Workplace reviews and discussion: 台灣松下營造股份有限公司

There are three interviewers. The interview is conducted in a meeting room with an emphasis on privacy.

The company’s decor is that of a typical, very basic office, with fluorescent lights, a lightweight steel-frame structure, and a fire-resistant ceiling. This company places great importance on traditional Japanese values, and there are three interviewers in total. They repeatedly emphasized how much they value the company and the work. We got along very well at first. They said that obtaining certifications would lead to a pay raise, yet they also made you feel that certifications were of no use. In the end, I was not hired because I do not like to lie. When they asked about my future plans, I directly said that I would first obtain certifications and eventually start my own business. I was immediately reprimanded as if a pane of glass had been smashed, as though I had applied for the job just to deceive them into paying me a salary. Did they mean that I was expected to obey and remain loyal to the company for life? Naturally, I was not going to be hired. They were very polite, and the hierarchy between senior and junior employees was clearly observed—very Japanese indeed. But I am not here to retire; they kept lecturing me about my age, which was truly bewildering.