How do I say "job offer"?

Question

The word I have found for job offer (ie, getting offered a job that you've applied for) is 内定. But my understanding is that 内定 implies a tentative decision, not an official job offer. Can I use 内定 more generally, or is there a better word?

Answer 1

If you are changing jobs, the process typically ends in the following order: the last interview → 内定 → オファー面談 → オファー. オファー面談 is a phase of negotiations about salaries etc. after passing the last interview. Then you get a formal job offer. As such, 内定 is more tentative than オファー, but there are many cases without オファー面談. So virtually 内定 and オファー are synonymous (or at least not used in a distinguished way).

I think sometimes an offer letter is titled as 採用通知書. So it is possible to translate job offer as 採用通知.

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If it is your first job as a fresh graduate, the process ends like: the last interview → [内々定]{ないないてい} → 内定 (→ start the job at the 1st of April).

Note that people apply for jobs in the last year of their study. The last interview happens like May - June (? this changes according to regulations and of course depends on each company as well). As there is an agreement that 内定 (which is considered as legally effective) should be issued after October 1st, passing the last interview before October means that the company gave the students a promise of giving a 内定 later (at 10/01). This state of having a promise is called 内々定をもらった, but 内定 and 内々定 are again not strictly distinguished. Students say 内定をもらった/内定が出た when they pass the last interview before October.

内定 is still tentative in this case, too (there were lots of cases where 内定 was cancelled around 2008). But since there's no negotiation and the next step is just starting working, オファー is not used. (And it may be surprising to Westerners, you don't know what your salary will be before you actually start working, I believe.)