Shokumukeirekisho: The Japanese CV Explained (職務経歴書)

Last updated: October 2026

If you are applying for a job in Japan, you will probably be asked for two documents. The first is the rirekisho, a standard form. The second is the 職務経歴書 (shokumu keirekisho, literally "work history document"). Many foreign applicants know the first one and are surprised by the second. This guide explains what the shokumukeirekisho is, how to structure it, and how to write strong sentences, including examples for people who are not engineers.

What is a shokumukeirekisho?

The shokumukeirekisho is the Japanese equivalent of a detailed CV. Where the rirekisho lists facts in fixed boxes (name, address, schools, employers, dates, qualifications), the shokumukeirekisho tells the story behind those facts: what you were responsible for, which projects you worked on, which tools you used and what results you achieved.

Hiring managers in Japan often read the rirekisho to check eligibility and the shokumukeirekisho to decide whether to invite you to an interview. For mid-career hires it is usually the more important of the two. A Western CV or LinkedIn export does not replace it, because Japanese employers expect a specific tone, order and level of detail.

When do you need one?

• Mid-career applications (中途採用, chuto saiyo): almost always required, often submitted together with the rirekisho.
• Recruiter or agent submissions: agencies usually ask for both documents before they forward you to a company.
• New graduates with no full-time experience normally do not need one. They write an entry sheet instead.
• Foreign-owned companies and some startups may accept an English CV, but a Japanese shokumukeirekisho still helps when Japanese colleagues are screening.

Read the job posting carefully. If it says 履歴書・職務経歴書 (rirekisho and shokumukeirekisho), send both.

There is no official format, but there are three common ones

Unlike the rirekisho, the shokumukeirekisho has no mandatory template. Hello Work and major recruiting sites describe three standard ways to organise it:

1. Chronological (編年体式, hennentai-shiki)

Oldest job first, newest last. This is the most common style and suits people with a steady career and few job changes, because it shows growth over time.

2. Reverse-chronological (逆編年体式, gyaku-hennentai-shiki)

Newest job first. Choose it when your current or most recent role is the strongest match for the position. It is the order most English-language CVs already use, so it feels natural if you are converting a Western resume.

3. Career-based (キャリア式, kyaria-shiki)

Experience is grouped by skill, role type or project instead of by employer. It suits specialists, freelancers, and people who changed jobs often and want to show a clear through-line.

If you are unsure, use reverse-chronological. It puts the most relevant information on page one, where the reader will actually look.

The standard structure

Whatever format you choose, most shokumukeirekisho contain the same five blocks. Keep the whole document to one or two A4 pages. Hello Work advises one to two sheets, and concise writing is part of what is being evaluated.

1. Career summary (職務要約, shokumu yoyaku)

Three to four sentences at the top: how many years you have worked, in which industries and roles, and your main strength. Busy readers often decide here whether to keep reading.

2. Work history (職務経歴, shokumu keireki)

For each employer: company name, dates, business description or size if it helps, your title and department, your responsibilities, and your results. Use short bullet points under each job rather than long paragraphs. Only list roles that are relevant.

3. Experience and skills you can apply (活かせる経験・知識・スキル)

A short list of the strengths you bring to this specific role: tools, languages (include your JLPT level or English level if relevant), domain knowledge and management experience. Tailor it to each posting.

4. Qualifications (資格, shikaku)

Licenses and certificates that relate to the job. These also appear on your rirekisho, so keep names and dates identical in both documents.

5. Self-PR (自己PR, jiko PR)

A closing paragraph that sums up your strengths with one concrete example. For how to write it, see our guide to jiko PR and shiboudouki.

What it looks like

The sample below shows a two-page career history for a fictional US software engineer: page 1 has the companies, page 2 the qualifications and self-PR. Notice the plain layout, the dated headings and the short, result-oriented lines.

You can compare it with the rirekisho example and see the template guide for the rirekisho format. Rireksho generates a filled-in 職務経歴書 from your own input.

Write achievements with numbers

The biggest difference between a weak and a strong shokumukeirekisho is the same as in any CV: results, not duties. The Japanese pattern is simple: what you were in charge of (担当), what you did, and the measurable outcome (成果). Use the polite past form (〜しました) or a noun-ending bullet style (〜を担当) and stay consistent.

Engineer

Sales

Hospitality

Teaching

If you do not have a number, describe scope instead: team size, customer count, budget, frequency or region. Never invent figures. Interviewers will ask about them.

Common mistakes

• Pasting a translated Western CV. Literal translation produces the wrong register. Rewrite it in the Japanese structure above, or see how to convert an English resume into Japanese.
• Listing duties, not results. "Responsible for sales" tells the reader nothing. Add scale and outcome.
• Too long. Three or more pages for a short career signals poor prioritisation. Cut old or irrelevant roles.
• Inconsistent dates and names. Employer names, titles and dates must match the rirekisho exactly. Mismatches are an easy reason to reject.
• Mixed styles. Switching between です・ます and plain form, or between several fonts, looks careless. Pick one of each.
• One document for every company. Rewrite the summary and skills block for each role.
• Decoration. Japanese employers generally expect black text on white, one clean Gothic or Mincho font, and no photos or colors in this document.

How Rireksho can help

Rireksho is built for exactly this workflow. You type your history in English, or upload an existing PDF or DOCX resume (up to 10MB) and the form is pre-filled. The AI writes Japanese business phrasing, and you review and edit every line before downloading. The Japanese PDF is free; the paid options add editable Excel and Word files plus AI-written 志望動機 and 自己PR. No other English-language tool produces both documents from an English resume.

Frequently asked questions

Related guides: Japanese resume basics, jiko PR and shiboudouki, English resume to Japanese.