Hello everyone, this is Tu from HSAA!
Doing part-time job is an essential part of study abroad (in order not to get bankrupt, haha). So today I’m going to do a short introduction to let you know the whole picture about part-time job, or arubaito, in Hiroshima (and if possible in Japan as well).
1. Different types of part-time jobs
It depends on your level of Japanese. You can find a simple job of making bento boxes or run on errands in restaurant kitchens for the start to get use to the language. And when your communication gets better, it’s not that hard to apply to be a register in convenience stores, or to be a waiter/waitress in a restaurant.There are also short-term part-time jobs, called tanki arubaito, for examples baking cakes on Christmas occasions, where you can get to work in a short time with a quite high wage per hour.
2. How to find one (and survive with one!)
You can look up for part-time at websites, and here I think they often use Town Work (townwork.net) to find jobs. Or simply just look for signs said 「アルバイト募集中」(Arubaito boshuuchuu) detached on shops and restaurants, coming with telephone number below.
First, learn to make phone calls in Japanese – it’s just a basic call to make an appointment for the part-time job interview. This can require you to understand and use keigo and it might be hard to get use to it at first, but it’s okay! It’s often repeated with certain patterns, and you’ll be fluent in no time.
Then, for the job interview, don’t get nervous, they won’t ask that many things, just how many hours you can work, at which day can you work, and can you come on weekends, so on. You just have to be calm and smile, I’m certain you will get the job ^^
At work, they will give you very detailed instructions on what you should do and how you should do it. The co-workers are also very friendly and are all willing to help you! All you need to do is follow the rules and work with a smile. Don’t hesitate to ask when you don’t know, as far as I know Japanese really like being asked :) It’s better when you arrive to work at least 5 minutes before your shift and get ready; also don’t forget to follow the planned shift and make sure to notify the manager at least a day before when you can’t go to work (exclude the emergency cases)
3. Other things about part-time jobs you might need to know
-The maximum hours you get to work: 28 hours/week, 8 hours/day on holidays. Make sure you follow the rule and do not work too much.
-The wages are different depending on each prefecture and neighborhood you’re living in. The more crowded the city is, the easier it is to find well-paid jobs. But comes with it also are more difficult tasks and more skills required. In Hiroshima city, wages vary from 800 to 1000 yen/hour.
-Wages per hour gets higher as you work, since you’ve gained certain experiences and skills, and you received salary-up as an encouragement. There are also cases when you get salary-up for working late at night.
-Best place to practice listening Japanese! A perfect chance to learn slangs and dialects, as well as to know the Japanese habits and culture. You should do arubaito, even when you’re not short on money. It’s a should-have experience.
-The owners of family restaurants are often very nice and caring, whereas the manager of stores are very friendly and they look after all the staff. Leaders here are almost always nice (if you follow their instructions, haha), so don’t worry and ask away!
-At tourist attraction places like Hiroshima, chances are high that you can find part-times relating to guide work and/or translating. The tourists here always need help, and if you’re able to find a place in need, you’ll be more than welcome to do arubaito with a preferably high wage.
So, these are just my experiences, but of course there are so many kinds of jobs with different fun out there Good luck doing your part-time job!