Hi everyone! My name is Wenning Zhang, and I am from China. I am a Tokyo University postgraduate student, and I will start working at EY Advisory & Consulting from April next year. I decided to come to Japan because I had a great experience in Japan during the 1-year exchange program I participated in back in high school, and this experience made me realize my passion towards Japanese culture. I also wanted to improve and take advantage of my Japanese language skill since I have been learning it since middle school for 6 years, and so I decided to come to Japan for my college study.

The most memorable or proudest thing during college

Since I am a science major master’s student focusing on information and technology, I committed to studying in my seminar. The research was a big part of my university life and it was the main activity which I had given my time for. Not only did I enjoy getting new knowledge in interesting experimental classes, but I also learned how to be a good leader and play as a team throughout the whole experience of working and communicating with my team members in the seminar. For example, when we were studying control. We had 4 members and each person played a different role. One member is in charge of theory, one is in charge of the experiment, one is in charge of experimental data, the other person is in charge of analysis. After the experiment, we also needed to write a report together. 

What do you wish you had done during college and why?

Because I am a science student, I did not develop myself by joining clubs. I wish I had participated more in club activities during college. Whether it is an event club, a musical club, or a sports club, I really wanted to enjoy my hobby by joining a club during my college life! I believe that by joining an organization, we can meet different types of people from different faculties and countries who have different sets of points of view. Not only that, but it will also be more fun compared to only knowing people from the same faculty. It may allow you to broaden your horizons on various perspectives and ultimately, building up networks of professionals for your future career. This is why I believe this is what I would do if I could go back to college. 

Consider many industries as your career!

It is important to consider different industries and companies as to when you are about to embark on a career path. Some people have an opinion that it’s better to focus on one industry. However, in my perspective, how could you know the “right fit” for you when in this world there are lots of different industries and companies? It’s important for you to talk to as many managers or senpais from different fields as you can to get your eyes open to different points of views on available opportunities. Try reaching out to people! You can also try to do internships to get a first-hand experience. Being equipped with as much knowledge of industries will definitely help you make your decision more rationally. If your options are too limited or even niche, you might just regret it later in the future if it turns out that you are not comfortable with the job and realized that other industries are more suitable for you. 

Be Accustomed to Speaking Japanese in Daily Life 

You need to be used to speaking Japanese. It’s not surprising that you become nervous when you talk with managers in interviews. In order to ease your tension and keep relaxed during interviews, forming a habit of talking with people from different backgrounds in Japanese is an excellent way to practice. Don’t just say “what’s up” to your classmates or professors. Try to talk about deeper topics and have a good conversation with them! When you become accustomed to speaking Japanese every day, no matter who is going to interview you, you will naturally be prepared for the task since you will have the experience in talking with people from different stature or levels.

Different Perspectives

Being able to think in a variety of perspectives as an international student is a necessity to be a candidate for companies in Japan. Don’t try to become fully like a Japanese person! Think about it, they hired you because of your profile and skills. Many companies in Japan are making products and services that are targeted at foreigners and many of them conduct business operations overseas as well. Of course, being accustomed with Japanese work ethics and culture is important since you are going to be working with Japanese people, but companies hire international employees to help them to connect globally. Someone who has a different perspective is key for their expansion and they would need you to be yourself in order to achieve that goal!

Ability to Have Everyone Involved

The ability to collaborate with others is a fundamental skill if you work in any company. When you are subordinate, there will be the time that you need to get collaboration from your seniors or boss from time to time. Moments, where you can’t finish a task only by yourself, will occur and at these moments, getting help from others is necessary. When you need to pass a group discussion round, getting collaboration from your team members is a crucial key to your success. If you can’t get collaboration from them, it’s impossible that you will pass the group discussion round. Especially foreign companies need people who are proactive and able to get support from other team members. All in all, a company is not run by 1 person. A division of a company involves all of its employees, not just 1 person. Again, keep in mind, working as a professional means working together with colleagues and partners. So the ability to have your teammates involved is a very relevant skill.

Have a Brave-heart

You need to have a Brave-heart. Don't say you are afraid that you can't succeed in front of your boss anymore! Though every challenge seems hard and no one wants to be a loser,  being brave and giving it a shot is worthwhile even if you fail because you can learn valuable lessons from your mistakes. If you don’t try to challenge new things, you will never get the chance to measure yourself to the full extent of your capabilities.  From my experience, you will most likely regret not challenging yourself or even worse, giving up without even trying. Challenging new things with a brave heart gives you experience and definitely will allow you to grow as a better professional!