Student of Showa Women's University spreading her wings!
Student interview
C.S.
Faculty of Environmental Science and Design, Department of Environmental Science and Design
Employed at a major theme park management company (technical position)
High school: Saitama Municipal Urawa Minami High School
Employed at a major theme park management company (technical position)
High school: Saitama Municipal Urawa Minami High School
Mr. S has spent his student life devoted to his beloved "architecture." In the Department of Environmental Science and Design, which is known for being very busy, Mr. S has actively participated not only in classes but also in project activities. We asked him to look back on his student life and job hunting.
Learning various perspectives centered on "architecture"
I was attracted to the environment with a variety of project activities
From an early age, I loved building houses with blocks, and I naturally began to think, "I want to build my dream house in the future." My interest in architecture only grew, and when I was in high school, I started aiming to enter a university where I could study architecture.The Architecture and Interior Design course at Showa Women's University's Faculty of Environmental Science and Design, Department of Environmental Science and Design, has a well-structured curriculum that allows students to obtain the qualification to take the exam to become a first-class architect upon graduation. In addition, there are various project activities in addition to classroom learning, and the environment is well-equipped to learn on-site, which is why I chose Showa Women's University. This is because I wanted to deepen my learning by gaining experience on-site. As an aside, Showa Women's University is located in Sangenjaya, close to the city center, and another reason I was attracted to the university is its convenient location.
Learning outside the classroom
I had been interested in project activities even before I enrolled. Even though I was busy with classes and assignments, I participated in two activities.
The first one was the "1/1workshop" held as a project exercise by the Department of Environmental Science and Design, which I discovered when I was in high school and wondering what university to go to. Unfortunately, there were a lot of applicants when I was a first-year student (it was a popular project), so I was not able to participate, but I was finally able to participate in my third year.
In this workshop, we create spaces that cannot be expressed with the architectural models (1/50, 1/100, etc.) we usually make in class, at a scale of 1/1, i.e. life-size. The year I participated, we created an exhibit that made use of a "stump" on campus and showed it to visitors at Showa Women's University's school festival, the "Kosō Festival." Based on the concept of creating a space where visitors can relax, rather than just an exhibit, we planned to install hammocks. Since the visitors to the Kosō Festival are of all ages, we asked the teacher to sit on the life-size model and carefully checked its safety so that it would not only be fun but also safe for everyone, regardless of age or gender. As a result, there were no accidents on the day of the Kosō Festival, and many people were able to enjoy it safely.
I believe that the experience I gained through this project, not only from having fun but also from realizing the importance of safety considerations, will be useful in my work at the company I have been accepted to.
The first one was the "1/1workshop" held as a project exercise by the Department of Environmental Science and Design, which I discovered when I was in high school and wondering what university to go to. Unfortunately, there were a lot of applicants when I was a first-year student (it was a popular project), so I was not able to participate, but I was finally able to participate in my third year.
In this workshop, we create spaces that cannot be expressed with the architectural models (1/50, 1/100, etc.) we usually make in class, at a scale of 1/1, i.e. life-size. The year I participated, we created an exhibit that made use of a "stump" on campus and showed it to visitors at Showa Women's University's school festival, the "Kosō Festival." Based on the concept of creating a space where visitors can relax, rather than just an exhibit, we planned to install hammocks. Since the visitors to the Kosō Festival are of all ages, we asked the teacher to sit on the life-size model and carefully checked its safety so that it would not only be fun but also safe for everyone, regardless of age or gender. As a result, there were no accidents on the day of the Kosō Festival, and many people were able to enjoy it safely.
I believe that the experience I gained through this project, not only from having fun but also from realizing the importance of safety considerations, will be useful in my work at the company I have been accepted to.
A hammock surrounding the completed "stump"
The day before the Koshiro Festival, the assembly work had to be done in the rain.
Also, in my second year, I participated in the "Niigata Murakami Project," which is a town development activity in Murakami City, Niigata Prefecture. In this project, we participate in the "Murakami Evening Bamboo Lantern Festival," which is held every year in the castle town of Murakami City, Niigata Prefecture, and create and exhibit displays with a different concept each year with the aim of livening up the festival. However, since 2, the event has not been held for a while due to the spread of COVID-2020, so I ended up participating in this important year, the first time it has been held in four years. As it was the first time the city has held the event in a long time, I created a windmill object with the concept theme of "breathing a new wind into the town," which was well received.
Lighting the bamboo lanterns
My career design
History of Activities
| Companies participating in internships | 9 companies |
| Participating companies in the information session | About 10 companies (excluding joint company information sessions) |
| Entry companies | 9 companies |
| Student Interviews | 5 times |
| Use of working mentors | 2 times (Mentor Cafe and Mentor Fair) |
After consulting at the center, the flow of my job search changed completely
I started looking for a job around June of my third year, and participated in internships at nine companies during the summer.Since I had participated in an internship, I was told about early selection in October, and the actual hiring process started early. However, I was not good at writing application forms, so when I applied for internships, I only applied to companies that did not have document screening. Therefore, after the early selection process started, I was worried about how to write an application form.
In that state, there was no way I would pass the document screening, and after repeatedly failing the document screening, a friend told me about the Career Support Center. He told me that it was pretty good when he went there, so I thought, "Well, maybe I should give it a try," and that's when I first went to the Career Support Center. It was in November of my third year.
During the individual interview, my application form was corrected and I was given feedback on key points for writing documents as well as my own writing habits. After I rewrote my documents following the advice from the center, I passed all of the document screening!
Having a third party look at my application rather than just myself allowed me to brush up on my writing, which allowed me to create an application form that I was satisfied with, and this made a huge difference in the course of my job search.
The interview is a place for people to get to know me
When I first started taking interviews, I would memorize lines such as my motivation for applying and self-promotion, but I would sometimes feel frustrated because I would get so nervous that I couldn't remember them and couldn't answer questions. Looking back now, I think the reason I wasn't hired was because I thought that interviews were a place to see how I would respond under high levels of tension and stress.When I went to the Career Support Center for advice after having a hard time passing the interview selection process, I was given the advice, "An interview is a place to find out what kind of person you are. It's important to clearly communicate about yourself." This greatly changed my preconceptions. In subsequent interviews, I was able to speak about myself leisurely with a smile in response to any question so that the interviewer could get to know "me," and I was able to pass the selection process.
Future leader of a big project
I loved theme parks from an early age, and even now I frequently visit them with my mother. My desire to work in the construction and facilities of my beloved theme parks has not changed at all since I started job hunting, and I have continued to pursue my job search with this in mind.I am extremely happy to have received a job offer for a technical position at a theme park management company, which has been my dream, and in the future I hope to become a leader who is entrusted with large projects.
Message to juniors
Of course, sometimes job hunting doesn't go as expected, but I have experienced that by consulting with friends, teachers, and the Career Support Center, new paths can open up. When things aren't going as expected, I hope you won't keep it to yourself, but talk to those around you. Sometimes you may feel anxious when you hear about your friends' job hunting experiences, but there's no need to compare yourself to others and feel anxious.In addition, while skills and experience are important, I think it is even more important to convey your enthusiasm. If you convey your enthusiasm honestly and carefully, the interviewer will surely pick up on that enthusiasm.
Job hunting can be difficult, but I hope you will keep trying until you find a career path that you are satisfied with, so that you will not have any regrets in the future.
May 2024th