就活

• Reading: しゅうかつ
• Romaji: shūkatsu
• Kanji breakdown: 就 (employment, from 就職) + 活 (activity, from 活動) → employment activity (abbreviated)
• Pronunciation: /ɕuː.ka.tsɯ/

Meaning

Job hunting activities by university students — the structured process of seeking employment before graduation.

就活 is an abbreviation of 就職活動 and refers to the highly ritualized job hunting process unique to Japan. University students typically begin 就活 in their third year, attending company information sessions, wearing identical black suits (リクルートスーツ), and going through multiple rounds of interviews. The process is notoriously stressful and conformist, with students expected to demonstrate loyalty and enthusiasm. The 就活 season has been a persistent topic of debate and reform.

Examples

1. 就活始めたけど、ESの書き方がわからない。 I started job hunting, but I have no idea how to write an entry sheet.
2. 就活でお祈りメール50社からもらったわ。 I got rejection emails from 50 companies during job hunting.
3. 就活って結局コミュ力がある人が有利だよね。 Job hunting basically favors people with good communication skills, right?

Usage Guide

Context: university, friends, career discussions

Tone: stressful, commiserating

Do Say

• 就活いつから始める？もう動き出してる人多いよ。 (When are you starting job hunting? A lot of people have already started.)
• 就活つらすぎて毎日泣きそう。 (Job hunting is so hard I could cry every day.)

Don't Say

• 就活で苦しんでる人に「楽勝でしょ」は禁句 (Never tell someone struggling with 就活 that it's 'easy' — it's one of the most stressful experiences for Japanese students)

Common Mistakes

• Confusing 就活 with general job searching — it specifically refers to the structured new-graduate hiring process
• Not knowing ES means エントリーシート (entry sheet / application form) — a key part of 就活

Origin & History

Abbreviation of 就職活動 (employment activities). The structured 就活 system emerged in the postwar era with the practice of 新卒一括採用 (mass hiring of new graduates). The abbreviation 就活 became standard in casual speech from the 2000s.

Cultural Context

Era: Postwar system, abbreviated form common from 2000s

Generation: University students and recent graduates

Social background: Primarily university students seeking corporate employment

Regional notes: Used across all of Japan. The 就活 system with identical black suits and rigid scheduling is uniquely Japanese.