Rirekisho vs Shokumukeirekisho履歴書 and 職務経歴書 — what's the difference, and when do you need both?

Job applications in Japan revolve around two documents. The 履歴書 (rirekisho) is a fixed-format resume: a standardised grid with your photo, education, and employment timeline. The 職務経歴書 (shokumukeirekisho) is a free-form work-history sheet where you describe what you actually did in each role — projects, responsibilities, results. A Western “resume” or “CV” sits somewhere between the two, which is exactly why first-time applicants in Japan get confused.

Side by side

When do you need both?

Changing jobs (転職): almost always both. Recruiters screen the rirekisho for basics and the shokumukeirekisho for substance — if a mid-career posting doesn't mention documents, assume both are expected.

New graduates (新卒): usually only the rirekisho (or the company's own entry sheet), since there is no career history to detail.

Part-time, arubaito, and dispatch: the rirekisho alone is standard. Dispatch agencies often use their own registration sheet on top.

Foreign and global companies in Japan: many accept an English CV instead — but HR departments frequently still ask for a Japanese rirekisho at the offer stage, so having one ready never hurts.

Three formats of the 職務経歴書

• 逆編年体 (reverse-chronological) — newest role first. The default for tech and most experienced hires.
• 編年体 (chronological) — oldest first, showing steady progression. Preferred in traditional industries.
• キャリア形式 (functional) — grouped by skill area rather than employer. Useful for freelancers and career gaps.

What goes into a 職務経歴書

There is no official form, but recruiters expect the same building blocks in roughly this order. Most finished documents run one to two A4 pages; three is the practical ceiling even for long careers.

• 職務要約 (career summary) — three to five lines on who you are professionally: years of experience, field, and your strongest result. Many recruiters read only this, so write it last and make it specific.
• 職務経歴 (work history) — for each employer: company name, industry, size, period, your department and title, and what you did. Use bullet points and numbers (team size, sales, users, cost saved) rather than duties copied from a job description.
• 活かせる経験・知識・スキル (transferable skills)— the three or four strengths most relevant to this job, each backed by one concrete example from the history above.
• 資格・語学 (qualifications and languages) — licences, JLPT level, TOEIC, IT certifications. These overlap with the rirekisho, so keep the wording and dates identical on both documents.
• 自己PR (self-promotion) — a short paragraph on how you work and what you will bring. It can be longer and more detailed than the rirekisho's 自己PR box.

How the two documents work together

Think of the rirekisho as the index and the shokumukeirekisho as the chapter. The rirekisho's 職歴 section lists each job in one or two lines — 「株式会社○○ 入社」, 「一身上の都合により退社」 — and nothing more. The shokumukeirekisho takes the same jobs and explains them. Recruiters check that the two agree, so the company names, start and end months, and job titles must match exactly. A one-month mismatch between the documents is a common reason an application looks careless.

The tone differs as well. The rirekisho is factual and standardised; personality shows only in the 志望動機 and 自己PR boxes. The shokumukeirekisho is where you argue your case, so it should read like a short professional profile written for the specific posting — the same person, but the emphasis changes from one application to the next.

Advice for foreign applicants

• Explain overseas employers. A Japanese recruiter will not know a mid-sized company in your home country. Add one line on what the company does and how big it is (「従業員約300名のソフトウェア開発会社」).
• Convert numbers. Give sales or budgets in yen or US dollars rather than local currency, and state the period they cover.
• Write in Japanese if the job is in Japanese.For roles that require business Japanese, the shokumukeirekisho itself is your writing sample. Have a native speaker check it if you can.
• Don't translate your CV line by line.Western CVs often lead with a skills list; Japanese recruiters expect the career summary and history first, with skills after.

Build the rirekisho here, write the 職務経歴書 alongside

ResumeJP builds the fixed-format rirekisho fromJIS, MHLW, new-grad, part-time, and English CV templates— type in any language and export a print-ready PDF for free. It does not yet generate the 職務経歴書 itself; for now, write that in a word processor using the structure above, and see our職務経歴書 guide with examplesfor wording. If you are filling in a rirekisho for the first time, start with thestep-by-step 履歴書 writing guide.