Graduate hiring starts with internships, ten months before the official June start

The government schedule for the class of 2027, and what happens in practice.

Japan's graduate hiring calendar Timeline of the government hiring schedule for students graduating in 2027: publicity from 1 March 2026, selection from 1 June, formal offers from 1 October and a common start on 1 April 2027, with internships and informal offers running ahead of it. 2026 2027 JAN '26 JAN '27 INTERNSHIPS · AUG–FEB where selection really starts NAINAITEI · JUN–SEP informal offers 1 MAR 2026 Publicity opens info sessions 1 JUN 2026 Selection opens interviews 1 OCT 2026 Formal offer naitei 1 APR 2027 Everyone starts one cohort, one day LEGEND Government schedule What happens in practice Start date Spacing is proportional to real elapsed time.

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Source: Government request to employers on the graduate recruitment schedule (Cabinet Secretariat and MHLW). Chart: The Hardest Market (hardestmarket.com).

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