Interviews

Didn’t say much about it at the time, but about a month ago I went to Niseko, the best known ski resort in Japan, to suss out jobs for the ski season.  The majority of the hotels and businesses in the area are Australian owned, and the place gets a lot of foreign custom, mainly Australians, Chinese and Singaporean, so my beginner’s Japanese was not likely to be a problem.

The hitchhiking out took about two hours and I got dropped right in the middle of the main area.  The first guy that picked me up was one of the few travelling with children that has stopped for me.  Not only that, but, because the front seat was covered in various bits and bobs, he told me to get into the back beside his six year old son.  Not only THAT, but after about ten minutes he pulled into a convenience store parking area, turned to me, said “Wait a minute”, and disappeared into the shop, leaving the keys in the ignition, and me and the kid sitting there looking at each other.  He came back with drinks for all and we resumed the journey.  A really nice guy, but unlikely to win any parenting awards for that move.

Once in Niseko I began hitting the businesses, starting at the very top of the hill in the hotels etc. nearest the main ski lifts and working my way down.  The ones at the top didn’t need anyone, or if they did they were looking for someone who spoke Japanese.  This was true for most places until about halfway down when I got invited into an inn (Japanese owned) and offered a job on the spot, cleaning rooms etc.  I decided to keep asking around to keep my options open, as the pay wasn’t great in this particular place and free time to enjoy the snow would also be limited.  I would also have to buy a ski pass out of my own pocket which I really was hoping to avoid.

The employers I met during my job search were very helpful and even if they didn’t have any job openings for me they were more than willing to give me pointers on places that might be hiring.  The ones who were looking for people often invited me in for an interview, as most of the applicants they get apply online from abroad and so they don’t get to meet them in the flesh until after they’ve been hired and show up for work.

I couldn’t afford to print out a rake of CVs so I had one original that I’d printed at a friend’s house, and of which I’d made one photocopy.  It was only as I was handing this copy out that I realised that I had my Irish number on it instead of my Japanese one so I had to correct it.  Eek.  I told the rest that I had handed all my CVs out (which was true) and they all said it would be fine for me to email it to them. I’d also decided that I wasn’t going to tell any porkies during the interviews; I’d just tell it how it is and see how it went.  An example from one particular interview went as follows:

Employer:        So, do you have any bar experience?

Damien:           Well, I did a bar and restaurant course about three or four years ago, but I’m not going to pretend that I remember any of it now.

Employer:        I see…

Damien:           I also work part time in my landlady’s bar at the moment, but my job is more focused on talking with customers than serving drinks, so I don’t know if I’d even class that as experience either.

Employer:        Well, some experience is still better than nothing, you know.

Damien:           Hmm…I suppose so.

Perhaps not what one might call “selling yourself”.   You can imagine my surprise when I got an email from that employer last week offering me a position running the bar in his hotel.  I’d hate to see what the online applications were like. 

I had to decline this offer, though, as I’d already accepted a position in another company with three outlets – a bar, restaurant and café.   They have a few ski passes which are shared among staff, a reasonable salary and plenty of hours if I want them, which I will.  They also arrange shared accommodation, which is a little bit expensive – twice what I’m paying at the moment – but then again it’s a pricey area.

All in all, a day well spent, although I did think I was going to get stranded out there as the shadows were growing longer while I stood at the side of the road trying to thumb my way back home.  Thankfully, just as I was about to give up and try the train (oh the horror), two girls on their way home via Sapporo picked me up and dropped me off in town.