Messages from students upon making their career choices (1)

Thoughts on having finished the job-hunting and selection process
I was able to adopt my own approach and pace in job hunting, in the sense that I didn’t allow myself to be too strongly influenced by those around me, and consistently stuck to my own ideas. Taking the easy option of following the crowd will ultimately only help to relieve your concerns in the short term. It is far more important to sift through the options and pinpoint what is truly necessary for you and your career. I also think my approach to job hunting was successful because I was able to always have confidence in my decisions, but at the same time able to draw on support from those around me, such as advice from parents, senior students, or friends.

The link between learning and working
Leaving aside the specific content of our studies, the very approach to learning fostered at ICU is something that I think we can draw on in our professional careers. At ICU, we are encouraged to take a highly independent approach in all aspects of the process from identifying issues and gathering information to putting together opinions and expressing them to others, and we develop and refine this approach throughout the four years of our studies. When we start our careers, there will be new things to learn that are nothing like what we have come across as students. But I believe that the independent approach we take to learning will always be a powerful tool, whatever situations we find ourselves in.

Thoughts on the job-hunting support provided by the university
At ICU, we receive close and thorough support for job hunting. The staff help to guide each individual student to a conclusion that suits them, rather than simply touting generalizations or information that is just common sense. Given that ICU students are each so individual, this is the kind of approach we really appreciate. I made the most of the support offered by the university, and in doing so, I met a senior student who essentially became the key figure in my job-hunting activities. I am really grateful to the university support system for providing me with that opportunity.

Finance industry

Messages from students upon making their career choices (2)

Thoughts on the job-hunting support provided by the university
Looking back, I feel that job hunting wasn’t only about finding a job, but was also an opportunity to make me really think about what I value, who I am, and what I want to accomplish during my lifetime. Even though job hunting was extremely difficult at times, I feel that because I went through difficulties during job hunting I was able to grow and become a stronger, more capable member of society.

The link between learning and working
Throughout the job hunting process, I frequently looked back to the presentations, group projects, and reports I had worked on while at ICU. My experience working on these projects helped me to not only find my own voice, but also how to coherently convey my ideas to an audience. Whether it was writing an entry sheet or doing an interview, the communication skills I gained from my education at ICU served me immensely.

Thoughts on having finished the job-hunting and selection process
I worked very closely with the Placement Office during the entirety of my job hunting process, and feel that because of the guidance I received I was able to successfully get the job I wanted. Whenever I visited the Placement Office I left feeling that all the staff really cared about me and were always wishing me the best.

Mass communication industry

Messages from students upon making their career choices (3)

Thoughts on having finished the job-hunting and selection process
I was able to approach looking for employment in my own way and at my own stride. I stuck to my own ideas, rather than getting led off course by outside influences such as other job hunters or job-hunting related books or websites. I think that companies are always a collection of different individuals, rather than a mass of identical characters. With that in mind, while I also drew on support from those around me, I focused on looking for employment in my own way, which sometimes meant having the confidence to stick to my ideas. I think this is why I feel satisfied with my job-hunting activities.

The link between learning and working
I think that the approach toward academic study that I learned at ICU is a skill that will also carry over into the world of work. Through ICU’s liberal arts curriculum, which encourages us to take the initiative to study beyond the boundaries of the existing academic frameworks, we develop the ability to actively analyze society from perspectives other than those of our majors. In the various classes I took, I also built up experience of reading and writing a large amount of texts in both Japanese and English. I think that these abilities that we all develop during our time at ICU—the capacity to analyze topics from a number of perspectives, and the capability to understand and compose texts in Japanese and English—are key skills that we will be able to draw on as we continue to gather and share new information as part of our professional careers.

Thoughts on having finished the job-hunting and selection process
In my experience, the job-hunting support provided at ICU carefully addresses the needs of individual students. Through career consultations and interview practice, the staff allowed me to turn my uncertainty into confidence. There were also opportunities to talk with the over 100 fourth-year students who had finished job hunting. As I worked hard to make it through the job hunting process, it was really encouraging to have the feeling that there was support available from across the university, as if I had the backing of a team. I am very grateful for the many opportunities that I was given to consider my future.

Manufacturing industry

Messages from students upon making their career choices (4)

Thoughts on having finished the job-hunting and selection process
Overall I found that job hunting was a critical phase in my life for me. When l first started job hunting, I went to seminars just because others were going there as well. However, I gradually realized that doing something just because others are doing it is not the answer. From then on, I started thinking about what I wanted to accomplish in my life and calculated back and went to companies that will lead me to my goal. So from job hunting, I was able to find what I really wanted to do and made me realize that it is important to have a reason for my action.

The link between learning and working
The mind of critical thinking that I nourished at ICU is intimately relating to my job. At ICU, it constantly made me think outside the box and taught me to have a critical view towards any problem. So, when I am working on a new project now, I am able to give opinions not many people would think. Also at ICU, there were many students from various countries, so I was able to sustain a diverse view towards society by debating with them in class. Today I greet many people from all over the world into Japan, and I feel that the perspective I obtained at ICU is very useful.

Thoughts on having finished the job-hunting and selection process
Staff at the placement office not only did they care about which company the students wanted to go to but what they truly wanted to do. In order to open our minds, they gave us countless opportunities to learn about various industries and gave us various options to our future. If I did not attend the seminars that the placement office provided for us, I would not have met my dream job. Because they were so sincere and always welcomed us at the office, I was able to rely on them as if they were family. I am definitely thankful for them and could not have done job hunting without them.

Transportation industry