Hello, my name is Keisuke Kokusho, and I’m originally from Kagoshima, Japan. I graduated from The University of Tokyo (東京大学) in 2019, and I started working for Microsoft as part of the OCP (One Commercial Partner) Team from April 2020.

Most Memorable Activity During College 

I was most impressed by my internship experience at an IoT-based startup. The close proximity to management and engineers allowed me to learn about product management, the management of startups as well as marketing know-how as my role. And most of all, it was good to be involved in the innovative business of a decentralized power platform. As you know, Japan is a country without resources, so I think the ability to build a decentralized power platform that utilizes clean energy will determine whether there will be a stable and clean power supply in the future. After joining Microsoft, I hope to find such an innovative company and grow the business with them.

What I Wish I Did If I Could Go Back 

I should have been more proactive in engaging with people who are less accessible once they're out of college. For example, researchers who are doing interesting things. When you become a member of society, a lot of nasty problems can happen. They sniff out business-like stories and don't meet you easily. During college, you should jump into an environment where you can interact not only with students in your major or in your circle but also with other people in the community. For example, in my case, I was able to meet many acquaintances at an entrepreneur session, regardless of their undergraduate year and their specialty.It's easy to hang out with people you're close to, but there may be a more interesting future out there if you venture out of that existing community.

Meet OB and OG

The first thing to remember is that there are various types of job industries in Japan. So it's important to know which are the ones that you are interested in working for. Furthermore, there are also various types of companies in Japan, even within the same industry. To find out more about this information, other than just researching on the internet it is also recommended to try to meet up with OBOG (alumni from your own university) from the companies you are interested in. And from them you will be able to know much more about the actual situation, and what it is like working in those companies.  

I’m sure working in companies that are big and well known will seem more appealing rather than working for a smaller scaled company. However, You should judge after considering the philosophy of the company you are applying to. Do not just look for the “cool” and popular companies that all your peers are applying for, but look for the ones that match your own dreams and values. In that way, it will be much easier to apply and could become an enjoyable work in the long term. 

Know the Japanese Working Style

When working with customers and clients, it is normal that they will request the highest quality of results from your work, and in Japan, it's especially even higher. Japanese customers have high standards compared to other countries in the world. Quality control is one other important aspect of doing work in Japan. You have to bear that in mind all the time in order to do well at your job. 

The Skill of Keeping Up With Latest Trends

It is important to always know and understand the newest trends in the industry that you are aiming to work at.  For example, if you want to work in the information technology industry, it is good to keep up with cutting-edge technology such as cloud computing, quantum computing, AI, mixed reality, etc. Strong programming and data science skills are not compulsory for the business track, but knowing the basics would definitely give you an advantage.