How should I ask this question?

I am thinking of looking for an administrative job after several years of not working due to child raising. I would like to look for a job that has little or NO OT so as to achieve a work-life balance. How do I go about asking this question without the interviewer raising his eyebrow?

Hi,
How about this?


Kaji tono kaneai ga ari, zangyou wa muzukashi nodesu ga, jizen ni yoyuu wo motte shirasete itadakereba, tsukini 3-4 jikan teido wa kanou desu.

I have a lot of housework to do, so it's difficult for me to work overtime. But If I'm informed several days before, I can work overtime three or four hours per month.

kaji=housework
zangyou=overtime work
muzukashi=difficult

say honestly your situation. otherwise, you will have problems after you get a job.

Hi kazz1972,

Thank you for your advice but if I say specifically upfront that I can only work 3-4 hours of OT a month, would not the interviewer think that I am being inflexible & the number of OT is too low & pass me over?

And after going for an interview, when my recruitment agency (jinzai hakken gaisha) calls to ask me how did the interview go, usually what should a candidate say to secure her chance of being selected for a second interview??? Something like "Oh, it was good"?

would not the interviewer think that I am being inflexible & the number of OT is too low & pass me over?

They might think like that, but usually decent company won't. There're many women who can't work overtime in Japan. So, I think there's no problem.

In Japan, after a candidate has gone for an interview, will the recruitment agency (jinzai hakken gaisha) call to ask how did the interview go? And if they do, what should a candidate say to secure her chance of being selected for a second interview by the company??? Something like "The interview went well"?