Rakuten Project Manager Interview Questions
& Process
Real candidates share what happened, how many rounds they had,
and how the experience turned out.
Based on 32 interview experiences · FREE TO READ
Candidate interview experiences
First-hand accounts from people who interviewed at Rakuten.
Rakuten
Project Manager
Senior Average Negative experience No offer 3 rounds
Interview process
Recruiter call Presentation Onsite Background check Offer
Interview formats
Presentation Behavioral
The process was extremely lengthy and felt like a waste of time. It began with a video interview, followed by three in-person meetings. Each interview required a presentation covering my background and business ideas. Non-native English speakers had to take an English test, even though some interviewers' English wasn't great. A recommendation letter might also be requested later on. My experience took nearly four months before I was rejected. The interviewers were polite and appreciated my business ideas.
Confirmed questions2 questions
- What makes you want to work for this company?
- Do you have any suggestions for improving the company's business?
Rakuten
Project Manager
Mid Easy Positive experience No offer 4 rounds
Interview process
Recruiter call Technical screen Phone screen Presentation Onsite Background check Offer
Interview formats
Behavioral Technical Presentation Other
The interview process seemed pretty standard based on other reports. It started with a video interview where I had to record my answers to 5 common questions on their Wepow platform. Then there were three more interviews: one with team members, another with the team lead/manager, and a final one with the supervisor of the team lead/manager. Since I'm not in Japan, steps 2-4 were done via Skype. We communicated in English throughout the whole process, including emails and the Skype interviews. It was surprising how good the English was, especially for a Japanese company. The interview wasn't too hard for me, likely due to my extensive experience in an area where they had gaps. There were only a few behavioral questions, which are easy to answer with some prep. Before the last interview, I had to read two books by Hiroshi Mikitani and write a short essay for each. I'm unsure how much these essays mattered since they weren't discussed in the interview. HR managed the process professionally, and the interviewers were nice people. Even though they indicated I'd get an offer in the final round, it didn't happen. Overall, it was a good experience.
Confirmed questions6 questions
- Could we have your name and the reason why you are interested in Rakuten?
- Please tell us your technical background and how you will be able to contribute to the success of the company. If you already have work experience, please share that as well.
- What is your greatest strength and how you leverage your strength for peak performance? Please give us an example.
Rakuten
Project Leader
Lead Average Negative experience Accept offer 3 rounds
Interview process
Recruiter call Technical screen Onsite
Interview formats
Behavioral Technical
My interview process had three parts. First, I went to Rakuten's headquarters and met with HR. Unfortunately, their front door login system wasn't working, which gave me a poor first impression. A week later, HR scheduled a second interview with one Indian engineer and one Japanese manager. The manager asked me general questions like "Why do you want to change your job?", while the engineer asked technical questions. The last meeting was the easiest. I met with a department head who discussed the company's roadmap and future. They offered me a position soon after, but I declined for better opportunities.
Confirmed questions2 questions
- What database strategy would you select for deploying a large-scale system?
- What motivates your job change?
Rakuten Project Manager Interview Questions
Quoted word for word from Rakuten interview reports.
“In line with PMBOK, how do you define the value of quality?”
Read reports →“In what ways can you contribute to supporting the Japanese language?”
Read reports →“What database strategy would you select for deploying a large-scale system?”
Read reports →“What is your reason for being interested in Rakuten?”
Read reports →“When your team is feeling demotivated due to stress, how do you go about motivating them?”
Read report →“Can you describe your understanding of the Agile system?”
Read report →“Do you have any suggestions for improving the company's business?”
Read report →“What's your approach to monitoring project risks and identifying bugs?”
Read report →“What are your career goal and career plans? How does this job fit into your career plans?”
Read report →Formats, difficulty and experience
Across all 32 Rakuten interview reports.