Hello, I’m Poonya from Thailand! I came to Japan in 2017 as a high school student.

I attended UWC ISAK Japan, an international boarding high school in Karuizawa, Japan where my older sister also studied. Seeing her growth through the experience, inspired me to step out of my comfort zone and take on the challenge of studying abroad. Based on an International Baccalaureate (IB) curriculum,  all classes were taught in English, however, I had many opportunities to experience Japanese culture, including taking beginner-level Japanese lessons and volunteering at local high schools and events.

Upon receiving a full bachelor’s scholarship from The Nippon Foundation,  my dream of studying at a Japanese university came true. I enrolled in Sophia University's English-taught program, the Sophia Program for Sustainable Futures where I majored in Sociology. With the intention of giving back to the Japanese society who made my educational journey here possible, I thought to myself what better way than to work in Japan? That was the moment that marked the start of my job hunting journey.

Since October 2024, I have joined the Sales & Marketing department at SUNTECH.

In university, I focused on learning Japanese, participating in extracurricular activities and internships, on top of maintaining good academic records. I wanted to strengthen my Japanese skills, since I planned to work in Japan after graduation. To find out what my interests are and refine my career goals, I interned at startups and research institutes in both Thailand and Japan. Most of the activities I participated in were related to sustainability and entrepreneurship.

In my first and second year, I worked at a startup as a marketing intern where English was the primary language. However, in my third year, I applied to work as a student staff member in Sophia University's Diversity and Sustainability Office, which significantly improved my Japanese skills. All the team members were Japanese, hence, opening up the opportunity for me to challenge myself with writing meeting minutes, handling phone calls, and giving presentations in Japanese.

Additionally, I competed in the Hult Prize, a global social business contest, whereI won second place at Sophia University, and  advanced to the regional competition in Taiwan.

While I acquired N2 in my third year, I realised the need to brush up my Japanese in order to succeed at job-hunting. So in my fourth year, I attended a Japanese language school. If I could go back to my university days, I would have immersed myself in environments which forced me to speak Japanese more often. For example, if I did part-time jobs, joined a club or found a community where I could interact with others in Japanese, it would have helped me develop more practical communication skills.

1. If your goal is to work in Japan, learning Japanese is essential.

2. Understanding your interests is crucial, and internships or extracurricular activities can serve as valuable tools for self-analysis.

3. Seek for feedback. Finding mentors who can advise you during the job-hunting process is helpful. Your mentor doesn’t need to be someone who stays by your side the entire time. Instead, someone who provides targeted and timely feedback when you need it can make a big difference. Communities like JPort, where people with similar goals gather, can also be beneficial.

4. While understanding and adapting to Japan's job-hunting process is necessary, international students don’t need to do everything the same way as Japanese students. For instance, I used a recruiter who supports foreign nationals in their job search, to receive help with my application documents and interview preparation.

5. Be creative in designing your job-hunting experience. Apart from attending career fairs, I visited FRESC (Foreign Residents Support Center) and watched Shun Diary on YouTube to gain tips for job hunting in Japan.

Lastly, believe in yourself. During my job hunting, there were times when I lost confidence and struggled to maintain a healthy relationship with myself. It’s essential to value your unique experiences, background, and differences. There will be good and bad days, but staying focused on your goal of working in Japan and doing everything you can to achieve it is key.

And, of course, everyone would say the same thing: Start early! The earlier you begin and the more you fail at the start, the better prepared you’ll be when it counts. I wish you the best on your journey! Good luck!

At SUNTECH, we design and manufacture industrial equipment, and I work in the Sales & Marketing department. Having been at the company for two months, I’m still in training, so I’d like to share what is expected of a sales representative and what I’ve learned so far.

Sales representatives are at the forefront of the company. They handle not only communication with clients but also coordination with subcontractors and internal departments. This requires you to have technical expertise, be detail-oriented, have strong management, and communication skills.

During the first two months, I participated in internal training and received mentorship from our Executive Managing Director, but there’s also a lot I need to learn on my own.

When people think of sales, they might imagine immediately visiting clients and making deals after joining the company. However, it takes time in manufacturing to build technical know-how, relationships, and trust with internal departments and external clients. It typically takes six months to a year before a sales representative is entrusted with clients.

In addition to desk work, I interpret for technical trainees from Thailand and assist when local school students visit our company for tours.

About SUNTECH

Most of my colleagues are from the local area, and there are differences in language and lived experiences. However, I’ve never felt excluded; they’ve shown a strong interest in hearing my story. I genuinely feel respected as an essential member of the team.

We even receive Christmas cakes to take home to our families. The company organizes outdoor activities for international employees, and there are even takoyaki parties hosted by the CEO’s mother. You can see and feel that SUNTECH values family and does everything “all for the family.”

At SUNTECH, beyond the smooth integration you'll experience, one of my favorite aspects is our interconnected office and factory complex. Here, you can engage with the very products we manufacture and learn directly from the 職人さん (craftsmen) whose hard work bring these industrial machines—integral to our society—to life.

Our rural location at SUNTECH does not limit our diversity! With a global mission, an expanding international team representing six different countries, and joint ventures in China, Myanmar, and Thailand, SUNTECH provides an environment where you can leverage your global experience and language skills.

Who fits SUNTECH?

1. People interested in or experienced with B2B transactions

2. Self-motivated individuals with a strong commitment to their work

3. Results-oriented individuals who prioritize building a solid foundation, even if it takes time

4. People interested in working at a medium-sized Japanese manufacturing company with a GLOBAL working environment and vision!