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During his time at university, he was active as the executive chairman of the "Student Association," which is responsible for the university's self-governance, and launched a food truck introduction system. We spoke to Mr. H, who has gained a lot of experience, including studying abroad in Boston for a year and participating in projects, and is now moving on to a new stage.

A student life filled with many opportunities and experiences

"The women's university where you can study abroad" was Showa Women's University

I grew up in an all-girls school from middle school onwards. I felt that all-girls schools were a very comfortable environment where students could be themselves, so I wanted to go to a university with a similar environment.
In particular, studying abroad is a requirement for the School of International Studies at Showa Women's University. Since it was a department where I could obtain a teaching license (I was also thinking about obtaining a teaching qualification), and I was also interested in the translation business at the time, I had a strong desire to specialize in English, so I chose the Department of English Language and Communication.
Learning in the department was really fulfilling. In particular, during my one-year study abroad at Showa Boston in my second year, I not only improved my English skills, but I also gained the courage and ability to take on a proactive approach.
In Boston, I was able to live a relaxed life and study hard, but during my extracurricular time, I also held tea ceremonies for people visiting Showa Boston, making use of the experience I had with tea ceremony in middle and high school. I explained the tea ceremony to local people in English and had them experience it, and while I was holding these events regularly, I was given the opportunity to hold a tea ceremony workshop at a store in Boston! It was a rare opportunity, and I think I was able to gain a lot of experience.

The Showa Women's University Student Union is an organization that aims to reflect and realize the consensus of students and improve campus life. It is a so-called student self-governing activity, and has been working to improve the university in cooperation with university faculty and staff. When I was in junior high and high school, I had a friend who was in the student council, and I felt that he was contributing to the school, which made me want to try it at university.
I participated in the association from my first year, and served as its president in my third year. Thanks to the generous cooperation of the Student Support Division staff, I was active in many areas, including creating the first system of introducing food trucks to sell meals during lunch time, and planning and running a summer festival on campus that attracted approximately 1 visitors. Through my student association activities, I keenly felt the difficulty of leading a group of people with different opinions, but I believe that the listening skills I acquired here will be useful even after I enter society.

In addition to the alumni association, immediately after entering the university, I participated in the "Regional Processing Technology and Global Advantages (Survey of Kanazawa's Local Industries)" project, which was awarded a research grant by the Institute of Contemporary Business. Since it was still during the COVID-19 pandemic, I was unable to travel to the site, but I was able to visit shops in Tokyo that sell Kanazawa's traditional crafts and conduct interviews, and even though my range of activities was limited, I was able to hear from many different people.

My career design

■History of Activities
Participating companies for internships: 3 companies (all 1-day internships)
Participating companies: About 20 companies (About 50 companies including those participating in the joint company information session)
Number of participating companies: 16
Interviews with faculty: 6 times (I also had close communication with faculty members outside of interviews)

Job hunting was the opportunity to learn about society

I started job hunting in earnest in the winter of my third year. Even before that, I had vaguely thought about my future career path, as a friend who was taking a teacher training course had been thinking about private sector job hunting from an early stage, and while studying abroad, I realized that things remain the same even when the place changes, and I became interested in "logistics." However, I prioritized on-campus activities, so I started at this time.
I was rejected from all internships that had selection processes, and in the end, I was only able to participate in three one-day internships. I was rejected twice for internships at companies I really wanted to work for, but I was then able to take the final selection process and get a job offer, so I've realized that not being able to participate in an internship doesn't affect the final selection process.

My first choice company (the company that offered me a job) did not have any Showa Women's University alumni, so they did not visit alumni. However, I thought I couldn't go through the selection process without knowing anything, so I took proactive steps, such as getting introductions to employees through friends from other universities and talking to them.

I also made use of the Career Support Center in preparing for the selection process.
At the interviews at the Career Support Center, they can help with various things such as editing my resume and practicing mock interviews, but the reason I think it was a good use of their services is that I was able to learn about the way of thinking and opinions of adults (working adults). When job hunting, I tend to think about things from a student's perspective, but the advice I received at the interviews at the Career Support Center helped me get back on track each time. I am truly grateful to the staff who kindly listened to my concerns, and I can say that it was thanks to them that I was able to get the job offer I have now.
Successes and lessons learned in job hunting
One thing I think was good for me was that I didn't narrow my industry down too much, and instead attended information sessions at various companies. My senior told me that it was not recommended to narrow your industry down too much from the beginning, so I accepted that advice without hesitation, and as a result, I think I was able to broaden my options.
Other than that, I just went with the flow. I didn't think "I'm not good enough" and just applied to any famous company on impulse (laughs). If I had hesitated at that time, I probably would have taken a different path, so I think it was actually a good thing that I just went ahead and did it without thinking too much, in order to broaden my possibilities.

I have no regrets about my job hunting, but if I were to do it again, I would say, "I should get rid of my preconceptions." I felt that it was important to do thorough research and make a choice based on evidence, rather than looking at the industry I wanted to work in based on my imagination or disliking certain types of work based on my own preconceptions.
Our goal is to create trustworthy people
I want to gain high skills in a high-level environment. I believe that the company that has offered me a position has an environment that will allow me to fully achieve this. I consider myself to be a fairly energetic person who wants to take on new challenges, and from the time of the selection process onwards, I felt that this company would allow me to make the most of my strengths. In addition to the proper etiquette for a working professional, I would like to learn how to use my time efficiently, gain sales experience, hone my skills, and become a person who is trusted by those around me. I would also like to be someone who can balance my private and work life.

Message to juniors

Job hunting is not a goal, but merely a passing stage in life, so don't push yourself too hard. There is no rule that says you have to start looking at a certain time, so I hope you will value your own timing.
And above all, I want you to try various things to enrich your student life. It is important to be able to think clearly and have your own opinions, so I think that gaining a variety of experiences will be useful not only for job hunting but also in life.