Profile Name: Yuki Iketsu Period attended at Waseda University: April, 2007 to present Affiliation at Waseda University: School of International Liberal Studies, 6th year Hobby: Travelling
What I’m about to say may be considered rare; I enjoyed job hunting. The opportunity to apply everything I had learned and thought about, and seeing how much it is accepted by society excited me. It would be a lie to say the experience required no effort, but it was incredibly fun to think about what I want to do and what types of impact I wanted to make in society. I feel I was able to grow through meeting many people and absorbing new knowledge. In this article, I would like to briefly introduce what was going through my mind, and my experience in job hunting.
[Result of job-hunting]
Future company: Human resources system Pre-entry: More than 100 companies, attended seminars of large and small companies in various fields Submission of entry-sheet: 22 companies, foreign manufacturer, material manufacturer, human resources, education etc. Eligibility of entry-sheet: 15 companies Job-offer: 2 companies
[Schedule of job-hunting] July, August: Application and participation to information technology firm. September: Devotes to travelling and part-time job. No particular job-hunting. October: Attending to information sessions of foreign firms mainly. November: Passing my first entry-sheet December: Japanese large firms start their information session at once. Reservation battle begins. I had to stop my part-time job. January: Worked hard on volunteer event and submission of entry-sheer at the same time February: Attended daily information sessions, selection of venture companies and an internship of foreign manufacturer. March: Peak of the selections of foreign manufacturers and venture companies. Late March, I receive my first job-offer. April: Early April, I receive a job-offer from my first-choice company. Withdrawal from the remaining selections, job-hunting has ended with good result.
[Important Things about Job Hunting]
*Self-Analysis
There are many important things about job hunting, but I think the number one is self-analysis. It’s important that you analyze not only your college life, but experiences all the way back in childhood and elementary school. Your current values are built upon your past experiences, so when you analyze big events in your memory, I think this allows you to understand how you think, and how you have evolved.
People say it is important to make a chronological table of your life; I have found that this is effective. In addition, rather than only doing it once, I think it’s important to self-analyze many times over time. I, for example, did not know what I wanted to do in the beginning. When I’d attend a seminar and feel that it’s boring, I would analyze why I felt that way. Through a process of elimination, this narrowed down what I was interested in.
There are many ways to do it, but I think it’s good to think back upon your past every time you receive new information. I, personally, kept writing my self-analysis in Microsoft Word, and when I look at it now, there are more than 20,000 words. I wish I could make this a graduation thesis!
*Decide for Yourself
Job hunting is filled with all types of information. There are many job hunting websites like “Rikunabi,” and you may hear stories about your friends’ and seniors’ experiences; information starts flooding in. I think it is important that you do not over-trust information you hear from people or the internet. The emphasis should be in information you receive directly from speaking with working adults. When your senior tells you that a company is bad, it would be wasteful to completely ignore that particular company. Make your own actions, reorganize information you receive, and decide your own direction. Looking at people around me that have this mentality and those that don’t, I feel that there is a clear contrast of success and failure.
Of course, sharing information with your friends is important; employees only talk about the positive aspects of their company, so it is necessary to include all of those aspects when making your own decisions. (Therefore, please do not believe too much of what I am writing here either.)
*Don’t Be Typical
There are many manuals for job hunting, but it is said that companies easily know when a student is simply “following a manual.” I met someone in charge of personnel affairs, and told me, “I have read and memorized every book about job interview methods, and when I hear a student’s answer to questions, I can figure out which book by which company they read.” This may be an extreme example. However, my impression was that things like hairstyles, clothes, and the way you speak did not matter too much (although I am sure that it depends on the industry and company). I was not used to referring to myself as “Watashi (formal “I”),” and later switched to a less formal “Boku,” but I have never been criticized about that.
Job hunting can easily be undifferentiated, so when you do something different from others, you can stand out. If you are going to read a book, it may be better to read something like what a successful salesman does to succeed, and look for information you can use for job hunting.
I really wanted to be employed by my first-choice company. I made a presentation to the recruiter using a self-promotion kit I created and a document stating my reason for application. I don’t know how effective this was, but it resulted in getting an unofficial job offer, so it probably couldn’t have been bad. If you are able to express yourself completely, I think you will feel good, even if you do not get the job.
This became a little long, but the above is a simplified wrap-up of my job hunt.
There is one last thing I’d like to add. I think it’s very important to cherish your connections and who you meet. Fate is very mysterious; you never know what results from a single connection, in what form, or when. When I was employed, a company I declined, for example, has become a client. If you decline in an unfitting manner, it will always come back to you. There are interactions with many people during job hunting, and in order to have a good life after employment, I wanted to cherish every contact I made. I am sure that you will face many difficulties, but I hope this article finds you well, and helps with your job hunting in some way.
[Necessities]
Starting this year, job hunting began generally in December. Attending many seminars in a small time span was hard work. Succeeding to make reservations for popular companies, even if you tried the minute reservations began, was extremely difficult. It was like reserving tickets for a popular idol’s concert.
*Smart phone:
I can’t even imagine job hunting without this item. For large companies, reservations had to be made the moment you receive an email indicating the start of reservation, or else it would be completely booked immediately. With constant access to the internet, smart phones became incredibly handy (some websites cannot be accessed from regular mobile phones). I am also terrible with directions, so the map function helped me out many times. I highly recommend smart phones for people that are about to begin job hunting. You are sometimes required to fill out surveys when making reservations, so a tablet may be helpful as well.
*Extra cell phone batteries:
Once job-hunting begins, you may receive about 60 emails a day if you are registered to multiple job-hunting websites. Email reception alone uses up a lot of battery power, so I recommend having extra batteries. You may regret it when a company’s seminar reservations begin and your batteries are dead (as I did).
Profile Name: Sanami Suzuki Period attended at Waseda University: September, 2009 to present Affiliation at Waseda University: School of International Liberal Studies, 3rd year Hobby: Dance and Flute
My job-hunting schedule July, 2011: Started attending internships. The internships were in various fields. September, 2011: Started attending joint information session for companies. December, 2011: Job-hunting begins! Information session and seminars for firms start at once. February, 2011: Application for large firms. Peak of sending ES on late February. March, 2011: Selection starts (written exams, interviews). April, 2011: Job offer!
Future job A foreign food company
[Feelings towards Working] When I was accepted to the School of International Liberal Studies in September, I decided to graduate early, as opposed to studying abroad. Why? After living abroad for 18 years, moving between 5 different countries, I could not confidently say I was Japanese. This is why I wanted to become a member of the working society as soon as possible and raise my value. With these feeling in my heart, I started job-hunting.
[“Employment begins!” Briefing Sessions and the ES rush!] Being an indecisive person, I was certain it was going to take a long time for me to find what I want to do. This is why I participated in an internship starting in July, to deepen my understanding towards employment. From education to consulting, travel agency… I participated in various things. However, I still could not narrow down what industry I wanted to work at. Soon came September. A joint briefing for Japanese firms began, and I checked out only large firms that I had heard of. Company information sessions for Japanese firms began at once in December. I applied for about 150 companies. An Entry Sheet (ES) rush began in February, and I would fill out 3 sheets every day. I had confidence towards job-hunting in the beginning. Due to the saturation of the Japanese market, companies moved overseas. This is why I was confident that my experience and knowledge from overseas was going to help me. In March, I realized I had no idea.
[Flaws] It may have been because of my experience overseas, but I passed the ES and the first interviews with ease. However, I felt uneasy when answering the question that is always asked at the second interview: “reason for application.” At the first interviews, they ask things like what kinds of hard work you have done, your skills, etc. At the second interview, they often question if their company is really the company you want to work at. This is where I always failed. I was explaining my “reason for application,” completely dressed up in an identity created strictly for the purpose of job-hunting. My heart was not in it, so of course, they did not feel any enthusiasm. Since I had applied to various companies, my understanding of industries was poor, and I could not even compare with other companies. I continued to fail second interviews, and I was lost.
[Constructing My Self] This is when I met a recruiter from a certain company. It was a company I had contact with through internships and seminars. He listened to my worries toward job hunting. As I spoke to him, I began to understand how much I did not understand myself. With this opportunity, I reset my state of mind, and dug up my past. The details are too long to write about here, but from this experience, I came up with a goal: “I want to revitalize Japan.”
Thanks to this, I was able to advance through the second interviews, and onto the final interviews. I was able to understand how important it was to think about yourself as a human being, and connect that to what you want to do in your own future.
[Hesitation] My job-hunting ended on April 26. This is a day that I will never be able to forget. I hesitated between two companies: A food company and the consulting agency whose recruiter helped me. These are two completely different industries, but they had a similarity. They both contribute to people’s daily lives. The food company delivers to people worldwide. The consulting agency truly reforms Japanese firms. Both can “revitalize Japan.” This is when I imagined myself working as an employee. I compared how it feels from the perspective of an employee, about the company and the actual work. I was still hesitating. In the end, I relied on my intuition. One may think I took an absurd approach, but I believe “intuition” is something you can trust. I compared everything that was comparable, and still could not decide, so the only thing left to depend on was intuition. On the 26th, I chose the foreign food company. My 9-month long job-hunting days came to an end.
[Looking Back] There were strong feelings of stress during the process: The frustration of not being understood, the feelings of being behind when others around me were succeeding in getting employed… Still, job-hunting was an experience of “growth” for me. This may sound ridiculous, but it is true. I became able to put my thoughts to words, and speak logically. I also found out new things about myself. What I realized during job-hunting was that self-analysis is not about looking back, but about “constructing yourself.” Some people understand themselves before job-hunting and are able to move forward, but I believe that most people, including myself, begin to understand themselves through job-hunting. Another privilege of job-hunting is the people you meet. Meeting the recruiter was very important to me, and I am still thankful today, from the bottom of my heart. I deeply appreciate all the friends and the people at human resources I met through job-hunting..
[Message] I have only one wish: that you continue to be confident about yourself. Of course, there will probably be companies you will not get accepted to. You may lose your confidence. However, the goal of companies is to raise their profits, and employment is simply a strategy. Some companies decide in advance on the number of people to employ that year. So, not being employed by a company does not mean you were not acknowledged. Please have confidence. And please construct yourself. Please look for a job/environment that you can be excited about. Please stumble upon walls and hesitate. Please ask people for advice, and trust your own decision. I pray that you will find a company that is perfect for you.
Profile Name: Yuki Iketsu Period attended at Waseda University: April, 2007 to present Affiliation at Waseda University: School of International Liberal Studies, 6th year Host school: University of Washington (Seattle, Washington, USA)
For about a year, starting in September, 2010, I studied abroad in a city called Seattle, Washington, on the west coast of USA. I was a senior in college, and studying abroad was a big decision for me. I was a little worried about having to repeat a year when I get back to Japan, as well as about job-seeking. The decision-maker was the idea of this being my only chance to challenge myself overseas.
So what is so great about studying abroad? I am currently in my 6th year as an undergraduate student. I was fortunate enough to receive job offers from multiple companies, and every day is very rich. I cannot say all of this is because of my study abroad, but I think I would not be what I am today if I did not make that decision to study abroad.
The biggest change within me after the study abroad was my attitude to be responsible for my own life. Between age two and the end of middle school, I lived in three countries, for a total of ten years. Many people would think of me as an incredible global talent when I mention this, and I was not convinced. I had no motive toward living abroad back then; I felt I was simply going along with my parents.
The purpose of my study abroad was to settle this within myself; my identity, life abroad, and the nature of what a global talent is.
As ordinary as it may sound, the most important memories from my study abroad are the times spent with my friends.
A memory I cannot forget is from the time I spent hours speaking with my friends in the common room of a dorm. We shared a huge thing of ice cream we bought for a dollar (American size!), and spoke for hours without ever becoming bored. We sat at a sofa in the corner of the room. Other students were doing various things around us; some were laughing like we were, some were studying, and some were reading. And someone always played the piano there. A melody that I did not recognize quietly echoed throughout the room, giving an impression of a classy café.
With my friends in the common room
I realize today that a scene from an ordinary day like this was filled with incredible happiness. I experienced many things that cannot be experienced in Japan: traveling to Canada two weeks after arrival; dressing up in a costume for Halloween despite my age; going to see Ichiro’s baseball game twice; studying for about ten hours before a test; these are all fond memories.
Another thing I learned and re-confirmed through my study abroad was about the connection and ties between people. I believe studying abroad is a valuable opportunity to realize that one cannot live alone. I think what support you in an unknown environment can be warm words from family and friends; it may also be the professor that shows you the way, nice at one moment and strict at another. In Seattle, I felt that no matter how high your goals are, it is very difficult to reach those goals without the help of others. At the same time, working at something alone feels very empty. I will never forget the appreciation I have towards the people I came in contact with in Seattle.
If someone reading this is considering studying abroad, there is one thing I would like them to remember: just because you study abroad, it does not mean something will happen. Important memories, courage, and experiences do not come to you on their own; they are things you build on every day. I believe what was important about an experience is realized later on, and is hard to recognize when you are experiencing it. Therefore, in order not to miss any moment, please cherish each encounter, each effort, and each drop of tear.
Enjoy every day 120%. Is this not the key to live a 120% meaningful study abroad? You decide what your “best” is, and what you call “success.” There is no “right way” of studying abroad. Please challenge yourself to do what you want to do, as much as you would like. There is nothing to fear. If you want it, and take action, you can be anything. Anything is possible. I strongly feel that believing this from your heart is how you become responsible for your own life.
A side note; I still keep in touch with my good friends from abroad using Skype. The world has become very convenient (this statement may make a 6th year student seem old), and we can stay in contact as much as we wish. We decide on a time together and, unable to wait, I always log into Skype and start waiting five minutes before the decided time. My American friends are always on time, which is rare (this may be rude towards Americans), and always come online immediately. At that moment, we are always back in that common room. The room we ate ice cream and spoke at, someone’s piano echoing in the background. This memory of us will forever continue to support and lift my spirits in the years to come.
Profile Name: Yohei Shibasaki Fourth Valley Concierge Inc. Chief Executive Officer
Born in 1975. Sophia University School of Foreign Languages English Department graduate. After graduating, he worked at Sony Inc., Sony Computer Entertainment. After leaving the company peacefully in September, 2007, he founded Fourth Valley Concierge Inc. in November of the same year, becoming the representative director.
It is fun to constantly do things that are new and exciting. How was your experience as a university student? What inspired you to think globally? At the university, from 3pm to late at night, all I did was American Football. I barely attended my classes during the daytime. I founded a social circle that interacts with international students. I entered Sophia University with a global image, but almost everyone on campus was Japanese at the time. There were many international students at the Ichigaya Campus, and I felt it was meaningless for me to be attending that university unless I interact more with those foreign students. So I traveled back and forth between campuses every day, eating lunch and spending time with the international students. When I had time off from American Football practice, I went on vacations with the international students. When did I start thinking globally? I lived in England in my childhood. I think that inspired it. The idea of having a global platform in the future has always been vaguely in my mind since I was very little. That feeling became stronger as I grew older, and I chose my university for that reason. When it was time to get employed, the only global company in Japan that I could think of was Sony. With the dream of becoming an active player in the world, I entered Sony.
What is your current job? We support Japan’s leading global companies in hiring outstanding new graduates from all over the world. For example, we hold job hunting events and career counseling. This is because, what I noticed the most when I was at Sony was the high level of the world’s top talents. Japan is skilled at engineering, but we have always lost to the global level of professionalism in fields such as corporate planning and marketing. I watched many incredible people around the world, and wanted to bring them to the head offices of Japanese global companies. The global standard way of working is completely opposite of the Japanese approach, so this is something I explain thoroughly to the international students that are job-hunting. We are currently linked with 700 universities in over 30 countries, and are creating a global network through research. The human resource industry was originally domestic, but I imagined that if we include the entire world, the market would become something completely different. This becomes very exciting, and is a type of international exchange as well, so I think this is a new business model with a strong impact. Our goal now is to stop specializing in only foreigners, and become a company that handles excellence from all over the world.
Is there anything you keep in mind when dealing with people from foreign countries? Two things: First, whether they are Japanese or foreign, I treat them exactly the same. And second, my actions cannot be too Japanese-oriented. I try to match the global standard as much as possible. If I treat the foreign employees with too much extra care, it would be disrespectful to the Japanese employees. There are all types of people at the company. When the company was founded, we hired international students as part-time workers. When I called out to them to lend their intelligence in founding a new company, I received an incredible amount of applications. If we were to create a business for foreigners, it was important for me to be with foreigners and always listen to their opinions, thinking together with them in creating a business for foreigners.
The Japanese new graduates are the loosest in the world. New graduates still lack a lot of experience. Japanese students are said to be very inward-oriented. What do you think about that? When you look at the entirety of Japanese students, there may be an increase in that inward way of thinking. However, I do not feel that type of mentality from any of the students that I interact with, the type that enter companies that represent Japan. From the students that I deal with on a daily basis, the ones that are going to carry the future of Japan, I do not foresee an increase of that type of inward mentality, not one bit. Not all of them need to be global, but, the ones up top that are going to spread their wings to the world, I doubt they think that way at all. Also, it is not the students’ fault that they are being seen as inward-thinking. I think the responsibility lies in the Japanese companies and society. I believe that Japan’s old business structure and system are affecting the Japanese students in a negative way. If you get rid of mass employment, more students would study abroad. If a more direct way of employment was adopted like they do overseas –through internship, and later, employment when both parties feel a match— there would be less 1-day internships and more long-term internships in Japan. I think the fall of Japanese presence is a much worse influence than the Japanese students’ inward mentality.
How do you perceive the Japanese universities today? This can be answered through the comparison of Japanese students and students overseas. Through seeing students from all over the world, Japan is comparatively weak at competitions. This is not only in studies, but for all things. To be frank, Japan’s new graduates are the loosest in the world. Japan’s job-hunting is now a social problem, but the nomination rate is the loosest in the world. Japan is the only country in the world that does graduate recruitment throughout the country. For example, Korean new graduates compete with people that are going through a change of occupation, so there is no way a student can win. In Japan, there is mass employment so it is actually very easy to get employed. Long-term employment is the cultural norm in Japan, so the number of people employed is very large. The global standard, however, is the exact opposite. Overseas, the average number of years a top new graduate stays employed at the first company they enter is 3 years. Skills and abilities are necessary to be employed at a top-level company overseas, so a students’ major at the university links directly to employment. Everyone interns for at least 6 months to a year. Their future visions are vivid, and ideas of how they can participate actively in the business world are distinct. Almost nobody thinks about those types of things in Japan. It is difficult to go against top talents overseas, who are trained to become adults under constant pressure. Therefore, in various fields, many things about the seniors in Japanese universities can be said to be very green, lacking a lot of necessary experience.
The way you spend time at the university affects your consciousness toward the future What should a student do at the university in preparation for future competition with the world? What I recommend to everyone is to study abroad at a leading university in Asia. I think there are still many people who study abroad in America, but it is mostly to study English, and a few extra things. Of course, interaction with Western students is incredible. But the business market of the future is inarguably Asia, and being in contact with Asian talents is extremely valuable in business. I recommend it from this perspective. Leading universities have high-level talents that become future leaders of their countries. Different countries have strengths in different industries, and I think it would be an interesting experience to attend a university or graduate school with a strength that interests you. My next advice may be a cliché, but I recommend traveling to a developing country while you are a student. My last advice is to experience working. I think it is an important process to review your business senses at an early stage by using about 1 month of your summer vacation to challenge long-term internship at a company. This allows you to strongly link your future career with your remaining student life. Your consciousness should change through extracurricular activities. And I think universities and companies need to provide these types of environments.
In your own words, please describe a “high-level global talent” It is someone that strives to reach the top of the world. The word “top” has various descriptions, but I mean it as someone that strives to better themselves to a high level. I believe these types of talents will be in demand from now on. What is the most important is the desire to reach the top, and the strength of that feeling. No matter how excellent you are, you cannot go there if you do not have a strong heart. People with strong hearts put in effort, so they always go up. Every excellent student I have ever met has always had strong ambition. Not a single person has that “I’m fine with whatever” attitude. They are highly ambitious with solid ideas of how they want to change their country and the world. Being skilled in language does not make you a global talent. English skills are necessary, of course, but that is different from global talent. What is important is the ambition, and people with strong hearts are valued. Fourth Valley Concierge Inc.
Editorial note Starting a little later than usual, the job-hunting season for this year has officially begun. While many students begin thinking about employment after entering this season, Mr. Shibasaki’s wish for students to reconfirm their connection with society, and live their university life with their careers in mind at all times, has left a big impression in me. Experiencing long-term internship with a purpose, increasing contact with working members of society, and expanding your area of activity, may be some of the first steps to finding out the mechanism of society. Through this interview, in addition to seeing the difference of job hunting in Japan and overseas, I felt a strong difference in the students’ consciousness towards employment, making me feel tense and humbled. Sin Riku (School of International Liberal Studies)
Profile Name:Yoshikazu Kato Columnist for the British Financial Times, Chinese version. Commentator for Hong Kong’s Phoenix TV.
Born in 1984 in Shizuoka Prefecture. After graduating high school in 2003, he went to study abroad in Beijing University, where he graduated from the masters program of the Graduate School of International Studies. He is a columnist for the British Financial Times, Chinese version; Researcher at Beijing University; and commentator for Hong Kong’s Phoenix TV. He receives over 300 interviews a year, and writes more than 200 columns. His newest books are, “What the Chinese Are Thinking Now,” and “A Message From North Korean Super Elites to the Japanese.”
“If it’s important, say it in one minute.” What is your intention behind your business card? I’m Yoshikazu Kato, so it says “Yoshikazu Kato.” In performing global activities, a name is more of a “sufficient condition” than a “necessary condition.” In Japan, you are judged by your title or company. For example, if someone is a general manager or a section chief, that alone defines whether that person is incredible or not. Overseas, this is completely meaningless. I participated in a conference in Singapore two days ago. I used this same business card. My title was completely irrelevant. From this, I felt that insight was more important than a business card (laughing). On the other hand, a name is very important. A name is something you receive from your parents, so it is only natural to treat it with respect. Competing thoroughly with your name is the best way to be a dutiful son or daughter.
Besides business cards, what else do you keep in mind for self introductions? Here is an example from two days ago. Everyone I met, as I shook their hand, I would explain what I was doing in Singapore, why I came, what is troubling me, and why I want to communicate with them. That is everything. If you prepare yourself to always be ready to give a one-minute presentation, you can compete in the global market. In Japan, in places like Nagatacho or Kasumigaseki, people just hand out their business cards and leave. This is a waste of natural resources. What I want to suggest to Japanese schools is to teach the students to be able to give one minute presentations about themselves. In first grade elementary school, be able to do it in Japanese. As a freshman in high school: in English. And as an adult: a second foreign language, preferably Chinese. As you grow, the contents are constantly updated. Whether public or private school, I think this should be practiced during the homeroom period.
When did you start thinking globally? I think I learned the word “global” in the past 10 years, but I have always had the world on my mind, even as a child. My hobby as a five-year-old was looking at the world map. I would spin the globe as I ponder things like, “Why is the capital of Sri Lanka such a long name?” or “Why are there so many people of different nationalities living in France?” I began looking at the world map to rebel, rather than going into it naturally. I was born in a very conservative region. A feeling of entrapment was always present, and I would wonder why people always tried to crush my actions. In order to find an answer, I had to view things in an objective, relative way. I would first go to another city within Japan. This did not help, since Japan is a homogenized society. I already wanted to go abroad at this point, but in order to accomplish something, we need three things: a purpose, the ability, and the conditions. Without all three of these, it is difficult. I think I had the purpose and the ability, but it took a while for the conditions to materialize. I did not get to go abroad until I was 18.
A crisis is a chance. The language lesson with a street vendor lady How did you learn Chinese? When I was studying at Beijing University, all classes closed due of the spread of SARS. The current Japanese Embassy in Beijing was recommending a forced return home. I stayed, of course, but all other Japanese around me had left. But a crisis is a chance. I decided to figure out a way to communicate with the people around me and learn Chinese. I became friends with an older lady, a street vendor at the West Gate of Beijing University. That lady taught me Chinese. I began by buying ice cream from her and shaking her hand. From then on, I visited her every day. We would talk continuously for 8 hours a day. It was difficult trying to find topics for conversations. An average day would begin by waking up at 4:30am, studying the dictionary, jogging while listening to the radio, and a simple breakfast after returning home. I was with the vendor lady by 8am, and we would talk until around 4pm. As we would talk, all sorts of people would come and enter the conversations. The vendor lady’s network was amazing.
Through socializing with people there, what did you learn besides the Chinese language? In my opinion, the Chinese are advanced in the fields of networking and intelligence. They are able to create a Chinatown in every country. Can the Japanese do such thing? We cannot. There is a distinct difference between hanging out with only Japanese folks abroad, and the formation of a community followed by participation in the foreign country’s economy. The Chinese society is a society of mutual distrust. When they communicate with a stranger, it always starts with distrust. The Japanese society adopts a belief that human nature is fundamentally good; more so than any other society in the world. Distrust of strangers and being able to see things in a critical way; this way of thinking is important. My impression is that the Chinese, overall, are good at throwing a curve, no matter what they are doing. They have a sense of humor too. I realized that politeness alone is not productive. I learned various things besides the Chinese language from the vendor lady. I learned that you cannot trust strangers easily like the Japanese do. It is important to have your own approach to information. You cannot gobble up information. For me, I think information is trustworthy only if newspapers across more than two borders say the same thing. You must construct your own way of approaching correct perception and correct information. This, you must work on every day. This is extremely important in all fields, whether you are a journalist, a scholar, or a businessman.
How were you able to establish a personal network? It began with an interpretation job. I had figured that translation was the most intellectual part-time job, and studied hard for it. I got a good score in a test called “HSK,” so I was able to begin translating three months after arriving in China. A year later, I was able to perform consecutive interpretation, and 6 months after that, simultaneous interpretation. I did not end it there, as simply an interpreter. I went to various places. For example, I met heavyweight politicians at the Great Hall of the People; the Japanese equivalent of a national assembly. I participated in the conference as an interpreter. First, I would perform the job thoroughly. During break time, I would observe the political leaders. I would then try “accidentally” running into them in the bathroom. Sometimes, I may drop their jackets from chairs, saying, “Oh, excuse me, you dropped this,” and pick it up for them. They would reply, “Thank you. You’re a nice guy.” I created my own opportunities for communication. I expanded my network creatively and actively.
Going abroad is “low-risk, high-return,” and even “low cost” What sorts of things did you feel from living abroad? My love for Japan grew. I also realized that, to the locals abroad, I represent the country of Japan. Through communicating with people of various nationalities in China, my awareness of my Japanese identity became stronger. I disliked Japan from when I was very little. But it frustrated me when people in China misunderstood or criticized Japan. I thought I disliked Japan, but those things still bothered me. I believe this is a healthy type of patriotism. Also, when I would say my own personal opinion, it is interpreted by a foreigner as the opinion of Japan as a whole. This comes with an incredible amount of responsibility. Therefore, it is important to study the position and history of Japan in the international society. In an international society, it is very embarrassing not being able to answer a direct question regarding Japan. Please give a word of advice to the students. It is important to realize how privileged you are. You have access to much more information than students in other countries. If you have a Japanese passport, you can literally go anywhere. In addition, the yen is strong right now. If you don’t go abroad now, when are you ever going to go? In China, the Chinese Yuan has not been revalued yet, and a visa is required everywhere you go. In order to obtain an American visa in Beijing, you must get in a 500 meter-long line in front of the American Embassy. That is how bad they want to go. I do not intend to vaguely tell you to go abroad. I am sure that students are wondering whether to get employed, go to graduate school, or study abroad. This is my advice to you: First, expand your options. Second, expand your field of view so that you can choose the right option. The reason you want to do something new is because you are dissatisfied with the current situation. It is extremely important to look at yourself from a different viewpoint and location, asking yourself who you are and what you really want to do. In addition, going abroad while you are a student is “low-risk, high-return.” It is even low-cost. If you are lost and you want a new perception, go study abroad, or travel abroad. Take yourself to an unfamiliar place. The reason it is easy for the Japanese to go abroad is because our predecessors worked extremely hard for it. That is why we have the current passport. It did not come falling from the skies. The future of the Japanese passport depends on each and every one of us. Our actions abroad link directly to our future passport, and how much the future Japanese are respected in the international society. This awareness is important. This creates a feeling of tension. When we humans feel tension, we are able to become serious.
Editorial note During the interview, Mr. Kato answered the questions with an outpour of enthusiasm. I was overwhelmed. From each word, I felt a depth that derives from experience. I believe there was a time for him when things were very difficult, and very painful. His persuasiveness must derive from what he saw after his resistance to the hard times and pain. The words, “Our passports did not come falling from the skies,” left a big impression in my heart. We wonder whether or not to travel abroad or study abroad, but we must be thankful for the fact that we even have an option. I believe we must continue building on the roads that our predecessors created for us, for the next generation. Ryo Aihara (Graduate School of Fundamental Science and Engineering, Freshman)
Profile Name in full: Nari Been Country or region of origin : The Republic of Korea Period attended at Waseda:September. 2010 -August, 2012 Status at Waseda University : International Student Master’s Program 2nd year Place of enrollment at Waseda University :Graduate School of Asia-Pacific Studies Specialty at Waseda University : Economic Development Advisor at Waseda University : Professor FUWA Nobuhiko
Through the Waseda-OECD internship program, I was given the opportunity to work as an intern at the OECD Development Cooperative Directorate (DCD) from October 10 to December 1, 2011. Within the OECD, DCD plays an important role promoting transnational partnerships for development aid and contributing to developing ‘better policies for better lives’ (the OECD’s 50th Anniversary mission statement) through transparent data on development finance and improved development cooperation practices and policies. Thus with a strong interest in development issues, I applied to DCD without hesitation. Another reason I chose DCD was to participate in the run-up to a forum called ‘The 4th High Level Forum on Aid Effectiveness (HLF-4*)’ which took place from November 29 to December 1, 2011. The HLF was established to discuss concerns with the way aid was provided and enhance the effectiveness of aid, and it has become the most important and largest international forum for discussions on aid and development effectiveness.
Promptly after submitting my application, I was contacted by DCD, presumably because I was a Korean and the HLF-4 was to be held in Busan, Korea. I was eventually selected as an intern and started my internship in October. The reason I started working in October was because, as a MEXT scholarship student, I was not allowed to stay outside of Japan for more than two months and thus wanted to finish my internship on the last day of the HLF-4. However, for those who are interested in working as a consultant at the OECD in the future, I strongly encourage doing an internship for about 6 months to make greater contributions to your designated team in terms of researching or publishing reports. By doing so, OECD staff will recognize your efforts and welcome you when you apply for a consultant position after you finish your internship.
During the internship period, my official title was ‘Communication Specialist’ and I was a part of the Communications Division that is in charge of proofreading, design, and publicity of all reports and documents published by DCD. During the preparation period for the HLF-4, the Communication Division mainly focused on the publicity, communication, and media-related work for the HLF-4, and some of my roles were to gather useful information from various resources that were to be displayed on the DCD websites and manage the HLF-4 e-library website as well as the actual library space in the conference center where the HLF-4 was held.
Besides the Communication Division, I also worked with the Aid Quality & Architecture (AQuA) Division, which was in charge of important preparations for the HLF-4 including selecting and inviting speakers, guests, and VIPs from across the globe, organizing various thematic sessions and events, and creating all HLF-4-related documents. Before the HLF-4, all AQuA and Communication Division staff, including myself, spent busy days trying to organize a large-scale international conference that would host renowned leaders such as United Nations Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon and U.S. Secretary of State Hilary Clinton. After the HLF-4, we all felt great satisfaction about our accomplishments and I felt extremely lucky and glad to make a contribution as a part of a great team. It was especially rewarding to see the HLF-4 being held in my home country; it was an historical event for Korea, the only country in the world so far that has transformed itself from an aid recipient to an aid donor. During the opening ceremony of the HLF-4, Korea’s President Lee Myung-bak also expressed the joy of hosting the HLF-4 in Busan, which has transformed from a poor port town where relief goods from all around the world arrived after the Korean War into the 5th largest port city in the world.
Through the internship, which was short-term but action-packed, I not only became familiar with some important development issues but also learned a great deal about various aspects of the OECD, which I believe was the biggest advantage of the internship. For example, by interacting with OECD staff and joining many internal discussions, I was able to enhance my knowledge and insights about the organizational structure, atmosphere, and people of the OECD. Meanwhile, by communicating with the people outside of the OECD and observing external meetings such as Sherpa meetings, I had a clearer understanding of the OECD’s role, influence, and status in the international community. Thanks to the internship experience, I became more interested in working in an international organization like the OECD in the future, and I deeply appreciate all people who helped me successfully participate in and complete the internship.
Photo captions up) A photo in front of the OECD’s new logo at the lobby of the OECD headquarters in Paris. down) A photo taken with the OECD and the Korean government staff who successfully organized the HLF-4 together in Busan, Korea.
Waseda-OECD Internship Program, Now accepting application at CIE Detailed information,please click here＞＞
Profile
Name in full: Alexander Schmitz
Country or region of origin : Austria
Period attended at Waseda: 2011 ~ 2013
Status at Waseda University : Visiting Researcher
Place of enrollment at Waseda University : Graduate School of Creative Science and Engineering
Specialty at Waseda University : Humanoid Robotics
Advisor at Waseda University : Professor Sugano
How has studying abroad at Waseda aided you in your career/academic path? :
I was really very picky for my postdoc position and there were only a handful of places that I really considered. Finally I chose Waseda because it is one of the top places in the world for humanoid robots and furthermore Tokyo is an amazing city. I applied for and received a JSPS postdoc stipend, so also the financial part was easy.
After it was clear that I will move to Tokyo everybody congratulated me on this decision. The Sugano Lab is a world renown institute and has one of the best humanoids worldwide. Even though it was hard to leave my established and well going work at the Italian Institute of Technology, I am sure that the knowledge I will gain in Tokyo will be helpful for my future career. I am confident that my stay in Japan will advance my own research (as it already has in my first three months here), while at the same time contribute to the progress of research in Japan.
Most memorable event at Waseda University :
I guess it was my first night at the guest house of the university, STEP 21. I am lucky enough that the university let me stay at their accommodation, and furthermore a former colleague of mine that I have worked with together already in Italy also lived at STEP 21. So he welcomed me, showed me around the area, which is full of restaurants (that are very reasonably priced) and little supermarkets, we had dinner, and he gave me a crash course into Japan. Even though I was super tired after the long journey to Japan, it was exciting to be finally here. Also the people working at the STEP 21 were really friendly and helped me with small problems (like where to find a bank, a post office ...). Afterwards we went out for a night out in Shibuya, which was also fun, of course!
Message to WiN members :
It was actually amazingly easy for me to settle down in Tokyo and I had to adapt my lifestyle far less than expected. My colleagues are great, all the formalities went smooth, the food is great, people in general are very friendly. I can only encourage everyone to come to Tokyo and study/work at Waseda!
Profile Name:TATEYAMA Ren Period Attended at Waseda: 2008.4- Affiliation/Program at Waseda: School of Social Sciences
Seeing is believing. We slept on the bus on the way there and spent only half a day volunteering, but even so, it meant a lot to actually go there and see it with my own eyes. It’s so easy to receive information through our eyes and ears through the media, but it’s a totally different experience to be there and smell the smells and feel the atmosphere. It’s far more graphic in real life and almost pounces on you.
The kind of work we did was clearing trash and rubble from damaged homes, and clearing grass from the farms. The farms in Tsunami stricken areas were covered by salt water and now there is weed growing all over them.In order to farm there again all the weeds need to be taken out and the soil replaced. There are many farmers who are now thinking about giving up farming altogether. So looking back, our jobs as volunteers was to roll up our sleeves and get our hands dirty to encourage these farmers to start believing again. In, reality we would be the ones benefiting in the long run, because we will be ones eating their crops in the future.
Also, the local people were saying that many elderly people in refugee centers were starting to feel lonely and isolated away from their local community. Which is why I feel it’s important for volunteers to go, and the conversations that are had, will mean just as much if not more than the physical work that is done. I realized it’s not enough to just send money and re-build “things,” but that the heart’s of the people there need rebuilding too! The man who’s house we were helping with, said this with tears in his eyes as we were saying goodbye.
“I’m sorry you had to do such dirty work. Thank you so much. I wish you all the best in your studies when you go back to school.” When he said “I wish you all the best in your studies..” I felt like what he was really saying was “I hope this will never happen again for the future generations,” and now it’s up to us to figure that out. It was a chance for us to really think about our future.
I am so thankful for the things I learned and want to continue to think about how we can help restore the disaster zones. I think this is the first step we can take in volunteering.
Please see The Hirayama Ikuo Volunteer Center (WAVOC) web, too>> (In Japanese only)
Dr. Kazuo Kuroda Dean of the Center for International Education Professor of Graudate School of Asia-Pacific studies.
From student life to the International Community. What kind of student life did you have Dr. Kuroda? In my second year of University, I started living in a dormitory for foreign Students at the Asian Cultural Center for three years. They allowed three people from each country to live in the dormitory so three people from Japan had the opportunity to live in the dormitory. So I was one of only three Japanese to share this dormitory and live with others from Asia and Latin America and other countries around the world. Life at the dormitory was a pseudo International Community and I learned to adapt to different cultures. I also took part in a youth International Exchange Program called the Southeast Asian Ship.
At the time there was a strong negative image about Asia in terms of poverty and the history of colonial rule, however after spending two months living side by side with other Asian youth, I saw that in fact, Asia is an energetic, dynamic and interesting place. Our bond became like family and I changed a lot after being with these passionate Asian youth who knew that they could change society for the better.
You have experienced many things, what was it that got you started? It was my desire to be involved in the International community in some shape or form. My undergraduate days were filled with various other activities besides what I mentioned before, like engaging in activities at the international conference with the International Student Association of Japan, and I also started a student association at the United Nations University. Because I had this strong desire, every activity was full of passion and excitement for me. Whether you look inside or outside the University, the opportunities are everywhere. But you can’t be passive. It’s important to be actively seeking out opportunities for yourself. In order to do this you first need to have a vision or desire of who you want to be and hold on to it tightly.
Seriously consider areas that excite you. What do you think are skills and qualities needed in the “Global Human Resource world”? Broadly speaking the three main elements would be expertise, communication and passion and the most important of these would be expertise. No matter how good you are communicating in English, or how tolerant of diversity, or how passionate you are about working in the international community, unless you have some form of expertise to offer it’s not enough. So I would like to encourage students to seriously consider what contribution you can make to the international community. Education development is my area of expertise, I love my field of research and find it very interesting. It’s extremely important for students to find something that you can be passionate about developing yourself in for the rest of your life.
How can students acquire expertise in an area if they don’t go on to become graduate students? Becoming a graduate student is of course one option, but it’s very possible to acquire skills while you are working too. However, please choose your job very carefully. I am fully aware the job hunting situation is very difficult, however please consider what areas you would like to develop your skills in and how you can gain these skills from the job you are applying for. You also need to remember to keep developing those skills once you do start working. Of course educational institutions are not governments, companies or NPOs. Contribution to the organization you work for must be first priority. But please have a long-term perspective, and work to grow and polish yourselves especially in your 20’s and early 30’s. It can take quite some time to acquire the skills that can assist developing countries, it will probably take until your late thirties. From my own personal experience, I have had the support and assistance of many people from developing countries over many years. So in return I want to spend the rest of my life throwing myself passionately in to my field of research and to keep reaching for new heights.
What can you do to find something you can passionate about? After spending time with students I realized how hard it was to find something to be passionate about let alone to find a field of expertise or a career. You may not be sure what you’re interested in yet. So it’s essential to challenge and try many new things. If you find something you like then really sink your teeth in to it. I had an affair on my true calling and started working for a bank once. However I knew was only fooling myself. I couldn’t change the passion I had for education in developing countries. That is why I am where I am now. If you are true to yourself and follow your dreams then you will never end up being unhappy, because if you are doing what you truly love you will overcome any obstacle or circumstance.
The bad habit of depending on a brand name. Lately young people are thought of as being very “inwardly focused”, what do you think the actual situation is at Waseda? I don’t have the impression that Waseda students are inward focused at all. For instance, the minor subject of “International Co-operation” has become very popular this semester. Also, it’s not completely bad to be inward focused either. If people were only thinking Internationally, and there weren’t people taking care of our own country then we will become like grass with no roots. So it’s very important to have a balanced perspective. Waseda University culture has always had diversity in students, and I feel that it is becoming even more of a homogenized society.
In the past I think the student culture revolved around doing something that was different to other people. More students these days come from prep school, are from the Tokyo region, and some may be from families high up in the social hierarchy. It’s no different to Keio University in some ways. Waseda University is all about raising leaders in a diversity of fields so I think it’s very dangerous for us to start putting everyone in the same box.
How can students diversify? The best thing is to fail many times. To challenge and fail is a great thing. The students here are the elite when it comes to examinations, they don’t like failing and I think they are afraid of failure. Waseda University is a brand name so many students take advantage of that name and don’t push themselves but depend on the name to carry them through. I have been seeing this bad habit in more students these days. “I won’t try because I’m afraid to fail, the fact that I am a Waseda student will be enough.” This is a wrong way of thinking. Things like challenging new programs and putting your heart and soul in to them to the point of breaking point. These qualities are so important in working in the International Community. If everyone can find these things that make them feel alive and chase after them with heart and soul, I think it will bring back more diversity to Waseda University. <Reprinting from ICC webmagazine(Japanese only)>
Career：Before his current position, Dr Kuroda was a lecturer and assistant professor at the Center for International Cooperation in Education at Hiroshima University. In addition, he was on the national committee of UNESCO Japan, visiting Professor at the Institute of Developing Economies Development School and a researcher for JICA. He has also been engaged in research assessment development areas such as the Ministry of Education, JICA and Ministry of Foreign Affairs. Dr. Kuroda obtained an MA (International Education Development) at Stanford University and a Ph.D. (Sociology of Education) at Cornell University.
Profile Name:Jansinee Kankaew Period Attended at Waseda: 2009.9-2011.9 Affiliation/Program at Waseda: Graduate School of Asia-Pacific Studies (GSAPS)
A week after the 8.9-megnitude earthquake hit Japan, I left Japan with the feeling of guilty. The pictures of the March 11 earthquake and tsunami still stuck to my memory. And I always asked myself why I did not go to help people instead of packing my stuffs and flying back home. I felt like I left my beloved friends behind. Thus, I committed to myself that once I returned, I must do volunteering. I needed to do something in return for the people who were heavily suffering from this catastrophe.
As a foreign student who knows a little Japanese, doing volunteer does not seem easy. Instead of helping people, I was really afraid to be a burden of a group. Therefore, what I could do was only finding a volunteer project organized by the foreign volunteer groups. Fortunately, the WAVOC had a semi-volunteer project in Natori city, Miyagi opening for all Waseda students including who could speak a little Japanese like me. I was so glad and not ambivalent to apply for this project. Like in the news, the pictures of a massive debris still had been seen everywhere in a town. The unfolding tsunami swept away houses, building, cars and boats. The crowded city now became such a ghost town. The atmosphere was so gloominess. But here people’s spirits were in contrast.
A town project’s organizer Sakurai-san told us about an object of the tonight event to cheer up people who were suffering from this natural disaster. Not only having an annual lantern floating ceremony to pay respect for ancestors during the Obon (お盆), they also planed to have a big firework as a surprise for people in a town. So, our volunteer work was to help set up the event joining hands with local staffs and other volunteer groups. My language barrier gradually was destroyed by a kindly help from my colleagues. We all did our best to provide such a wonderful event for people in this town. Initially, I thought that our volunteer work was very little compare with others. I did not help people as much as I wished. What I did were just to help set up the lights, pick up trash, watch people, particularly kids, from spotlights and clean up after the event.
However, my view had changed when I saw many staffs crying of happiness after the final beautiful firework had been lighten. Their working was now rewarded by people’s smile. So was I. Our work was really simple. But if it could make people smile even in a few hours, I think it was worthy enough to do. And thanks WAVOC and all my colleagues for giving me a great opportunity to experience such a wonderful experience like this.
