I honed my skills through online study abroad and received a job offer from QVC Japan, a major mail-order company!
# Entrance exam preparation experiences
Yuka Kurosawa
Department of Department of Multicultural Communication Faculty of International Relations
Company where I received a job offer: QVC Japan Inc.
Company where I received a job offer: QVC Japan Inc.
2022.11.10
Taro Fukui from Career Center Student Affairs Office Asia University and Yuka Kurosawa (4th-year student, Faculty of International Relations)
— "Even during the COVID-19 pandemic, I was able to set goals and work steadily towards them."
This article aims to reveal the "realistic job hunting situation of today" by featuring a conversation between Career Center staff member and a student who secured a job offer with their support, and introducing the path to obtaining a job offer. Our guest this time is Yuka Kurosawa, a fourth-year student Faculty of International Relations, who received a job offer from QVC Japan, a major foreign-owned company in the mail-order industry. Through a conversation with Taro Fukui, a staff member of our center who mainly advised her in individual consultations, we will explore Kurosawa's job hunting journey and the role of Career Center supported her behind the scenes.
Fukui: I understand that your reason for enrolling in Faculty of International Relations Asia University was that you became interested in foreign languages and cultures after a short-term study abroad program in Canada during high school, and that you chose this university because of its excellent study abroad program.
Kurosawa: That's right. In high school, we also had an opportunity to have Taiwanese high school students come to our school as part of an international exchange event. I became friends with a Taiwanese girl at that time, and as we continued to communicate on social media, I became interested in the Chinese language and Chinese culture.
Fukui: So, you enrolled in the "“ASIA YUME COLLEGE”" program, where you could deeply study Chinese language, culture, economics, and business. Originally, you were also supposed to study abroad in China or do an internship there, right?
Kurosawa: That's right. But in the end, I couldn't go there due to the pandemic, so everything went online. For my online study abroad, I set a goal to overcome my weaknesses in pronunciation and vocabulary. By actively participating in weekly online events where I conversed with local university students outside of class, I became able to listen to what others were saying and then construct my own sentences to speak. Thanks to that, after my study abroad, I was able to win third place in a Chinese speech contest held in my class.
Fukui: I see, so you were able to raise your level that much even online. How was your internship after that?
Kurosawa: I did an online internship at a local consulate for a month. I posted articles in Chinese on the consulate's WeChat account, sharing Japanese trends with local Chinese people, and also created documents.
— "Even during the COVID-19 pandemic, I was able to set goals and work steadily towards them."
This article aims to reveal the "realistic job hunting situation of today" by featuring a conversation between Career Center staff member and a student who secured a job offer with their support, and introducing the path to obtaining a job offer. Our guest this time is Yuka Kurosawa, a fourth-year student Faculty of International Relations, who received a job offer from QVC Japan, a major foreign-owned company in the mail-order industry. Through a conversation with Taro Fukui, a staff member of our center who mainly advised her in individual consultations, we will explore Kurosawa's job hunting journey and the role of Career Center supported her behind the scenes.
Please enter your text.
I became interested in Chinese culture and enrolled in the "“ASIA YUME COLLEGE”" program.
Kurosawa: That's right. In high school, we also had an opportunity to have Taiwanese high school students come to our school as part of an international exchange event. I became friends with a Taiwanese girl at that time, and as we continued to communicate on social media, I became interested in the Chinese language and Chinese culture.
Fukui: So, you enrolled in the "“ASIA YUME COLLEGE”" program, where you could deeply study Chinese language, culture, economics, and business. Originally, you were also supposed to study abroad in China or do an internship there, right?
Kurosawa: That's right. But in the end, I couldn't go there due to the pandemic, so everything went online. For my online study abroad, I set a goal to overcome my weaknesses in pronunciation and vocabulary. By actively participating in weekly online events where I conversed with local university students outside of class, I became able to listen to what others were saying and then construct my own sentences to speak. Thanks to that, after my study abroad, I was able to win third place in a Chinese speech contest held in my class.
Fukui: I see, so you were able to raise your level that much even online. How was your internship after that?
Kurosawa: I did an online internship at a local consulate for a month. I posted articles in Chinese on the consulate's WeChat account, sharing Japanese trends with local Chinese people, and also created documents.
Please enter your text.
What's important is "self-awareness."
Fukui: I remember first meeting Kurosawa-san during an individual interview in May of Junior. After that, she participated in the "Job Hunting Preparation Seminar" that I was in charge of. In this seminar, I hold classes with the belief that it should be the first step in preparing for job hunting, covering topics such as how to create self-introduction letters and resumes for applying to companies, what to look for when research companies, and introducing useful tools.
Kurosawa: Around that time, I was watching videos and things like that to find out what job hunting entailed, but I couldn't really get a clear picture of it, so I thought I'd participate in a seminar to learn more. I still hadn't decided which industry I wanted to work in, though.
Fukui: My impression of Ms. Kurosawa from our interview was that she is a student who diligently does what she needs to do. She has obtained qualifications such as the Chinese Proficiency Test and possesses high-level skills, so I thought it would be great if I could support her in making good use of what she has learned.
Kurosawa: I think participating in the mock interviews conducted by company HR personnel, which were also an event organized by Career Center, was extremely helpful.
Fukui: The biggest advantage of this event is that company representatives can give accurate advice based on their experience in recruitment.
Kurosawa: Getting feedback on how my story was being received by the interviewer gave me insights that I was able to apply to actual interviews. In my case, I was told that it would be better if I could talk about the various challenges I've taken on, such as studying abroad and internships, with more specificity. Since it was a group interview, the way the other people spoke and their attitudes were also helpful.
Fukui: When I was going through the job hunting process, I think I used Career Center 's individual consultations about 10 times, including with staff members other than myself.
Kurosawa: I received a variety of advice, from the content of my self-introduction and how to answer questions, to my speaking style and the impression I made.
Fukui: Our stance is that we want to value "self-awareness." There are hints for what you can appeal to people in the things you take for granted. Also, we conduct interviews with the intention of helping people gain confidence and boost their motivation.
Kurosawa: Around that time, I was watching videos and things like that to find out what job hunting entailed, but I couldn't really get a clear picture of it, so I thought I'd participate in a seminar to learn more. I still hadn't decided which industry I wanted to work in, though.
Fukui: My impression of Ms. Kurosawa from our interview was that she is a student who diligently does what she needs to do. She has obtained qualifications such as the Chinese Proficiency Test and possesses high-level skills, so I thought it would be great if I could support her in making good use of what she has learned.
Kurosawa: I think participating in the mock interviews conducted by company HR personnel, which were also an event organized by Career Center, was extremely helpful.
Fukui: The biggest advantage of this event is that company representatives can give accurate advice based on their experience in recruitment.
Kurosawa: Getting feedback on how my story was being received by the interviewer gave me insights that I was able to apply to actual interviews. In my case, I was told that it would be better if I could talk about the various challenges I've taken on, such as studying abroad and internships, with more specificity. Since it was a group interview, the way the other people spoke and their attitudes were also helpful.
Fukui: When I was going through the job hunting process, I think I used Career Center 's individual consultations about 10 times, including with staff members other than myself.
Kurosawa: I received a variety of advice, from the content of my self-introduction and how to answer questions, to my speaking style and the impression I made.
Fukui: Our stance is that we want to value "self-awareness." There are hints for what you can appeal to people in the things you take for granted. Also, we conduct interviews with the intention of helping people gain confidence and boost their motivation.
Please enter your text.
Despite the limitations, I will do my best to the best of my ability.
Fukui: Many students are currently interested in content businesses such as online shopping. However, to be honest, the selection process is very competitive. Kurosawa, what do you think were your strengths that allowed you to pass through that narrow gate?
Kurosawa: First of all, they were very interested in the online study abroad and internship programs in China offered by Yume College. I couldn't actually go because of the pandemic, but I think they saw that I had a goal and worked steadily towards it even under those circumstances. I was originally interested in web design, and since I was spending a lot of time at home during the pandemic, I spent some time studying web design on my own, and I talked about that during the interview.
Fukui: Instead of saying, "I couldn't do anything during the pandemic," I emphasized that I looked for what I could do in that environment and took proactive action. That might have been a big factor. Do you think that studying will be useful at the company where you've been offered a job?
Kurosawa: We used to hire by department and job type, but CSB (Content, Sales Strategy & Broadcasting)
The department I'm assigned to is a combination of three areas: digital content, sales strategy, and broadcasting. I'll be assigned to one of these departments. I told them in my interview that I wanted to work in digital content, so I'm hoping to be assigned there.
Fukui: It looks like you'll have more opportunities to use English, right?
Kurosawa: There are a lot of foreigners working here, and I hear that they often speak English in meetings and everyday conversations. So I think I need to put more effort into studying English before I graduate.
Fukui: When students first enter university, I think there are many who don't know what they want to do in the future. I thought Kurosawa-san might be one of them. However, she gained some insights from joining the Dream College at the university and gaining experience through internships at consular offices, right? Asia University has a variety of programs like that, so if you make good use of them, even if you don't know your desired career options now, there's a high possibility that various opportunities will come your way while you're still a student.
Kurosawa: That's right. I think that once you enter university, you'll find something you want to study or something you want to challenge yourself with, so I think it's important to have a goal and work steadily towards it.
“ASIA YUME COLLEGE” is a four-year integrated career development program. As part of the curriculum, students typically participate in a four-month Chinese language training program and a two-month internship in Dalian, China, during the spring semester of their second year. Please check the link below for the latest information on studying abroad.
https://www.asia-u.ac.jp/international/
Kurosawa: First of all, they were very interested in the online study abroad and internship programs in China offered by Yume College. I couldn't actually go because of the pandemic, but I think they saw that I had a goal and worked steadily towards it even under those circumstances. I was originally interested in web design, and since I was spending a lot of time at home during the pandemic, I spent some time studying web design on my own, and I talked about that during the interview.
Fukui: Instead of saying, "I couldn't do anything during the pandemic," I emphasized that I looked for what I could do in that environment and took proactive action. That might have been a big factor. Do you think that studying will be useful at the company where you've been offered a job?
Kurosawa: We used to hire by department and job type, but CSB (Content, Sales Strategy & Broadcasting)
The department I'm assigned to is a combination of three areas: digital content, sales strategy, and broadcasting. I'll be assigned to one of these departments. I told them in my interview that I wanted to work in digital content, so I'm hoping to be assigned there.
Fukui: It looks like you'll have more opportunities to use English, right?
Kurosawa: There are a lot of foreigners working here, and I hear that they often speak English in meetings and everyday conversations. So I think I need to put more effort into studying English before I graduate.
Fukui: When students first enter university, I think there are many who don't know what they want to do in the future. I thought Kurosawa-san might be one of them. However, she gained some insights from joining the Dream College at the university and gaining experience through internships at consular offices, right? Asia University has a variety of programs like that, so if you make good use of them, even if you don't know your desired career options now, there's a high possibility that various opportunities will come your way while you're still a student.
Kurosawa: That's right. I think that once you enter university, you'll find something you want to study or something you want to challenge yourself with, so I think it's important to have a goal and work steadily towards it.
“ASIA YUME COLLEGE” is a four-year integrated career development program. As part of the curriculum, students typically participate in a four-month Chinese language training program and a two-month internship in Dalian, China, during the spring semester of their second year. Please check the link below for the latest information on studying abroad.
https://www.asia-u.ac.jp/international/