Hi Everyone! My name is Dian from Vietnam. I moved to Japan for university after high school. However, with Covid 19, I spent more than 1 year in Vietnam doing internships and competitions in person before moving back for my last two years. I graduated last fall with a Culture, Society, and Media degree from Ritsumeikan Asia Pacific University. Now, I am working as an associate on the Client Service team at AlphaSights!

Why Japan?

Growing up I was lucky enough to have been exposed to Japanese culture through an exchange program organized by Sumitomo Corporation. It was a 3-year program from 7th to 9th grade, where the company organized Japanese lessons taught by native speakers and cultural exchanges like trying on kimonos and more every weekend. Not only was it a fun and immersive experience, but it was also a great opportunity for me to learn a new language as the requirement to finish the program was to obtain a JLPT N5 level certification. It required commitment and time to pass the exam, but it was all worth it as I fell in love with Japanese culture and my interest in the country only grew.

Club Activities and Teacher Assistant

During my time online and in person I participated in multiple teaching assistant positions where I learned soft skills such as organization, leadership, and time management. Not only did it benefit me academically, but socially I was able to meet many students from diverse backgrounds which helped me gain cultural sensitivity. Outside of teaching, I joined clubs and circles that aligned with my media major as I wanted to participate in activities that would help me develop skills related to my degree. I was a part of the Social Media Unit at APU where the team is responsible for content on the university’s website, Instagram, Facebook, and other social media platforms. We cover multicultural weeks, school events, and business competitions by taking photographs and curating a caption that encapsulates the event’s activities and experience into words. My advice to students is to not commit to various clubs and circles but instead choose one that meets all your interests and goals.

Internship Experience

Due to my unique experience at university, having 2 years online and the other 2 in-person, my experience might not resonate as much with the current university students. When COVID-19’s situation worsened in Japan, I decided to travel back home and spend almost 2 years in Vietnam. Although it was difficult to adjust to the new normal, I decided to take COVID-19 as an opportunity to explore my options and apply to multiple internships around Vietnam. As a media major, I applied to different advertising, journalism, and newspaper companies, hoping to gain insight into what kind of company I want to work for after graduation. After multiple applications and interviews, I was finally offered an intern position at an advertising start-up in Ho Chi Minh City.

Receiving that offer opened many doors for me for the next two years but it required me to move out of my hometown and live in Ho Chi Minh with my relatives for 6 months. Being in a bigger city, I was able to connect with different people in the industry as well as be exposed to business competitions organized by multinational companies like L'Oréal. I applied to L'Oréal's competition with my fellow interns which helped me expand my network with people in the beauty and cosmetics industry. This aided my research and presentation to reach the finals and place second in the competition. After the competition, I was offered an internship at Loreal for 3 months where I gained new skills, and expertise and met a wide range of people. This led to my last in-person internship during university at Estée Lauder for another 3 months.

As COVID-19 cases died down and people adapted to the new normal, Japan slowly opened its borders and APU resumed in-person classes after a 2-year hiatus. It was time for me to move back to Japan, however, that did not stop me from applying to remote internships around the world. I ended up working as an intern for the longest time remotely for a company in Singapore. The internship lasted for around 8 months and it was a great opportunity for me to learn and gain insight from people in another country without physically being present. With the pandemic, I took it upon myself to maximize the time and opportunities presented as COVID-19 allowed me to have unique experiences that wouldn’t have been possible with traditional classes.

1. Do market research! A lot of people do not know that many companies in Japan do not require you to have a degree in a specific industry to apply, so you should take advantage of this. Besides that, keeping an open mind while job-hunting and applying to companies will help you explore more options instead of just applying to the big companies you’ve heard about. There are lots of other companies outside the "mainstream" career paths that you may not know and not doing enough research may hold you back from discovering an industry or company that meets all your needs.

2. Attend job seminars held by companies like JPort! They are organized to help you and guide you on this difficult journey so reach out to agencies and ask questions during the event! These were some ways I got all the answers to my questions and advice on job hunting and its processes.

3. Do short-term internships, even if it's only one or two days. Foreigners tend to limit themselves to long-term internships that might lead to a job, but here in Japan the work culture and companies rarely offer this opportunity. However, short-term internships enable you to learn more about the company's day-to-day operations through your own eyes instead of hearing about it from someone else’s perspective. You can also take advantage of this opportunity to see if you can imagine yourself working at the company long term.

4. Go to the Career Office at your university. They are there to help you, that is their job! The staff, both Japanese and foreigners, want students to succeed as they also want to improve the percentage of students who receive a job offer after graduation. Freely ask them for their advice on editing your resumes and practicing questions for a mock interview. I would do 3 mock interviews before the real one and this helped me release all the nervous energy in my body.

5. Lastly, take advantage of feedback! Japanese people tend to be kinder and give sugar-coated feedback so as not to hurt your feelings. I learned about this when after multiple career office visits with a Japanese person, I had one with a foreigner and she did not hold back on her feedback. It was refreshing because I learned about all the things I could have done better and changed to improve my resume. It is important to ask for critical advice and feedback — it is a gift that is often overlooked.

Practical Japanese for Professional Advancement

Number one is language as it is needed in the professional world as well as in your daily life. At APU, I think it’s really easy to only speak in English with international friends and have little to no opportunities to practice speaking the language. Still, it is important to push yourself outside of your comfort zone. A common misconception about working at an international company is that Japanese skill is not necessary but ultimately we still operate in Japan and with clients and projects based here, speaking Japanese is a necessity. Take the opportunity during university to work different part-time jobs and interact with locals to learn not only the language but also the mannerisms of the people. From personal experience, at my first job in the convenience store, I had very little Japanese skills resulting in the manager constantly reprimanding me for my mistakes. Although I didn’t understand most of his comments at the time, I continued to work at the store and practice my Japanese because without any practice there would be no improvement.

Presentation Skills

Mastering presentation skills is crucial for success, especially in a professional setting. APU has ample opportunities for students over the four years to improve these skills, with numerous chances to speak in front of a large audience. I learned through experience that the key is repetition and practice – the more you present, the more you shed those nerves. This process helps in conquering stage fright and teaches you how to structure your thoughts and ideas logically. I've found valuable insights on courses provided on platforms like Coursera, Udemy, and Google Garage, where I learned tips and tricks that significantly improved my presentation abilities. Initially, I would rely on a full script. Still, I gradually transitioned to condensing it down to sentences, then phrases, and finally to key points that I could remember, allowing me to deliver a more natural and engaging presentation. This is particularly helpful in Japanese because memorization can make it sound robotic and when presenting it is important to come off as relaxed and positive.

Important Skills Needed to Work at AlphaSights

Communications Skills

To thrive at AlphaSights, effective communication is key. You have to be able to express yourself clearly and confidently in meetings with our senior executives and clients. It's not just about being well-versed, but also about being eloquent in your interactions and discussions with the team. This skill is crucial when engaging with both top-tier clients and subject matter experts, as you'll find yourself speaking to a variety of individuals, from Japanese locals to international clients based around the world daily. The ability to communicate convincingly is essential to winning over clients and making meaningful connections in this dynamic environment.

Personal Motivation and Drive

Another vital aspect is personal ambition and drive. At AlphaSights, it's all about self-motivation because there won't be someone constantly pushing you to reach your KPIs or reminding you of meetings and deadlines. AlphaSights also offers you the autonomy and space to take ownership of your responsibilities, a testament to their belief in the importance of individual achievements. With around 10 projects awaiting your attention as soon as the day starts, it's crucial to have the internal drive to tackle these tasks head-on.   You need to genuinely want to take on these challenges and be motivated to excel, as it's your determination that will help you keep up in this fast-paced, demanding yet rewarding work environment.

Applying for AlphaSights

I applied to AlphaSights twice before landing a job here, the first time around I faced a setback after making it to the final interview with the Vice President. Undeterred and determined, I sought an internship in a client-facing and KPI-driven environment while waiting for the “cool off” period to end. Novelship Singapore offered me the opportunity to work as a sales intern, where I was responsible for managing KPIs like click rates, conversion rates, in-app and email open rates, and effectively tracked voucher/discount allocations. Working closely with the sales team to boost customer conversions from ads to purchases pushed me out of my comfort zone and accelerated my professional growth. At the end of this "cold period" following the initial rejection, I reapplied to AlphaSights. Recognizing the changes in myself, I reached out to Ayaka-san, expressing my belief in my growth and readiness to prove it. During the second round, again reaching the final interview with the Vice President, he acknowledged the significant positive changes and all the ways I have improved in the last six months. I dedicated time and effort to prove that I could succeed, emphasizing the importance of mental strength and preparedness throughout the challenging application process.

A question I frequently encounter revolves around how I changed during those six months. Initially focusing on surface-level outcomes, I transitioned into a more impactful role as the sole intern on the team, excelling in commercial and sales-related key performance indicators and significantly contributing to the company's revenue generation. This transformative journey not only emphasized the importance of achieving targets but also underscored the value of the entire process. It ensured my belief that the Associate role at AlphaSights aligns perfectly with my aspirations. This experience reinforced the idea that AlphaSights is not just seeking individuals who produce results but those who thrive in a commercial role and are passionate about contributing to a commercial platform.

Life as an Associate at AlphaSights

As an Associate on the Client Service team at AlphaSights, my role involves supporting major consulting and investment clients. I work collaboratively to facilitate their access to expert insights and knowledge, enabling them to improve recommendations and achieve strategic objectives. The day-to-day involves diving into new projects received through emails or phone calls as soon as you step into work. After the initial contact, we start right away. I connect with clients in what we casually call a "Briefing Call," aiming to grasp the details of their projects. It's then about identifying the right experts, reaching out, and assessing their expertise against the client’s knowledge needs, essentially serving as the intermediary linking clients and experts. This demands effective negotiation skills, especially when convincing experts to contribute their insights. Once experts agree, we are responsible for sending emails to propose meeting times by coordinating both schedules and moderating a discussion guideline for the client and experts.

Prioritization and project management are key skills in handling multiple clients simultaneously. Collaborating with the client’s team, we delegate tasks and build timelines to make sure we are on top of all deadlines. Time zone considerations are crucial, focusing on different geographical projects depending on the time of day – mornings for the US, afternoons for Europe, and daytime for Asia. After working here for almost a year, most associates juggle 6-8 projects in a week, or even more during peak periods. Depending on experience and position, an associate may also lead in 5-8 projects.

In terms of the use of different languages, it depends on the season. With the peak season of Vietnamese projects, I would speak Vietnamese 70% of the time, while the day-to-day language ratio is a balanced 50/50 between Japanese and English. Being based in Japan, the focus naturally extends to Japanese clients and projects rooted in the local context. AlphaSights is a dynamic environment, keeping me on my toes to ensure successful connections between clients and experts in this B2B environment.

Before job hunting, I carefully weighed the decision between joining a startup or a corporate entity by gaining firsthand experience through internships in both environments. Startups appealed to me with their excitement and increased responsibilities, but the volume of tasks could be overwhelming. Conversely, corporate settings seemed slower and more rigid. AlphaSights, however, uniquely blends the best of both worlds. It exudes a startup spirit within its organizational structure, fostering a fast-paced environment that demands a high level of personal drive and motivation. Unlike traditional corporate settings, there are no detailed instructions from managers; one must be self-directed. The company's strength lies in quick and efficient communication, a trait I witnessed firsthand in my interactions with Ayaka-san, where prompt email responses were the norm.

Moreover, one of the reasons AlphaSights can offer accelerated career advancement, such as reaching a managerial position in two years, is the steeper learning curve. The multitude of tasks to balance and master translates to gaining more experience in a shorter time frame. This deliberate approach to developing your skills sets the foundation for a successful career at AlphaSights.