The FocusCore Podcast

This week we revisit an episode that covers David’s top five steps he uses with his career coaching clients based on his decades of experience in the recruitment industry.

You might be thinking about your next career move if you have stumbled upon this episode. You know you need to craft your resume, apply for a few jobs on LinkedIn, and then you cross your fingers that your resume gets a look and you get an interview. And then you need to jump through hoops with multiple interviews. It’s a lot of work! Trust me when I say this, I have been there. Every career journey has ups and downs. I’ve been there too and it’s frustrating. And with over 25 years in the recruitment industry, I see the same frustration in the eyes of so many qualified professionals.

On this solo episode of the FocusCore podcast, I’m sharing the top five steps I use with my career coaching clients to successfully find a job. 

In this episode I walk you through five simple steps that can help you land your next job:

1. Macro view - what’s your career vision?
2. Messaging - what is your WOW statement?
3. Searching for jobs - How to stand out from everyone else?
4. Preparing for interviews 
5. Pulling it all together 

So pull out your bento box, grab a pen and paper, and let's dive in!

Connect with David Sweet:

LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/drdavidsweet/ 

Twitter: https://twitter.com/focuscorejp 

Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/focuscoreasia

Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/focuscorejp/ 

Website: https://www.japan.focuscoregroup.com/ 

Are you enjoying the FocusCore Podcast? Please take a few minutes and leave a rating and a review on Apple Podcasts! Scroll down the show page, select leave a rating, and tap ‘Write a review’. 

The FocusCore Podcast is hosted by David Sweet and produced by Podlaunch with Jayne. 

Doin’ the Uptown Lowdown,” used by permission of Christopher Davis-Shannon. To find out more, check out www.thetinman.co and check out his new album, FIFTY​/​50. https://music.cdavisshannon.com/album/fifty-50-2 Support independent musicians and artists.

Mentioned in this episode:

Find out more about salaries, the job market, hiring and what's important to both companies and individuals looking for a job specifically in Japan.

2025 Salary Guide

We’ve talked about employer branding on the podcast before and today we go a bit more in depth, exploring employer branding with Brad Corbet from Motionworks. Motionworks is an employer branding and talent attraction consulting company that supports companies for building their brand to hire the best in the Japan market. In the episode, Brad shares with us some of his specialist knowledge of employer branding, talent attraction and recruitment content, and how Japanese companies can utilize these tools to find and hire the best candidates.

In this episode you will hear:

• What employer branding is
• About the current employer branding landscape in Japan
• Brad’s tips for using social media to enhance employer branding
• The importance of being genuine and transparent in your content
• How employer branding can help companies with diversity and inclusion goals

About Motionworks:

Motionworks is an employer branding and talent attraction consulting company that supports companies in Japan to attract the best talent. They started up in 2019 with the mission to shift away from traditional forms of recruitment and focus on content (mostly video, podcasts and blogs) to help companies gain an edge in the candidate-centric market in Japan. Motionworks works with a range of companies for video content creation, strategic employer branding consulting and talent attraction. 

About Brad:

Originally from St. Louis, Missouri and born and raised there. Brad attended college in Missouri for about 2 years, then was contacted by a US Navy recruiter to join the navy so he dropped out of college, joined the US Navy and got sent to Japan. That was in 1990. Brad has been here ever since and has had many jobs that finally led him to his current role as Managing Director of Motionworks. 

Connect with Motionworks:

Website:  https://motionworks.co.jp/

YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCSxpEibw5TmRp3U8cFzcuQg

Connect with David Sweet:

LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/drdavidsweet/ 

Twitter: https://twitter.com/focuscorejp 

Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/focuscoreasia

Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/focuscorejp/ 

Website: https://www.japan.focuscoregroup.com/ 

Are you enjoying the FocusCore Podcast? Please take a few minutes and leave a rating and a review on Apple Podcasts! Scroll down the show page, select leave a rating, and tap ‘Write a review’. 

The FocusCore Podcast is hosted by David Sweet and produced by Podlaunch with Jayne. 

Doin’ the Uptown Lowdown,” used by permission of Christopher Davis-Shannon. To find out more, check out www.thetinman.co and check out his new album, FIFTY​/​50. https://music.cdavisshannon.com/album/fifty-50-2 Support independent musicians and artists.

Mentioned in this episode:

Find out more about salaries, the job market, hiring and what's important to both companies and individuals looking for a job specifically in Japan.

2025 Salary Guide

Welcome to another episode of the FocusCore podcast. Join David Sweet in this episode as he discusses how to hire a talent acquisition professional for your team. A lot of companies have brought the recruitment side in-house and are looking to hire talent acquisition professionals. However, it can be difficult for businesses within Japan to decide who is a good TA for the company and what exactly they should be looking for. Listen to the episode to learn more about hiring the right Talent Acquisition Professional for your company.

In this episode you will hear:

• How to define what you're searching for in a TA for your specific company
• About the importance of knowing what aspects of your company are attractive to potential TAs
• David’s tips for how he approaches hiring in Japan
• The importance of recruiter social media profile and presence, especially for LinkedIn

Connect with David Sweet:

LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/drdavidsweet/ 

Twitter: https://twitter.com/focuscorejp 

Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/focuscoreasia

Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/focuscorejp/ 

Website: https://www.japan.focuscoregroup.com/ 

Are you enjoying the FocusCore Podcast? Please take a few minutes and leave a rating and a review on Apple Podcasts! Scroll down the show page, select leave a rating, and tap ‘Write a review’. 

The FocusCore Podcast is hosted by David Sweet and produced by Podlaunch with Jayne. 

Doin’ the Uptown Lowdown,” used by permission of Christopher Davis-Shannon. To find out more, check out www.thetinman.co and check out his new album, FIFTY​/​50. https://music.cdavisshannon.com/album/fifty-50-2 Support independent musicians and artists.

Mentioned in this episode:

Find out more about salaries, the job market, hiring and what's important to both companies and individuals looking for a job specifically in Japan.

2025 Salary Guide

Post COVID and employers are looking for ways to entice employees back to the office. In this episode my colleague William and I visited Jones Lang LaSalle's beautiful offices in Akasaka Mitsuke to sit down with Joris Berkhout and Felicien Dumas and talk about best practices for businesses as well as explore more into the Tokyo real estate market. We discuss the current trends in the market, especially in terms of stabilizing and recovering after COVID, and we learn about how JLL specifically encourages staff back to the office after working from home.

In this episode you will hear:

• Common myths about the real estate industry
• About the current trend of turning offices into social hubs to encourage home-working staff back to the office
• Why businesses may want to have flexible working spaces like co-working spaces rather than traditional fixed office spaces
• About how Tokyo’s commercial real estate market is stabilizing after COVID
• How JLL is working towards creating a more sustainable environment in Tokyo’s real estate market 

About Joris Berkhout:

Joris brings 10 years of real estate experience, including 5 years at Mitsui Fudosan, Japan’s largest developer/landlord. With a background and qualification as an architect he provides holistic support from layout analysis and masterplan development to negotiation strategy and transaction execution.

Joris speaks Japanese and has a Master’s Degree in Architecture from Delft University of Technology in the Netherlands. Awarded Young Leader of the Year 2017 Japan by CoreNet Global.

About Felicien Dumas:

Felicien joined JLL in 2023. He was previously a sales trader at a firm founded by ex Goldman Sachs traders. Before that he was a professional soccer player in the US. He is fluent in English, French and Japanese.

His track record includes advising multinational firms on their real estate requirements, including relocations, renewals and exit solutions.

Connect with Joris & Felicien:

JLL Website:  https://www.joneslanglasalle.co.jp/

Joris LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/berkhoutjoris/

Joris email: [email protected]

Felicien LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/f%C3%A9licien-dumas/

Felicien email: [email protected]

Connect with David Sweet:

LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/drdavidsweet/ 

Twitter: https://twitter.com/focuscorejp 

Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/focuscoreasia

Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/focuscorejp/ 

Website: https://www.japan.focuscoregroup.com/ 

Are you enjoying the FocusCore Podcast? Please take a few minutes and leave a rating and a review on Apple Podcasts! Scroll down the show page, select leave a rating, and tap ‘Write a review’. 

The FocusCore Podcast is hosted by David Sweet and produced by Podlaunch with Jayne. 

Doin’ the Uptown Lowdown,” used by permission of Christopher Davis-Shannon. To find out more, check out www.thetinman.co and check out his new album, FIFTY​/​50. https://music.cdavisshannon.com/album/fifty-50-2 Support independent musicians and artists.

Mentioned in this episode:

Find out more about salaries, the job market, hiring and what's important to both companies and individuals looking for a job specifically in Japan.

2025 Salary Guide

Are you about to start a hiring process for a difficult position in Japan?

In this episode of the podcast David Sweet discusses some important things to do when hiring for difficult positions in Japan. Listen to the episode to get some invaluable insights gleaned from David’s experience of recruitment in Japan and how it differs from other countries. Learn how your company can get the most out of your time and money spent on recruiting for difficult positions in the Japanese labor market.

In this episode you will hear:

• Writing a compelling job description that doesn’t deter good candidates
• Pros and Cons of including salaries on job descriptions
• What employer branding is and how to do it
• The importance of having a good clear interview process
• Why and how you would want to use a recruitment partner for these searches

Connect with David Sweet:

LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/drdavidsweet/ 

Twitter: https://twitter.com/focuscorejp 

Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/focuscoreasia

Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/focuscorejp/ 

Website: https://www.japan.focuscoregroup.com/ 

Are you enjoying the FocusCore Podcast? Please take a few minutes and leave a rating and a review on Apple Podcasts! Scroll down the show page, select leave a rating, and tap ‘Write a review’. 

The FocusCore Podcast is hosted by David Sweet and produced by Podlaunch with Jayne. 

"Doin’ the Uptown Lowdown,” used by permission of Christopher Davis-Shannon. To find out more, check out www.thetinman.co and check out his new album, FIFTY​/​50. https://music.cdavisshannon.com/album/fifty-50-2 Support independent musicians and artists.

Mentioned in this episode:

Find out more about salaries, the job market, hiring and what's important to both companies and individuals looking for a job specifically in Japan.

2025 Salary Guide

David Sweet speaks to Jonathan Cant, Executive Consultant at FocusCore Japan on the steps needed to transition from an accountant to a trusted business partner at a Fortune 500 company.

In this episode you will hear:

• What is finance business partnering?
• How do to tell a story with numbers
• What are the important benefits of business partnering for finance professionals?
• What are the essential skills a finance professional needs to improve and grow beyond the numbers on a spreadsheet?
• Why Business Partnering is in demand in Japan

Jonathan Cant Bio:

A leading member of the FocusCore team, Jonathan is a UK native who has been in Japan for just under 19 years. With around 15 years of leadership experience, he brings maturity and just the right amount of grey hair to the team. A father of two young boys, he spends most of his free time in the park or playing with Lego. He is also a fan of Newcastle United FC and enjoys photography and cooking.

Connect with Jonathan:

Website

LinkedIn

Twitter

Links of things mentioned in this episode:

Episode 12 - The challenges of managing local and regional stakeholders in Japan with Jonathan Cant

LinkedIn poll survey

The Journey from Accountant to Business Partner in Japan article

Connect with David Sweet:

LinkedIn

Twitter

Facebook

Instagram

Website

Doin’ the Uptown Lowdown,” used by permission of Christopher Davis-Shannon. To find out more, check out www.thetinman.co and check out his new album, FIFTY​/​50.

Support independent musicians and artists.

Mentioned in this episode:

Find out more about salaries, the job market, hiring and what's important to both companies and individuals looking for a job specifically in Japan.

2025 Salary Guide

David Sweet, CEO, and Founder of FocusCore Japan discusses the single most critical skill a manager needs to succeed - how to lead up.

Leading up has many names in the English vocabulary; sucking up, brown-nosing, minion, and lackey. But what these terms don’t recognize is the importance and the skill it takes to manage upwards and the value it can add if you want to develop your career in management.

Connect with David Sweet:

LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/drdavidsweet/

Twitter: https://twitter.com/focuscorejp

Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/focuscoreasia

Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/focuscorejp/

Website: https://www.japan.focuscoregroup.com/

About David Sweet

​David Sweet is the Founder and CEO of FocusCore Japan, based in Tokyo. FocusCore provides a broad range of services from executive to talent management and leadership consulting. His particular focus is on Human Resources.

Prior to establishing FocusCore Group, David was a Director with the Tokyo consultancy Wall Street Associates, leading operations, training, and recruitment in multiple sectors. He also worked for 10 years in the U.S. Treasury Department in labor relations and organizational development.

He is the author of six books, including "Sweet Sales", "Sweet Success", and "Recruit!". He is also a Certified Executive Coach. David earned a MA in Communications from Regis University and a Ph.D. in Leadership Development.

Doin’ the Uptown Lowdown,” used by permission of Christopher Davis-Shannon. To find out more, check out www.thetinman.co and check out his new album, FIFTY​/​50. Support independent musicians and artists.

Mentioned in this episode:

Find out more about salaries, the job market, hiring and what's important to both companies and individuals looking for a job specifically in Japan.

2025 Salary Guide

With June and another Pride Month celebrated we're resharing an episode with Yuta Hasumi, Managing Director of Ikigai Authentic.

We dive into diversity and inclusion (D&I) in the workplace and discuss the key difference between Japanese and international organizations' approaches to diversity and inclusion.  

When foreigners make up only 2% of the population of Japan, you would be forgiven for thinking that diversity and inclusion in the Japanese workplace just don't apply. Yuta has built a global career in D&I and is working with companies and organizations in Japan and the UK to change the way they think about diversity and inclusion. 

In this episode:

• How Japan is at a pivotal point to address gender inequality 
• Local challenges when it comes to diversity in a homogenous country
• How people can develop a career in diversity and inclusion and get involved in their current workplaces 
• Why it just makes commercial sense to have diversity and inclusion policies 
• Yuta’s top advice for companies to attract and retain talent 

Yuta Hasumi Bio:

With experience in the Asia Pacific region and global human resources and talent management for overseas firms, as well as overall responsibility for promoting diversity and inclusion in Japan and the South Korean region, Yuta now operates with two bases, one in Japan and the other in the UK. He provides management consulting that makes the most of diversity, advising businesses and other organizations in planning and execution of lectures and training, coaching for management, promoting women’s participation in the workplace, and work style reforms. Yuta holds an MBA from Waseda Business School.

Connect with Yuta Hasumi:

Website: https://www.ikigaiauthentic.com/en/home 

Email: [email protected]

LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/yuta-hasumi/

Links of things mentioned in this episode:

FocusCore Webinars: https://www.japan.focuscoregroup.com/webinars 

Connect with David Sweet:

LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/drdavidsweet/ 

Twitter: https://twitter.com/focuscorejp 

Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/focuscoreasia

Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/focuscorejp/ 

Website: https://www.japan.focuscoregroup.com/ 

Are you enjoying the FocusCore Podcast? Please take a few minutes and leave a rating and a review on Apple Podcasts! Scroll down the show page, select leave a rating, and tap ‘Write a review’.

The FocusCore Podcast is hosted by David Sweet and produced by Podlaunch with Jayne.

Doin’ the Uptown Lowdown,” used by permission of Christopher Davis-Shannon. To find out more, check out www.thetinman.co and check out his new album, FIFTY​/​50. Support independent musicians and artists.

Mentioned in this episode:

Find out more about salaries, the job market, hiring and what's important to both companies and individuals looking for a job specifically in Japan.

2025 Salary Guide

In a world where Google Bard and Chat GPT can effortlessly craft resumes, generate job descriptions, and provide interview questions in minutes, the future of the recruitment industry seems uncertain. Host David Sweet engages in a thought-provoking discussion with Jason De Luca, Managing Director of Smart Partners KK, a recruitment consultancy firm. Together they explore the profound impact of AI on their sector.

While the fear of AI replacing human jobs looms, the question remains: Can ChatGPT ever replicate human relationships completely? Especially in Japan, a culture deeply rooted in building connections, will AI be embraced with open arms, or will traditional work styles prevail?

In this conversation, we cover:

• How we should prepare for AI disruption
• Valuable insights from the realm of Star Trek
• Their predictions for the future of recruitment with AI
• Why cultivating analog skills is needed
• The imperative need to understand AI and harness its potential for futureproofing careers

Join us as we navigate the intricate landscape where AI and human interactions converge, finding a balance between efficiency and human connections in the ever-evolving world of recruitment.

Jason De Luca Bio:

Jason de Luca has over 20 years of experience living in Japan. He earned BA units from Waseda University and an MA degree from Waseda University Graduate School. He worked as a translator for a large Japanese bank and then for several years in the IT staffing industry in both an established firm before then leading the revenue growth of a successful start-up.

He now helps clients to achieve higher revenues, better profitability, less stress, less overtime, and more transparent, easier-to-understand business processes as the Managing Director of Smart Partners KK, a recruitment consultancy. They specialise in Japanese small and mid-sized businesses and large multinational firms. He’s also a children’s book author and board game maker.

Connect with Jason De Luca:

Website: http://www.smartpartners.co.jp

LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/company/smart-partners-kk/

linkedin.com/in/smartpartners

Links of things mentioned in this episode:

Mikey The Lonely Bigfoot

The Knight Who Loved Dragons

Connect with David Sweet:

LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/drdavidsweet/

Twitter: https://twitter.com/focuscorejp

Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/focuscoreasia

Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/focuscorejp/

Website: https://www.japan.focuscoregroup.com/

Are you enjoying the FocusCore Podcast? Please take a few minutes and leave a rating and a review on Apple Podcasts! Scroll down the show page, select leave a rating, and tap ‘Write a review’.

The FocusCore Podcast is hosted by David Sweet and produced by Podlaunch with Jayne.

Doin’ the Uptown Lowdown,” used by permission of Christopher Davis-Shannon. To find out more, check out www.thetinman.co and check out his new album, FIFTY​/​50. Support independent musicians and artists.

Mentioned in this episode:

Find out more about salaries, the job market, hiring and what's important to both companies and individuals looking for a job specifically in Japan.

2025 Salary Guide

Welcome to the latest episode of the FocusCore Japan podcast! In this captivating discussion, David sits down with Thomas Gassner, the General Manager of tesa tape KK Japan and Head of Automotive Asia Pacific. Currently based in Tokyo, Thomas joined tesa in his native Germany straight after completing his engineering degree at university and has been with tesa for over 25 years working in Germany, China, Moscow, Belgium, and now Japan.

Thomas offers valuable insights into his extensive career within a single company, shedding light on the intricacies of working in Japan and the conversation takes a deep dive into tesa’s sustainability strategy, explores how organisations can embrace environmental responsibility, how Japan compares on the sustainability index, and shares how sustainability is crucial for innovation.

Thomas Gassner Bio:

Thomas Gassner is the General Manager of tesa tape in Japan and Head of Automotive Asia Pacific. Thomas is an exceptional individual who has demonstrated remarkable expertise and leadership in sales, marketing, and general management. With a career spanning over 25 years at tesa, he made significant contributions to the company around the globe, including Germany, Belgium, china, Japan, and Russia. His relentless drive for excellence, coupled with a profound knowledge of the automotive industry and industrial market segments, has propelled him to spearhead teams and achieve outstanding results. Thomas holds a Master of Engineering from RWTH Aachen University.

Connect with Thomas:

Website: https://www.tesa.com/en

LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/thomas-gassner-72a6477/

About tesa

As a multinational company, tesa develops innovative adhesive tapes and self-adhesive system solutions for various industries, commercial customers, and end consumers. The age of technical adhesive tapes began 125 years ago – in Hamburg (Germany). Currently, there are already more than 7000 tesa adhesive solutions that help improve the work, products or lives of our customers. Today, the focus is on sustainability and energy-saving processes. tesa invests in the development of environmentally friendly products and solvent-free manufacture processes as well as in the use of renewable energy sources at its locations.

Connect with David Sweet:

LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/drdavidsweet/

Twitter: https://twitter.com/focuscorejp

Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/focuscoreasia

Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/focuscorejp/

Website: https://www.japan.focuscoregroup.com/

Are you enjoying the FocusCore Podcast? Please take a few minutes and leave a rating and a review on Apple Podcasts! Scroll down the show page, select leave a rating, and tap ‘Write a review’.

The FocusCore Podcast is hosted by David Sweet and produced by Podlaunch with Jayne.

"Doin’ the Uptown Lowdown,” used by permission of Christopher Davis-Shannon. To find out more, check out www.thetinman.co and check out his new album, FIFTY​/​50. Support independent musicians and artists.

Mentioned in this episode:

Find out more about salaries, the job market, hiring and what's important to both companies and individuals looking for a job specifically in Japan.

2025 Salary Guide