[Survey of High School Graduate Employees] Reflecting on the Job Hunting Experience (Class of 2025)

Jinjib (Osaka City), which supports the employment of high school students, conducted a 'Job Hunting Experience' survey targeting new employees who graduated from high school and joined the workforce in April 2025. High school job hunting typically progresses over a short period, with job information released in July of the graduation year and applications and selections beginning in September. While many students decide their career paths based primarily on job postings delivered to their schools, how do the seniors who have actually entered the workforce reflect on their own job hunting? Therefore, we conducted a survey on the actual state of their activities and the advice they want to pass on, precisely because they have a year of experience in society. This survey was conducted in two parts, in May 2025 and February 2026, targeting participants of 'ROOKIE’S CLUB,' a training program for new high school graduate employees. - The top reasons for high school students to seek employment were 'because I am better suited to working than studying' and 'because I want to be independent early.' - About 80% of high school students rely on 'job postings' to gather information. - About 60% responded after joining their companies that 'I should have gathered more information.' - While the 'one-person, one-company application system' is supported for the sense of security it provides, about half question the narrowness of options it presents. ■ Background of the Survey Against the backdrop of a declining birthrate and labor shortages, the job opening-to-applicant ratio for new high school graduates in 2026 reached '3.94 times' (*1), leading to intensified hiring competition among companies through revisions to starting salaries and qualification systems. On the other hand, job hunting for high school students is limited in its information-gathering opportunities compared to university students due to unique customs like the 'one-person, one-company application system' and 'school-mediated placement.' Companies are also exploring 'how to deliver their company's appeal directly.' In January, we conducted a survey (*2) targeting high school teachers involved in career guidance nationwide to delve into the current challenges and expectations regarding high school job hunting. In this survey, we directly asked new high school graduate employees who joined the workforce in April 2025 about their real-life experiences in job hunting and consider the future of hiring high school graduates. *1 'Summary of Employment Status regarding Job Openings/Applications for New High School and Junior High School Graduates (as of the end of September) for Fiscal Year 2025' Ministry of Health, Labour and Welfare *2 'Survey on High School Job Hunting for Teachers of the Class of 26: First Half (January 2026)' Jinjib, 'Survey on High School Job Hunting for Teachers of the Class of 26: Second Half (January 2026)' Jinjib ■ Survey Results ① (Q1–Q6: Conducted in May 2025, n=163) Q1. Please tell us the reason you sought employment. *Multiple answers allowed (n=163) The most common reason for seeking employment was 'because I thought I was better suited to working than studying' at 39.3%, followed by 'because I wanted to be independent quickly' at 35.6%. It can be seen that many people have the idea of 'wanting to go out into society and work quickly' of their own volition, rather than as an alternative to further education. Q2. How did you conduct your job hunt? *Multiple answers allowed (n=163) When asked how they conducted their job hunting, 'I had it introduced by a teacher' was the most common at 41.7%, followed by 'I looked for a company myself and had a teacher introduce it to me' at 34.4%. Many students operate through their school teachers, demonstrating the magnitude of the influence held by career guidance teachers. Q3. What did you look at to find where to apply? *Multiple answers allowed, top 6 items extracted from 11 (n=163) When asked what they looked at to find where to apply, 'job postings' was overwhelming at 83.4%. This is followed by 'company websites' (7.4%), 'job sites,' and 'events such as joint company information sessions' (6.1%). Even as digitization progresses, paper job postings delivered to schools remain the most powerful medium. Q4. What were the deciding factors in applying to the company you joined? *Multiple answers allowed, top 7 items extracted from 16 (n=163) The most common deciding factor for applying was 'job content' (53.4%), followed by 'company culture/atmosphere' (46.6%). While working conditions such as 'number of holidays' (35.6%) and 'salary' (35.0%) are also considered important, it can be seen that internal matching such as 'what I do' and 'what kind of people I work with' is the decisive factor for application more than those. Also, the fact that 'good human relations' (33.1%) is in the top rank suggests they are determining the 'comfort' to work for a long time. Q5. Around when did you start your job hunt? (n=163) The most common starting time for job hunting was 'April of the third year' (16.6%), followed by 'June of the third year' (14.1%). The number of students who started moving before July, when job postings are released after entering the third year, reaches 36.8%, and it can be seen that more than half, when including students who started moving even earlier, are doing so. Q6. How many companies did you visit for workplace observation? (n=163) The number of companies visited for workplace observation was highest at '1 company' (38.7%). This was followed by '2 companies' (28.2%) and '3 companies' (17.8%). More than 40% of students decide where to apply without visiting a workplace or visiting only one, and there are many cases where applications are made without sufficient comparison with other companies. ■ Survey Results ② (Q7–Q12: Conducted in February 2026, n=118) Q7. Roughly how many job postings did you look at during your job hunt? (n=118) When asked how many job postings they looked at during their job hunting, '5–9' was the most common at 25.4%. This was followed by '3' and '100 or more' at 11.0%. The total from 'did not look at job postings at all' to '4' was 38.1%, accounting for about 40%. Q8. Did you look for job information yourself, other than the companies introduced by school teachers? (n=118) To the question 'Did you look for job information yourself, other than companies introduced by school teachers?', 68.6% answered 'Yes.' It shows the reality that about 70% of students are acting spontaneously while receiving support from school. On the other hand, the segment that answered 'No (did not look)' was 31.4%. Analyzing the reasons, it is divided into three major trends. 1. Satisfaction/Trust in school resources: The most common was the answer 'School job postings were sufficient.' Satisfaction was seen that the desired job was found from among the many job postings delivered. There were also many comments saying 'I trusted the teacher,' and there is a certain number of students who emphasize the sense of security and efficiency of going through school. 2. Lack of literacy/resources: There were comments indicating they did not know how to access information, such as 'I didn't know how to look' and 'I didn't have time,' or comments about not having enough time. 3. Passive attitude: It was found that there is a certain number of students who tend to be passive toward career choices, such as 'I had no particular preference' and 'I didn't feel like looking.' Q9. Did you look for job information using the 'High School Graduate Job Information WEB Service' (a job site that can be viewed through high school career teachers)? (n=118) Users of the 'High School Graduate Job Information WEB Service' (hereinafter, High School Graduate WEB), operated by the Ministry of Health, Labour and Welfare's Employment Security Bureau, were 37.3% of the total. Regarding reasons for use, there were many active voices such as 'the convenience of being able to see it on a smartphone from home' and 'wanting to look for jobs that cannot be found with paper job postings delivered to school,' indicating a growing need for 'information gathering that doesn't choose the place.' Q10. Reflecting on your job hunt, do you think you should have gathered more information? (n=118) When asked if they think they should have gathered more information reflecting on their job hunting, about 60%, or 59.3%, answered 'I should have.' It is worth noting that for those who answered 'I looked outside of teacher introductions' in Q8, 61.7% answered 'I should have gathered more information,' and 54.1% of 'did not look' answered 'I should have gathered more information,' and in both cases, more than half feel 'insufficient information.' It can be inferred that they doubted the narrowness of their own selection criteria for the first time after going out into society. Q11. What do you think about the 'one-person, one-company application system,' where only one company can be applied to for a certain period? (n=118) When asked about the 'one-person, one-company application system,' a custom unique to high school graduate employment, 'If anything, I don't think it's good' was the most common, and opinions for and against were divided in two. The total of 'I think it's good' (19.5%) and 'If anything, I think it's good' (32.2%) was 51.7%, and there were opinions such as 'it saves me from getting lost' and 'school support becomes substantial.' On the other hand, the answers 'If anything, I don't think it's good' (33.9%) and 'I don't think it's good' (14.4%) were 48.3%, indicating that students' consciousness is changing from 'protected job hunting' to an attitude emphasizing 'conviction' where they want to compare and consider, with comments like 'I cannot compare with other companies' and 'the risk is high if I am rejected.' In a survey of teachers on the same question (*2), 78.9% answered 'Agree/If anything, agree.' This shows that in school sites where they want to confirm the career path of all students in a short period, the one-person, one-company application system is functioning as an important safety net to protect students, guaranteeing 'certainty of job offers' and 'early career decision.' However, considering the current situation where about 60% of young people after going out into society feel that 'I should have gathered more information,' it is important, even within the framework of the one-person, one-company application system, 'how many corporate information pieces can I touch before applying, and can I narrow down to one company with conviction.' Q12. If you were to do your job hunt again, is there anything you would want to improve or tell your juniors? Please tell us freely. (Free description) 1. Advice on 'Workplace observation/experience': 'If you are curious, definitely observe it, and you should look at the atmosphere and the goodness of personality! It's not the important people, the atmosphere of the employees working around is also important! You shouldn't compromise on holidays, salary, bonuses, etc.' 'It might be good to look up a company where you thought the atmosphere was good during workplace observation, etc. Because if such a company has a good atmosphere, you can ask people about things you don't understand regardless of your strengths and weaknesses, and I think it is easy to spend time.' 'I think it's better to do workplace experience once, firmly confirm that the company's image and job information match yourself, and look around at various companies. I started in September, so I would start a little earlier. Look at many job postings. You should definitely go to internships and workplace experience.' 2. Advice on 'Self-analysis/Career selection': 'I should have thought carefully about the job type that suits me. Even if I am rejected for my first choice, it just means there was no connection, so if you connect to the next one immediately, I think you will encounter better encounters.' 'Working there, I felt that it is recommended to get a job that suits your personality and leads to life goals.' 'To challenge yourself without giving up even on things for the first time.' 'I think you should look for the job you want to do and the job that suits you. I thought I should look for a job I can continue rather than proximity to home, salary, and number of holidays.' 'Since money and time are limited, I want to think carefully from earlier by researching information more without thinking only about the short term.' 3. Advice on 'Information gathering': 'If you search for a job using job postings etc. from yourself without relying only on teachers, it will be useful when looking for the next job when quitting a job, etc. Because it is an important choice in life, I want you to choose carefully.' 'While you should also emphasize job content and work location, I feel that I should have taken time to gather information on salary aspects and internal regulations (allowable range of appearance, side jobs, etc.) from seniors and review sites, etc., and consider the matching degree with my own hopes.' The real reality of high school students' job hunting has been brought to light by this survey. Many high school students have a high motivation for 'early independence' and 'practical growth,' and decide their career paths within a strong relationship of trust with teachers. On the other hand, the point that about 60% answered 'I should have gathered more information' after joining the company cannot be overlooked. Also, about half indicated a negative view on the custom 'one-person, one-company application system,' suggesting the possibility that behind the sense of security of 'certain job offer' guaranteed by the teacher, there is a lack of 'conviction' on the part of the student themselves. Touching on diverse corporate information before applying and being able to proactively narrow down to the one company to join greatly influences subsequent career formation. Also, 37.3% were a segment conducting job hunting using tools 'other than paper' (High School Graduate WEB) such as job postings. From the point that the deciding factor for application shifted to soft aspects such as 'job content' and 'company culture/atmosphere' more than conditions such as salary and holidays, it can be seen as a recent trend that they are using digital tools to improve the quality of job hunting such as 'wanting to complement information not in job postings' and 'wanting to consider a lot of information until satisfied.' Companies are required more than ever to perform information dissemination not only from job postings but also where high school students act proactively, such as websites, SNS, and events, and change information dissemination from 'points' to 'lines.' Companies hiring high school graduates need to break away from school-dependent hiring and proactively disclose information themselves. How they convey the value of 'job appeal' and 'workplace atmosphere,' etc., which are the deciding factors for joining the company and which cannot be conveyed only by job postings, including experience, is considered the key to hiring success, leading to prevention of mismatch after joining and engagement.