Pursuing both "excitement" and "aspirations," she successfully secured a job offer from Takara Standard, a leading company in the industry!
# Entrance exam preparation experiences
Japan High School Baseball Federation
Faculty Faculty of Business Administration of Business Administration
Company where I received a job offer: Takara Standard Co., Ltd.
Company where I received a job offer: Takara Standard Co., Ltd.
2022.10.13
Kota Yagi Asia University Career Center x Takanoren (4th year student, Faculty of Business Administration) Taro Fukui Asia University Student Affairs Office Career Center x Yuka Kurosawa (4th year student, Faculty of International Relations)
—"I was always encouraged by the 'final push' from Career Center staff."
In this article, we will reveal the "realistic job hunting situation of today" through a dialogue between Career Center staff member and a student who secured a job offer with their support. This time, we have invited Ren Takano, a fourth-year student Faculty of Business Administration. Through a conversation with Kota Yagi, a staff member of our center who supported his job hunting, we will explore the trajectory of Takano's job hunting that led to his job offer at Takara Standard Co., Ltd., one of the leading companies in the industry, and the role that Career Center played in supporting him behind the scenes.
Yagi: Takano-kun started his job search relatively early, right? From Sophomore?
Takano: Going to a joint company information session for Sophomore year was a major starting point for me. I had started thinking about employment since high school, and at the time I was planning to start taking action when I became a third-year university student, but in reality I ended up starting earlier than that. When I first started job hunting, I was thinking about a toy manufacturer, which I liked, but after going to the joint information session, I learned about various companies other than toys. At that time, I was doing self-analysis and aptitude tests as the entry point to job hunting, and I realized that what I really wanted to do was work for a manufacturer, so I decided to proceed with that as my base. My father also works for a manufacturer, so I think that had a big influence on me as well.
Yagi: I think our first contact was around the winter of Junior.
Takano: That's right. I spoke with other staff members at Career Center, and they all had the impression that "if it's a manufacturer, it has to be Yagi-san."
Yagi: Well, I myself originally wanted to work for a manufacturer. There are many good companies in the manufacturing sector, but because of the impression that "manufacturers = science and engineering majors," they aren't really considered by students at Asia University, which only offers liberal arts programs. That's why I'm creating opportunities for liberal arts graduates to find jobs at manufacturing companies through Course and company information sessions.
Takano: I'm the kind of person who's drawn to things I don't know about. So I wanted to learn about niche manufacturers that I didn't know about, and that's how I met Yagi-san.
—"I was always encouraged by the 'final push' from Career Center staff."
In this article, we will reveal the "realistic job hunting situation of today" through a dialogue between Career Center staff member and a student who secured a job offer with their support. This time, we have invited Ren Takano, a fourth-year student Faculty of Business Administration. Through a conversation with Kota Yagi, a staff member of our center who supported his job hunting, we will explore the trajectory of Takano's job hunting that led to his job offer at Takara Standard Co., Ltd., one of the leading companies in the industry, and the role that Career Center played in supporting him behind the scenes.
Please enter your text.
We started our activities by targeting manufacturers.
Takano: Going to a joint company information session for Sophomore year was a major starting point for me. I had started thinking about employment since high school, and at the time I was planning to start taking action when I became a third-year university student, but in reality I ended up starting earlier than that. When I first started job hunting, I was thinking about a toy manufacturer, which I liked, but after going to the joint information session, I learned about various companies other than toys. At that time, I was doing self-analysis and aptitude tests as the entry point to job hunting, and I realized that what I really wanted to do was work for a manufacturer, so I decided to proceed with that as my base. My father also works for a manufacturer, so I think that had a big influence on me as well.
Yagi: I think our first contact was around the winter of Junior.
Takano: That's right. I spoke with other staff members at Career Center, and they all had the impression that "if it's a manufacturer, it has to be Yagi-san."
Yagi: Well, I myself originally wanted to work for a manufacturer. There are many good companies in the manufacturing sector, but because of the impression that "manufacturers = science and engineering majors," they aren't really considered by students at Asia University, which only offers liberal arts programs. That's why I'm creating opportunities for liberal arts graduates to find jobs at manufacturing companies through Course and company information sessions.
Takano: I'm the kind of person who's drawn to things I don't know about. So I wanted to learn about niche manufacturers that I didn't know about, and that's how I met Yagi-san.
Please enter your text.
The interviews had become a source of emotional support.
Yagi: What were your criteria and priorities when choosing a company to work for?
Takano: There are several reasons. First, the company culture and atmosphere. Second, I wanted to be involved with overseas business. I studied abroad in the United States for a month, and I was very curious about the different ways of thinking and cultures that I had encountered before. Third, I wanted to see if I could continue to work with a sense of curiosity. I was attracted to the environment, such as the fact that the company does business with various industries. I decided on Takara Standard, and the main reason is that they deal with everyday, visible products such as kitchens and bathrooms.
Yagi: My impression of Takano-kun is that he's incredibly serious. When I first spoke to him, I thought, "He's probably the kind of person who could succeed in any company." However, despite being serious, he lacked confidence. Perhaps because of that, I was also impressed by how quickly he responded. When I asked other students to rewrite their statements of purpose, it usually took about a week, but Takano-kun would submit his in about two days.
Takano: I'm a worrier. I want to get rid of my anxieties as soon as possible.
Yagi: But that initiative led to confidence and results. Job seekers are polarized into two types: those who will act on their own if given information, and those who can't act unless they are thoroughly supported. Takano is the former.
Takano: It's really hard to decide which direction to take, but if someone points the way and says, "This way!", you can move forward with confidence. Ms. Yagi's advice was often like that, helping me to set a direction. As I continued my job search, there were times when I wavered in direction, so it was very reassuring.
Yagi: To be honest, I hardly did any proofreading or instruction. Except for the first few meetings, the interviews were just casual conversation and providing information. Things like, "This is how this industry is," or "This might be a good target," etc.
Takano: I would talk to Yagi about whatever I wanted to talk about, and occasionally get hints from him. But that was really a source of support for me.
Yagi: Things were going so smoothly that there were days when we thought, "Maybe we didn't even need to have a meeting today?"
Takano: I probably already knew that this was good enough, but I went to see them because I wanted that final push.
Takano: There are several reasons. First, the company culture and atmosphere. Second, I wanted to be involved with overseas business. I studied abroad in the United States for a month, and I was very curious about the different ways of thinking and cultures that I had encountered before. Third, I wanted to see if I could continue to work with a sense of curiosity. I was attracted to the environment, such as the fact that the company does business with various industries. I decided on Takara Standard, and the main reason is that they deal with everyday, visible products such as kitchens and bathrooms.
Yagi: My impression of Takano-kun is that he's incredibly serious. When I first spoke to him, I thought, "He's probably the kind of person who could succeed in any company." However, despite being serious, he lacked confidence. Perhaps because of that, I was also impressed by how quickly he responded. When I asked other students to rewrite their statements of purpose, it usually took about a week, but Takano-kun would submit his in about two days.
Takano: I'm a worrier. I want to get rid of my anxieties as soon as possible.
Yagi: But that initiative led to confidence and results. Job seekers are polarized into two types: those who will act on their own if given information, and those who can't act unless they are thoroughly supported. Takano is the former.
Takano: It's really hard to decide which direction to take, but if someone points the way and says, "This way!", you can move forward with confidence. Ms. Yagi's advice was often like that, helping me to set a direction. As I continued my job search, there were times when I wavered in direction, so it was very reassuring.
Yagi: To be honest, I hardly did any proofreading or instruction. Except for the first few meetings, the interviews were just casual conversation and providing information. Things like, "This is how this industry is," or "This might be a good target," etc.
Takano: I would talk to Yagi about whatever I wanted to talk about, and occasionally get hints from him. But that was really a source of support for me.
Yagi: Things were going so smoothly that there were days when we thought, "Maybe we didn't even need to have a meeting today?"
Takano: I probably already knew that this was good enough, but I went to see them because I wanted that final push.
Please enter your text.
It's important to cherish "what excites you."
Yagi: You mentioned your father earlier, and he was also a graduate Asia University, right?
Takano: That's right. So it's not like he recommended the same university to me, but when I was deciding which university to attend, my father's stories about things like "my friends went abroad to study during their student days" and "this is what they did when job hunting" definitely helped me make my decision when I applied to several schools.
Yagi: So, your father is a very important figure to you, Takano-kun.
Takano: As I was doing self-analysis for my job search, I realized that, in the end, I want to be like my father. Whether it was going to college or studying abroad, he's the kind of person who encourages his children, telling them, "Do what you want to do, I'll support you." I am who I am today because of him. When I have my own family in the future, I want to be able to do the same for my children.
Yagi: What do you think is important for high school students who are about to enter university when they are thinking about employment and their careers?
Takano: I think the most important thing is to find what you want to do and what you enjoy. In my case, the key was finding out what piqued my curiosity and excited me. I had always longed to go abroad, so Takara Standard, which has started to venture into overseas business and seems to have expanding business opportunities, was very appealing to me. I feel excited about the rapidly growing Asian countries because I feel like I can relive a time in Japan that was once vibrant and energetic, a time I don't know.
Yagi: I hope you'll have lots of exciting things to look forward to when you enter society. Keep up the good work!
Takano: That's right. So it's not like he recommended the same university to me, but when I was deciding which university to attend, my father's stories about things like "my friends went abroad to study during their student days" and "this is what they did when job hunting" definitely helped me make my decision when I applied to several schools.
Yagi: So, your father is a very important figure to you, Takano-kun.
Takano: As I was doing self-analysis for my job search, I realized that, in the end, I want to be like my father. Whether it was going to college or studying abroad, he's the kind of person who encourages his children, telling them, "Do what you want to do, I'll support you." I am who I am today because of him. When I have my own family in the future, I want to be able to do the same for my children.
Yagi: What do you think is important for high school students who are about to enter university when they are thinking about employment and their careers?
Takano: I think the most important thing is to find what you want to do and what you enjoy. In my case, the key was finding out what piqued my curiosity and excited me. I had always longed to go abroad, so Takara Standard, which has started to venture into overseas business and seems to have expanding business opportunities, was very appealing to me. I feel excited about the rapidly growing Asian countries because I feel like I can relive a time in Japan that was once vibrant and energetic, a time I don't know.
Yagi: I hope you'll have lots of exciting things to look forward to when you enter society. Keep up the good work!