Do Students Have a 'Dream Job'? 'Vaguely Yes' is Most Common, While the Main Hesitation is 'Not Knowing What Suits Me' [University Juniors' Future Outlook Survey]
A survey of university juniors by Gakujo Co., Ltd. found that while over 60% have at least a vague idea of their dream job, nearly 40% have none or don't know. The top reason for this uncertainty is 'not knowing what suits them,' highlighting difficulties in self-understanding during early job hunting.
📋 Article Processing Timeline
- 📰 Published: April 27, 2026 at 19:00
- 🔍 Collected: April 27, 2026 at 10:31
- 🤖 AI Analyzed: April 28, 2026 at 02:50 (16h 18m after Collected)
## TOPICS
(1) Over 60% of students have a 'dream job or dream' (yes / vaguely yes). Meanwhile, about 40% responded 'none/don't know.'
(2) The most common reason among the 'none/don't know' group (n=220) is 'I don't know what suits me.'
## Background of the Survey
As job hunting activities start earlier, university juniors are required to think about 'what kind of job they want to do in the future' and 'what criteria they will use to choose' from an early stage. On the other hand, as options diversify and society and work styles continue to change, not a few students find it difficult to specify their future image or professional image. This survey was conducted to clarify the extent to which university juniors can envision a 'dream job or dream' and the background of why they feel they 'don't know.'
## Summary
In this survey, regarding the future 'dream job or dream,' 'Yes (16.8%)' and 'Vaguely yes (45.0%)' totaled 61.8%, with more than 60% of students starting to have a sense of direction. On the other hand, 'None (25.9%)' and 'Don't know (12.3%)' totaled 38.2%, showing that nearly 40% have not yet formed a concrete image. When asking the 'none/don't know' group (n=220) for reasons, 'I don't know what suits me' was the most common at 64.1%, followed by 'The future is opaque' at 22.3%.
In the free-text responses, voices such as 'I don't know what kind of job fits me' and 'My direction is not fixed' were seen, suggesting that self-understanding and the verbalization of aptitude have become major themes.
## Free Comments from Surveyed Students
'I don't know what I want to do.'
'I have skills and hobbies, but I don't feel like I can transfer them to a job, so I haven't been able to clarify what suits me. I have a desire to start job hunting early, but I don't want to fail either.'
'I am anxious about whether I can find my aptitude or a workplace that suits me. However, I want to listen to companies and gradually find a company that fits me.'
'I have a few things I want to do, but I don't have the courage to realize them or turn them into a profession.'
## (1) Over 60% for 'Dream job/dream exists or vaguely exists.' Meanwhile, about 40% for 'none/don't know.'
When asked if they have a clear 'dream job' or 'dream' for the future, 'Vaguely yes' was the most common, and combined with 'Yes,' it reached a majority. On the other hand, 'None/don't know' also accounted for slightly less than 40%, showing that students' future outlooks are not uniform.
## (2) The most common reason for the 'none/don't know' group (n=220) is 'I don't know what suits me.'
When asking the group that replied 'no dream job / don't know' (n=220) for their reasons, while there are environmental factors such as 'the future is opaque' and 'too many options,' the core issue is the difficulty of self-understanding: 'I don't know what job fits me.'
From the free comments of students, conflicts over being unable to determine a direction and a desire to identify their aptitude were also seen. Rather than perceiving the 'don't know' state as fixed, it seems they are trying to find a 'direction that suits them' through information gathering and dialogue amidst their hesitation.
## Survey Overview
- Survey Period: March 13, 2026 - April 6, 2026
- Survey Institution: Gakujo Co., Ltd.
- Target: Visitors to the scout-style recruitment site 'Re-shukatsu Campus'
- Valid Responses: 576 people
- Survey Method: Web-based questionnaire survey
*Since figures for each item are rounded to the first decimal place, the total for single-choice answers may not be 100.0%.
## About Gakujo Co., Ltd.
Listed on the Tokyo Stock Exchange Prime Market and a member of Keidanren (Japan Business Federation). Since 2004, Gakujo has advocated 'year-round hiring for people in their 20s.' With 2.8 million members, it is a major employment and recruitment information company centered on 'Re-shukatsu' (ranked No. 1 for seven consecutive years as a recruitment site for people in their 20s chosen by people in their 20s according to Tokyo Shoko Research from 2019 to 2025), 'Re-shukatsu 30' (a direct recruiting service for people in their 30s), and 'Re-shukatsu Campus' (a scout-style recruitment site with 600,000 members).
It was also the first in Japan to host 'joint corporate seminars' (according to company research), operating 'Tenshoku-haku' and 'Shushoku-haku.' In 2019, it launched 'Japan Jobs,' a job search and recruitment support service for foreign talent, expanding diverse services related to the recruitment of young talent.
(1) Over 60% of students have a 'dream job or dream' (yes / vaguely yes). Meanwhile, about 40% responded 'none/don't know.'
(2) The most common reason among the 'none/don't know' group (n=220) is 'I don't know what suits me.'
## Background of the Survey
As job hunting activities start earlier, university juniors are required to think about 'what kind of job they want to do in the future' and 'what criteria they will use to choose' from an early stage. On the other hand, as options diversify and society and work styles continue to change, not a few students find it difficult to specify their future image or professional image. This survey was conducted to clarify the extent to which university juniors can envision a 'dream job or dream' and the background of why they feel they 'don't know.'
## Summary
In this survey, regarding the future 'dream job or dream,' 'Yes (16.8%)' and 'Vaguely yes (45.0%)' totaled 61.8%, with more than 60% of students starting to have a sense of direction. On the other hand, 'None (25.9%)' and 'Don't know (12.3%)' totaled 38.2%, showing that nearly 40% have not yet formed a concrete image. When asking the 'none/don't know' group (n=220) for reasons, 'I don't know what suits me' was the most common at 64.1%, followed by 'The future is opaque' at 22.3%.
In the free-text responses, voices such as 'I don't know what kind of job fits me' and 'My direction is not fixed' were seen, suggesting that self-understanding and the verbalization of aptitude have become major themes.
## Free Comments from Surveyed Students
'I don't know what I want to do.'
'I have skills and hobbies, but I don't feel like I can transfer them to a job, so I haven't been able to clarify what suits me. I have a desire to start job hunting early, but I don't want to fail either.'
'I am anxious about whether I can find my aptitude or a workplace that suits me. However, I want to listen to companies and gradually find a company that fits me.'
'I have a few things I want to do, but I don't have the courage to realize them or turn them into a profession.'
## (1) Over 60% for 'Dream job/dream exists or vaguely exists.' Meanwhile, about 40% for 'none/don't know.'
When asked if they have a clear 'dream job' or 'dream' for the future, 'Vaguely yes' was the most common, and combined with 'Yes,' it reached a majority. On the other hand, 'None/don't know' also accounted for slightly less than 40%, showing that students' future outlooks are not uniform.
## (2) The most common reason for the 'none/don't know' group (n=220) is 'I don't know what suits me.'
When asking the group that replied 'no dream job / don't know' (n=220) for their reasons, while there are environmental factors such as 'the future is opaque' and 'too many options,' the core issue is the difficulty of self-understanding: 'I don't know what job fits me.'
From the free comments of students, conflicts over being unable to determine a direction and a desire to identify their aptitude were also seen. Rather than perceiving the 'don't know' state as fixed, it seems they are trying to find a 'direction that suits them' through information gathering and dialogue amidst their hesitation.
## Survey Overview
- Survey Period: March 13, 2026 - April 6, 2026
- Survey Institution: Gakujo Co., Ltd.
- Target: Visitors to the scout-style recruitment site 'Re-shukatsu Campus'
- Valid Responses: 576 people
- Survey Method: Web-based questionnaire survey
*Since figures for each item are rounded to the first decimal place, the total for single-choice answers may not be 100.0%.
## About Gakujo Co., Ltd.
Listed on the Tokyo Stock Exchange Prime Market and a member of Keidanren (Japan Business Federation). Since 2004, Gakujo has advocated 'year-round hiring for people in their 20s.' With 2.8 million members, it is a major employment and recruitment information company centered on 'Re-shukatsu' (ranked No. 1 for seven consecutive years as a recruitment site for people in their 20s chosen by people in their 20s according to Tokyo Shoko Research from 2019 to 2025), 'Re-shukatsu 30' (a direct recruiting service for people in their 30s), and 'Re-shukatsu Campus' (a scout-style recruitment site with 600,000 members).
It was also the first in Japan to host 'joint corporate seminars' (according to company research), operating 'Tenshoku-haku' and 'Shushoku-haku.' In 2019, it launched 'Japan Jobs,' a job search and recruitment support service for foreign talent, expanding diverse services related to the recruitment of young talent.