New graduate recruitment information
Full time position & Internship
Upon application
Hiring type
We take main career-track recruitment style (総合職採用), meaning that our offer is to join the company, and not to a specific department. After joining the company, you will go through group training and on-the-job trainings, and your final placement will be decided based on your preferences and the discussion you will have with the HR.
Main job position: Engineering consultant
Work locations
Nakano Ward, Tokyo Otsu Town, Kikuchi-gun, Kumamoto Prefecture
Salary
Starting salary
*The following includes the uniform regional allowance (Tokyo) of 33,500 yen and the uniform non-smoking allowance of 5,000 yen.
Monthly salary for those with a Bachelor's degree: 280,000 yen
Monthly salary for those with a Master's degree: 290,000 yen
Monthly salary for those with Ph.D.: 300,000 yen
Raise
Once a year
Bonus
Twice a year in general (summer and winter)
Work hours
“Flex time”system
(Core time 9:00 to 16:00 with standard working hours of 8.0 hours / day)
Holidays & vacation
Two full days off in every calendar week (closed on Saturdays, Sundays, and public holidays), across-the-company holidays at end & beginning of the year, paid vacation, and other special holidays provided.
Various benefits
Family allowance, regional allowance, overtime allowance, commuting allowance, children's allowance, non-smoking allowance, etc.
Training systems
- “Basic stance” training for newcomers
Newcomers will learn about the entire company through group work in the month of April. From May to July, the newcomers will receive OJT to learn about the overall work for the final assignment in August. - Third year training
Members on their third year will have an opportunity on what they experienced and learned and loon into how they would like to build their career onward. - Training for newly assigned salespeople
- Career support training (those in their 20’s and 30‘s)
- Management skills training (section chief & managers)
- Innovation and strategy development training (project leaders & managers)
- Financial support for government qualifications acquisition & congratulatory
rewards for acquiring government qualifications e.g. Professional engineers, associate professional engineers, computational mechanics engineers, structural consultants, first-class registered architect, concrete engineers, facility managers, certified public accountants, Lawyers, patent attorneys, tax accountants, social insurance consultants, SME management consultants ・Financial support for attending various seminars, participating in crosssector exchange events, and studying abroad
Benefit programs
- Complete set of social insurances
- Retirement plan (401k)
- Nest-egg savings plans (house nest-egg savings, pension nest-egg savings, general nest-egg savings, 20% incentive bonus)
- Rented company housing program (up to 55,000 yen per month, up to 110,000 yen for “reikin,” initial one-time payment to the landlord)
- Meal allowance program (partially self-paid 7,000 yen meal ticket distributed)
- Recreational facilities (across Japan)
- Mental health care (consultation desk run by an external company)
- Medical checkup
- Various club activities (baseball club, soccer club, ski club, tennis club, music club, marine club (fishing club), table tennis club, radio club, surfing club, triathlon club, volleyball club, and other independent activities)
- Stock ownership plan
Recruitment schedule, application and steps
Recruitment schedule and application
Pre-registration for 2026 new graduate hiring is now open.
We are looking for those who can join us from either 2025 December or 2026 April.
The earliest company information session will be on February 25, 2025.
To apply for our new graduate hiring, you first need to register and create an account on Mypage, a web platform which we will be using for communication.
Register to Mypage to book your session today!
Recruitment steps after registration
STEP
Company information session - Non selection process (must attend)
A total two and half hours session of who we are, what we do, our vision and who we are looking for delivered by the recruitment team and our Chairman. Details for further recruitment steps will be given here as well.
We kindly ask candidates to attend full time. Please note that otherwise, you will not be eligible to apply for further steps.
STEP
Screening (CV+aptitude test) - Selection process
Submit CV and take three aptitude tests. Detailed instructions will be given for those who fully attended the company information session.
STEP
Presentation by engineers - Non selection process (must attend)
A roundtable discussion with our members from different business fields. It is your opportunity to ask questions about our business or difficulties they faced working in Japan.
STEP
Interactive Dialogue - Selection process
A 30 minute meeting with recruiters. To book for the interactive dialogue, you would need to submit two documents and take an aptitude test.
STEP
Meet the Engineer - Non selection process (must attend)
A 30 minutes meeting with an engineer from one of the departments which you are most interested in. Here is your chance to ask questions regarding necessary technical and human skills.
STEP
Group work + interview by engineer consultants - Selection process
A group discussion will be conducted online. For the interview with the engineers, you would need to submit a short essay.
STEP
HR meeting - Non selection process (must attend)
This is a meeting to assist you prepare for the final interview and answer your questions which you still might have.
STEP
Final interview in Tokyo - Selection process
This is the final interview with our executive members. The interview will be in person only since we want to know about you better and would also like you to know about the company in which you will be spending most of the time in the near future.
Career path
Recruitment schedule and application
KKE has adopted a multi-track career system. This is a system that responds to the diverse ways of working or unique characteristics of staff members, and offers different career paths (rank system) rather than just one track towards management positions.
After joining the company, you will start at Junior 1. The Junior ranks are considered to be a training or apprenticeship stage. As Junior 1, you are expected to develop a solid foundation for how to carry out your work while receiving instructions and guidance from senior members. Once you are moved up to Junior 2, you will be expected to carry out the work and tasks assigned to you according to plan, with some support of senior members if needed.
Next is the Senior rank. This is the position of someone who has completed their apprenticeship and is now a fully-fledged (ichininmae) member of the company. They are expected to take on more responsibility and play a central role in the company, leading projects to success and committing to team management and the training of junior members.
After that, you can choose between two career paths: L (Leader) and P (Professional). In both cases, you can take the initiative in pursuing your own career as you pursue your interests, goals and dreams.
For example, you can choose to specialise in a particular industry while working in the same department, or you can broaden your responsibilities and interactions with people inside and outside the company by moving up the ranks, or you can gain different knowledge and develop your ability to solve social problems by choosing to work in a different department or job position. If you have such aspirations, you can grow as an individual without having to change companies, as the environment is set up to accept such wishes and provide a flexible career path.
FAQ
I am in bachelor’s but can I apply?
It is preferred that the candidates have a Masters or Ph.D. However, candidates with a bachelor's degree can still apply.
Do I have to be in a specific major to apply?
No, not necessarily. Our work will involve engineering and IT so if you are familiar with either or both, we think your skills are compatible. However, we are looking for those who have passion to keep learning and working even after joining the company. Majors which relate to our business field are preferable, but we welcome application from all majors.
Can I apply even if I don’t speak Japanese or not fluent?
Yes, you can apply. However, please note that you are expected to study and communicate in Japanese language after joining the company. Therefore, we ask those who accepted our offer after the final interview to take Japanese lessons.
I have JLPT N1 and N2, but I am not confident in my ability to understand or communicate in Japanese. Can I apply for English recruitment?
You do not need to speak beautiful or perfect Japanese. If you can say what you want to say and understand 70% of Japanese conversation, we encourage you to apply for domestic new graduate recruitment. That being said, please select either language which you find comfortable and confident to express yourself.
Why is KKE hiring foreign students or international students?
We believe that the participation of talents with experience in different cultures and systems will revitalize the organization and new business development. When people share the same background and think the same way, these can be difficult. We are not looking for people who are foreign nationals, but people who empathise with our business and philosophy. We are looking for people who can help the company grow through applying your expertise or what you want to do.
New graduate recruitment information
Summer Internship or online seminars
Internship schedule and application
Schedule
There are currently no summer internships opening available.
Details of themes or application methods will be given on this page between April to June.
Overview and application
There are currently no summer internships opening available.
Applications will usually be posted between April and June.
We usually hold a two-week internship every year from August to September.
There are more than 20 themes in total, and several of these are conducted in English.
Internship period: Two weeks between August and September.
Venue: KKE Tokyo or Kumamoto office (Face-to-face)
Requirements:
- Those who are currently a student and currently living in Japan.
- Those who can stay in Tokyo for two weeks and basically attend all the dates.
- Those who believe in using IT and engineering to make society better, and wanting to be part of it.
- Highly recommended for all engineering backgrounds with a Masters degree or Ph.D. (those who do not have an engineering degree or with bachelors degree can also apply!
Online seminars schedule and application
Schedule
Currently there are no online seminars available.
The company will hold sessions to help you with job hunting in Japan or learn more about us until the hiring process starts.
Sessions are usually held from September to January of the following year.
Once the schedule are fixed, we will update how to make a reservation.
Overview and application
Currently there are no online seminars available.
Past Sessions*
- Career Talk with HR: What to know and what to do
- Self-analysis seminar: Prepare for job hunting in Japan
- What is Kozo Keikaku Engineering?: Let’s talk about what you can do in KKE
- Two days externship in English: Working as an engineering consultant in Japan
*Not all sessions are held at all times, and the content of the sessions held differs depending on the time of year.
*Your attendance to the session does not have a direct link to your assessment of our hiring process. These are genuine opportunities to prepare for a job search or to deepen your understanding of our company.