Hi, I’m Ciril. I come from one of the most beautiful states in India called Kerala or also known as “God’s own country”. I came to Japan in 2008 and continued to live here until now for 13 years. 

　When I was young, I was actually a science student, cause my parents wanted me to be a doctor. However, I was better at drawing compared to science, and was very interested in animation and creating video contents. Instead of majoring in science majors, I majored in multimedia and animation to follow my passion. Right after finishing my master’s degree, I decided to come to Japan because of a Japanese friend whom I met during my college days. He told me stories about Japan and all about the culture as well as how great their animation industry is. As a person who is passionate about creative works, I was driven to pursue a career at the mecca of where it is all situated in order for me to learn more and be better at my field.

Most memorable things

　I didn't want to burden my parent’s finances therefore I decided to take a master’s degree course that offered a night school program. So I went to school at night and during the day I worked as a freelance salesman at automakers. Which led me not to be able to join as many club activities as I want.  

 　However, I was still involved in the studio that the school provided. Sometimes me and my classmate would have some of our own projects, such as commercials, creating designs, photos, and videography. Being able to juggle both schools at night and work during the day was very challenging but through that experience, I was able to learn how to manage and try to balance my time between activities. That was the big take away I brought up even until now as it allowed me to get used to taking different kinds of responsibilities while managing my time to do other activities.

What I wish I had done during college

　I personally don't have anything I feel like I would change in my college days, however, if I had to choose one thing, it would be to do more activities during my student days. I think the projects that you create during your college days have a big impact because that is actually the time where you can learn how to work together with other people. Doing so allowed me to understand that people have different working styles and the way to communicate differentiates from each individual.

　Because I didn't get much chance to be involved or start projects, I had the tendency to do everything alone, with the mentality of wanting to stand out all by myself and also be the best version of myself. I learn it the hard way that my way of thinking was not right. When I started working in a Japanese company, I faced the challenge of adjusting to the work environment because I was not aware of the importance of teamwork and collaborating with different people from different cultures.

Enrich your experiences through Internships or Freelance work

　It’s important to do some internship or freelance work to get real-life experiences other than just studying in school. As a fresh graduate, there will be many things that you would be unfamiliar with, and doing internships or freelance work will serve you as a guide map on where and what you want to work on. Moreover, the highlight achievement that you can get through this experience is expanding your network, which will be of use to you for your future career path.

Believe in yourself, don’t give up 

　Coming to Japan without speaking a word in Japanese and not knowing the environment was a struggle for me. I could not find a full-time position because of that issue as well as my limited skill sets. I was lucky that my passport allowed me to stay in Japan on a working holiday visa and began to be involved as a volunteer in a city office. There I had the time to hone my skills to become better within the area of my expertise. Until now, I believe that one of my biggest achievements in life was mastering Googlebot algorithms and Japanese SEO techniques to make Japanese websites on the top 10 search list of Google. I did all by myself by learning and making designs as well as websites to help the city community improve. Thanks to this experience, Japanese companies took notice of my work and started offering me freelance jobs. I was freelancing for 3 years in Japan until I landed a mid-level position in a graphics tablet maker and later, a mass media company. And I started to work in Accenture in 2017 because I wanted an environment that required higher skills.

Find Your Passion 

　I think the key to finding the right career for yourself is to find a job that you love. The reason why I am good at what I’m doing is that I love what I do for a living. Passion is very important. If back then I decided to follow my parent’s dreams of me becoming a doctor, I believe I wouldn't be a very good one.

　If you do what you love, you’ll be as motivated to give your best in the career you have and be better than that best. I started off as a designer with an interest in most things related to creatives. Passion gave me the drive to branch out of my related interests and helped me grow more as a professional. It allowed me to become a professional not only in one field but also in various different fields which led me to where I am now. I believe that the motivation to keep growing and to become better is fundamental to a successful career, and passion is the key to unlocking that door.

Japanese Language is a Must 

　Like I mentioned before, I came to Japan without possessing any language skills. 10 years ago there were even fewer people who could speak English. And of course, that being said, companies would not hire you if you don’t have good communication skills. I never had any formal language education or a sensei (先生) to guide me. The only mediums of study that I used were basic books and simple child animes like “Chibi Maruko-chan” and “Sazae-san” which very much helped me understand the daily conversation and basic norms fast. Also, thanks to the City Office that I was involved in, I had the chance to practice my conversational skills with the local senior citizens frequently which gave me the confidence to speak. 

　Bottom line is, if you want to work in Japan, the Japanese language is always a must. Even if you work in a global company in Japan, you will still need Japanese. At the very least basic conversational level is needed. Currently, I can’t say that I’m fluent in Japanese. On a day-to-day basis I mostly use English but however, if you can’t convey or express your ideas to your colleagues who cannot speak English, that’s going to be very troublesome for you as a professional. 

Focus on your skills

　Although knowing Japanese is important, don't let it get to you and demotivate you from trying to work in Japan. Companies are slowly becoming more global, and Japan is also changing to attract more international workers. What you need to focus more is also your skills and adaptability in the company. How you adapt to the company and the work culture is something that interviewers also take note of. Because your skills are already listed down in your CV, they also want to know whether you are fit or not for the company.

　My advice is for you to be good at something you are confident about, highlight your potential and master something else so you can be a multitasker. Everyday things change so always try to grow and be the best version of yourself. If your skill set as a foreigner working in Japan is only limited to speaking Japanese without the drive to become a master in other skills, then it will be hard for you to differentiate yourself from other candidates who possess native level of Japanese skills.

　My main work task is working as a creative designer, developer, and online marketer. Currently, I specialize in design, web, e-commerce, media, and mobile. When working as a designer the most important point is understanding the requirements, and listening to your clients. The work as a consultant requires me to communicate and engage with clients directly which allows me to network with a large number of people inside and outside of the company. What I’ve learned here is Japanese clients especially care about the detail and functionality of your designs. Delivering on time and in quality assurance is also something I need to always make sure of.

Be the best version

　Here in Accenture most of the time none of us work from our own office. I can say almost 99% of the time we would work at the client site. A good point that I like about the company is that you never repeat the same work every day, every week or even every year. My work tasks are ever changing since I have different projects to work on everytime. Sometimes there are 2 year-long projects, but there are also 6-month long projects. Each project often requires different skills and knowledge, which is a challenge but at the same time, it is something that pushes me to be better every day. 

　Apart from that, we also work with different people every time we are handling different projects. Growing your skills and being able to network with talented people across the globe are the benefits of working in Accenture. As one of the leading companies in the industry, Accenture prioritizes supporting employee development. Minato Mirai office in Kanagawa serves as a training center for employees to learn new skills. The company also provides training to get certified in various things for example GCP (Google Cloud Platform), AWS (Amazon Web Services), Adobe CC in such. In some cases employees also get to go overseas for training. 

　The working environment is also very supportive. If you have any questions or problems we have a community channel similar to a bulletin board you can post there. And once you post, everyone will answer you. There is no strict hierarchy internally which leaves freedom of discussion and collaboration between employees very much possible. 

　Accenture is the place for proactive and motivated people. Working here requires you to be the best, therefore learning new things to improve is an obligation. The working environment moves in a fast paced and your clients will always demand the utmost perfection coming from your work which is the challenge of working in one of the world’s best. If you are a person who is more comfortable in doing the same task everyday and prefers taking orders from superiors, then Accenture will not be the right place for you.