Job Hunting (就職活動): Being Prayed (祈られた)

When I was hunting a job in Japan, I frequently came across this peculiar term called 祈られた (inorareta) or literally, "being prayed" on job hunting BBS such as みんなの就職活動日記 (minna no shuukatsu nikki). As also explained on hatena (Japanese), the meaning of this term differs so much from what English speakers may think at the first time, as it means that you had received a rejection notice from a company that you had had applied to.

Explaining it a little bit, 祈られた (inorareta) is derived from the basic form 祈る (inoru), which means "to pray". In Japan, if you derive the basic form into a passive one, like "being prayed" here, then usually it comes together with a slightly negative connotation. And, as you may also have noticed in English rejection letters, the letters are usually ended with sentences like "we wish you the best in your future endeavors", which becomes 今後のご活躍を心よりお祈り申し上げます (kongo no gokatsuyaku wo kokoro yori oinori mousiagemasu) in Japanese letters, replacing "wish" with "pray" with almost the same meaning.

Hence "being prayed" means that a company has prayed for your future endeavors, which means that you were rejected ! I doubt any foreigner without job hunting experience in Japan know this term. Heh.

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