My name is Yun Linda. I joined Business Partner in April 2020 and was assigned to Cambodia a year later, in March 2021. Currently, I work as a manager responsible for developing new products. My decision to study in Japan was motivated by my educational background. Japan held valuable insights to help address challenges within Cambodia’s education system.

I studied Japanese language education for five years at the Royal University of Phnom Penh. During that time, I spent one year as a research student at Akita University in Japan. After graduating, I worked for about a year in a job related to Japanese language education before returning to Japan to further my studies. I spent six months learning Japanese, another six months as a research student, and two years in a master’s program specializing in education. While studying, I began to consider working in Japan, which led to the start of my job-hunting process.

From my experience, job hunting in a foreign country was overwhelming at first because there was so much I didn’t know. However, with guidance from my seniors, personal research, and support from my university, I gradually became more accustomed to the process.

One advice I’d offer is to allow yourself enough time for job hunting. In my case, I was busy with my graduate research, and I started the process quite late. As a result, I ended up applying to just one company, Business Partner. If I could do it again, I would have explored more companies to gain diverse experiences. Japan offers numerous job-hunting resources, such as recruitment websites, so I recommend dedicating time to research and challenging yourself to explore various companies.

Learning business Japanese, such as honorifics (keigo), is crucial. Additionally, it’s important to develop a broad range of skills, regardless of whether you specialize in humanities or sciences. For instance, although my academic background is in education, I was assigned to a systems department after joining the company. I am now working on numerical analyses for new product development. While it’s fascinating work, it requires me to learn many new skills. For humanities graduates, I suggest gaining some IT or data analysis exposure. Building a vast knowledge base will undoubtedly prove valuable.

When I first joined the company, I handled IT-related tasks in Japan. I developed simple programs to streamline repetitive processes for employees and provided IT support as part of the systems team. About a year later, I was transferred to Cambodia. Although I wanted to stay in Japan longer, I was happy to be closer to my family, especially during the COVID-19 pandemic.

In Cambodia, my responsibilities broadened significantly. I acted as an interpreter for the company president and was involved in various projects, including developing internal systems. I devised ideas for improving operational efficiency, explained these concepts to system developers, and oversaw their implementation. Creating new systems that automated workflows and increased productivity was incredibly rewarding.

Since April, I have been in charge of developing new products and am eager to bring more innovative offerings to life. One of the most rewarding aspects of working here is gaining experience in Japan and Cambodia, which has allowed me to learn much. My goal is to continue growing and eventually become the manager of my current department.

Our company has an active and collaborative culture. We often socialize outside of work, such as going out for meals or drinks together. This familial atmosphere is similar to Cambodian workplace culture as well, where colleagues often feel like family.

Our company values individuals who are proactive and eager to learn. Our motto emphasizes the importance of fostering a learning culture, so a strong willingness to acquire new knowledge is essential. Rather than seniority, we prioritize performance, and our results-driven mindset drives our success. This means taking on challenges and stepping outside your comfort zone is vital. Even if you’re assigned tasks outside your expertise, these experiences offer opportunities to grow and achieve greater heights within the company.