other methods.
• Inside sales: Build customer relationships by phone or online. Check whether the role ends with arranging a meeting or includes closing the sale.

2. Five planning and corporate administration roles

• Corporate planning: Organize business plans, budgets, and management issues. The role requires analyzing figures and explaining the findings.
• Business planning: Plan and improve a specific business. Check which business you would support and how far your involvement extends into execution.
• HR and recruitment: Support hiring, development, and personnel systems. Check whether the work focuses on recruitment or also includes employment administration.
• General affairs: Support organizational operations through facilities, internal rules, and supplies. Responsibilities can be broad in smaller companies.
• Legal affairs: Support contracts and legal compliance. Check the types of contracts handled and the required specialist knowledge.

3. Five office and accounting roles

• General administration: Handle documents, data, calls, and other office tasks. Check the software used and the daily workload.
• Sales administration: Support quotations, orders, and customer communication. Check the number of accounts and busy periods around deadlines.
• Trade administration: Handle import/export documents and communication. Check language and practical knowledge requirements.
• Executive assistant: Manage schedules and coordination for executives or other staff. Check how many people you would support and whether outings or travel are involved.
• Accounting and finance: Handle transaction records, financial closing, and cash management. Check whether the position starts with support tasks or requires closing experience.

4. Five IT and development roles

• Systems engineer: Handle requirements, design, development, testing, or related stages. Confirm which stages the role actually covers.
• Programmer: Implement software from specifications. Check languages, development environments, and the review process.
• Web engineer: Develop web interfaces or server-side services. Check the technical requirements and areas of responsibility.
• Infrastructure engineer: Build or operate servers, networks, and cloud systems. Also check whether overnight incident response is required.
• Internal IT specialist: Support company systems and IT environments. Check whether the role mainly involves development or user support.

5. Five data and specialist advisory roles

• Data scientist: Analyze data to help solve business problems. Check whether the role includes implementing measures as well as analysis.
• Security engineer: Protect information systems. Check the scope of operations, investigations, audits, and related work.
• Project manager: Coordinate plans, progress, budgets, and stakeholders. Check the team size and decision-making authority.
• IT consultant: Support technology implementation and process improvement. Check how far the role extends from recommendations into delivery and operations.
• Management consultant: Analyze management challenges and support improvements. Check the industries served and the required practical experience.

6. Five creative roles

• Web designer: Design the appearance of websites and other web materials. Check the tools used and whether implementation is included.
• Graphic designer: Create advertising and printed materials. Check the media involved, print-production knowledge, and portfolio requirements.
• UI/UX designer: Design usable interfaces and user experiences. Check the scope of research, design, and validation.
• Editor or writer: Plan, interview, write, or edit content. Check the subject area and examples of the expected work.
• Video creator: Plan, shoot, or edit video. Check the production stages, equipment, and software involved.

7. Five marketing roles

• Marketing specialist: Handle customer research and sales promotion. Check whether the role focuses on research, advertising, or promotional activities.
• Digital marketer: Attract and engage customers online. Check which channels you would manage, such as advertising, search, or social media.
• Product planner: Plan products or services. Check involvement from customer research through post-launch improvements.
• Advertising specialist: Plan, produce, and place advertisements. Check the media used and responsibility for budgets.
• PR and communications specialist: Communicate company or service information. Check whether the role is internal or external and which audiences it serves.

8. Five retail and customer-service roles

• Retail sales associate: Serve customers and sell products in a store. Check product knowledge, sales targets, and shifts.
• Store manager: Manage sales, staffing, and store operations. Check the store size and responsibility for staff development.
• Customer success specialist: Help customers use a service to achieve their goals. Check whether renewals and additional proposals are included.
• Customer support specialist: Respond to inquiries and problems. Check the channels used, such as calls or email, and service hours.
• Hotel and accommodation staff: Handle reception and guest services. Check overnight shifts, language requirements, and duties beyond customer service.

9. Five manufacturing, construction, and logistics roles

• Production engineer: Improve production equipment and processes. Check the equipment involved and on-site responsibilities.
• Quality-control specialist: Manage product or process quality. Check the scope of inspection, analysis, and improvement work.
• Manufacturing operator: Operate machinery or carry out production tasks. Check training, safety measures, and shift patterns.
• Construction site manager: Manage construction schedules, quality, and safety. Check qualifications, assigned sites, and travel requirements.
• Logistics coordinator: Manage inventory, shipping, receiving, and distribution. Check the balance between hands-on and administrative duties.

10. Five healthcare, care, and education roles

• Physician: Provide medical care and related services. A physician's license is required; also check the specialty and working arrangements.
• Nurse: Provide patient care and assist with treatment. Check nursing-license requirements, assignments, and night shifts.
• Pharmacist: Dispense medicines and provide medication guidance. Check licensing and the duties at the pharmacy, hospital, or other workplace.
• Care worker: Provide daily-living support and care. Qualification requirements depend on the duties, so check the listing carefully.
• Teacher or instructor: Support learning and skill development. Required licenses and experience vary by school type and duties.

A listing that welcomes applicants without experience may waive industry experience while still requiring experience in the role or a qualification. Separate essential requirements from preferred qualifications before deciding where to apply.

How to describe job types in a resume or work history

Use a title that helps the employer understand what you actually did. If your internal title was unusual, add a familiar role name and concrete duties.

• If you worked in sales: “B2B sales, primarily existing accounts.” Add the products, customers, proposal scope, and results.
• If you combined administration and accounting: “General administration and accounting support.” Specify tasks such as processing invoices or entering accounting transactions.
• If you were a store manager who also served customers: “Store manager: customer service, sales management, and staff development.” Add the store's scale, team size, and improvements made.
• If you had no established job title: “Business operations: customer support, order processing, and process improvement.” Explain your responsibilities through everyday tasks.

For combined roles, list the main work first and add other duties afterward. Adjust wording to the target job without implying that you performed work you have never done. See the difference between a work history and a resume for the purpose of each document.

Three steps to finding a suitable job type

1. Break your experience down into tasks

Before deciding that an entire field such as sales is unsuitable, separate it into proposals, document preparation, calls, negotiation, and data analysis. Write down what you do well, find demanding, and want to continue. Also distinguish difficult tasks from an unsuitable working environment.

2. Compare the actual work in several listings

Choose two or three candidate roles and compare duties, required skills, working conditions, and training. Separate experience you can already demonstrate from areas requiring study or qualifications to decide what to prepare first.

3. Check your assumptions through discussions or work experience

Ask what you would handle immediately after joining, what a typical day looks like, and whom you can ask for help. If work-experience opportunities are available, observe both the tasks and how instructions and teamwork operate.

Frequently asked questions about job types

Should I include both my job type and position?

If it explains your responsibilities, use both, such as “B2B sales / sales section manager.” Even managers should describe their customer accounts and individual duties to show their practical experience.

What if I do not know my job title?

List a typical day's tasks and look for a familiar title matching the work that takes the most time or responsibility. You can compare descriptions on the ministry's job tag website. An exact title match is less important than explaining your actual work clearly.

Is it reasonable to choose a job based on salary?

Income matters, but an average salary is not a promise of your own pay. Compare preparation requirements, working conditions, and interest in the work, and check each listing's basic pay, allowances, and fixed overtime component.

Putting the information to use

A job type describes what you do. Look beyond company or sector names to the actual duties and requirements. Narrow down roles that interest you, review your experience, compare listings, and discuss the work with employers. This makes it easier to explain your choice in application documents.

Official classifications checked on October 6, 2026.