{"id":1419,"date":"2022-02-18T16:37:51","date_gmt":"2022-02-18T07:37:51","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/univacap.com\/uni-sight\/?page_id=1419"},"modified":"2022-04-14T14:27:53","modified_gmt":"2022-04-14T05:27:53","slug":"vol99-uni-square","status":"publish","type":"page","link":"https:\/\/univacap.com\/uni-sight\/en\/vol99\/vol99-uni-square\/","title":{"rendered":"vol99-uni-square ENG"},"content":{"rendered":"
\r\n
\r\n\r\n\r\n
\r\n
\r\n\r\n
\r\n

\r\nUNI-SQUARE\r\n<\/p>\r\n

\r\nWhat I Wanted to Tell Myself When I Was a New Graduate\r\n<\/h1>\r\n<\/div>\r\n\r\n
\r\n\"\"\r\n
Photo by Baim Hanif on Unsplash<\/div>\r\n<\/div>\r\n\r\n\r\n
\r\n
\r\n\r\n

\r\nMarch is a time of revival and the beginning of spring. In Japan, students graduate from schools in March, so it is considered to be a \u201ctime of departure\u201d. New college graduates start lives as working persons. We became who we are today as a result of countless experiences and the challenges that we have faced. When we see our graduation picture, we cannot help but think \u201cHow young I was!\u201d. Looking at our face in the mirror, we try to find that self who was so young and innocent. Many experiences and many people whom we met made us who we are today. Wrinkles on our face show how far we have come (laugh).
\r\n
\r\nFor most of us, UNIVA CAPITAL Group company is not the first company that we worked for after graduating from college, but each year, we welcome a few new graduates in the group. Next month, four new graduates will start working for UNIVA Paycast and become our \u201cNAKAMA\u201d. What if you could give yourself a piece of advice? In this issue, we asked eight people, \u201cIf you could, what would you tell yourself as a new graduate?\u201d.\r\n<\/p>\r\n\r\n<\/div>\r\n<\/div>\r\n\r\n\r\n

\r\n\r\n\r\n
\r\n
\r\n
\r\n\r\n\r\n
\r\n\"\"\r\n<\/div>\r\n
\r\n

\r\nKatsuhiro Mizuno\r\n<\/h3>\r\n

\r\nPresident & Representative Director
\r\nCSS Holdings Ltd.\r\n<\/p>\r\n

\r\nI started working in 1985, 37 years ago in the year 60 of the Showa Dynasty. Back then, not only PCs and smartphones, but also simple mobiles phones were not available. \u201cCorporate compliance\u201d was not a commonly known concept. A large pharmaceutical company was broadcasting a TV ad where a \u201csalaryman\u201d was challenging the audience, \u201cCan you keep going 24\/7?\u201d with combative music in the background. It was a different era. I was working as hard as I could, but my sales results were not good, especially when I began my career. It was difficult. But with hindsight, because I felt much frustration and embarrassment with my work back then, I could be keenly aware of my lack of skills and maturity as a professional. That awareness shaped my career and made me the professional I am today. I got married, became a father and assumed management positions in my 20s. What I wanted to tell myself then is, \u201cWho you meet and what you do at the beginning of your career is extremely important, not only for your career but also for your life. Know how important it is, and know that time is limited.\u201d\r\n<\/p>\r\n<\/div>\r\n\r\n\r\n\r\n

\r\n\"\"\r\n<\/div>\r\n
\r\n

\r\nShigefumi Mukai\r\n<\/h3>\r\n

\r\nDirector & CMO
\r\nUNIVA Gyro-n Ltd. \r\n<\/p>\r\n

\r\nI was a new graduate in 1998, over twenty years ago. I was an art student and was pretty relaxed about job hunting. After I graduated, I got a job at kimono maker\u2019s design department where I was fortunate enough to experience a variety of jobs including design and sales. Back then, computers were not widely used in offices in general, and that was also true of designing. But I thought computer skills might be essential in the future, so I learned it on my own. The skills proved to be very useful in my career later on. I realize now that you have no idea when you encounter a type of work or people that you like. Therefore, it is important to be open to all possibilities and to prepare to seize the opportunity when it arises. There are many things that I would say to myself as a new graduate, especially the four things below:
\r\n
\r\n- Save money regularly even if it is a small amount
\r\n- Be open to new ideas and opportunities
\r\n- Learn about the areas that you are interested in, even if you only have casual interest
\r\n- Cherish and value your parents and friends \r\n<\/p>\r\n<\/div>\r\n\r\n\r\n\r\n

\r\n\"\"\r\n<\/div>\r\n
\r\n

\r\nHiroaki Hayashi\r\n<\/h3>\r\n

\r\nDirector
\r\nUNIVA Health Limited
\r\nNaturally Plus Hong Kong Limited\r\n<\/p>\r\n\r\n

\r\nIt was on April 1st, 1991 that I attended the company\u2019s initiation ceremony at Nippon Budokan, one of the largest auditoriums in Japan as a new graduate. The night before the ceremony, I partied hard with my friends. We drank and danced all night. I did not have time to return home, so I went to my friend\u2019s house, borrowed his suits and attended the ceremony with a hangover. My career began with awful and immature behavior. Throughout my career, I witnessed historical crises, the Gulf War in 1991, the terrorism in the U.S. on September 11th in 2001, the Great Eastern Japan Earthquake in 2011 and the COVID-19 pandemic where over 200 million people worldwide were infected as of 2021. During the past thirty years, I met many people whom I trust and respect, managers, colleagues, customers and friends. Those people and my interactions with them helped me work, live and grow. I have nothing but gratitude for those people. When a crisis or slump hits you, it is often a time that you are also faced with an opportunity. Even if you made a mistake, you can turn it into an opportunity. Don\u2019t forget that turning challenges into opportunities will lead to success. \u201cThere are hidden opportunities in developments that seem to threaten a business or an industry. \u2013 Peter Drucker\u201d. Let\u2019s not fear mistakes and keep taking on new challenges! \r\n<\/p>\r\n<\/div>\r\n\r\n\r\n\r\n

\r\n\"\"\r\n<\/div>\r\n
\r\n

\r\nHironobu Kunitoh\r\n<\/h3>\r\n

\r\nGeneral Manager of Marketing
\r\nUNIVA Paycast Limited \r\n<\/p>\r\n

\r\nMy generation is considered the \u201clost generation\u201d or to have experienced \u201cthe ice age\u201d of employment. Many young people did not feel optimistic about their career and future. Perhaps because of that, I was not thinking about my future very seriously. In fact, I have never done official job hunting. UNIVA Paycast is my fourth company. Since I started working as a new graduate in 2000, my friends have introduced me new positions every two to three years, and I changed my employment without going through an official selection process. All of my former employers were startup venture businesses. I was given opportunities to take on important roles such as representative director in my 20s. Because I had more responsibility than people of my age would typically have, I feel that I acquired different skills from those that one would acquire working for a large corporation at that age. I am feeling now that those skills are helping me. I had dealt with unnecessary hardships that one would not have to experience if he\/she is working for a large corporation. But even those hardships were valuable experiences. When you are a new graduate, having a clear vision on your career is difficult. But if you work hard and you are sincere about contributing, someone will notice and appreciate it. And when you need help, those people will help you. If your assignment is not exactly what you wished for, don\u2019t be bitter. Be positive and try to find interesting things in it. If you have good attitude, you will see an open path. \r\n<\/p>\r\n<\/div>\r\n\r\n\r\n\r\n

\r\n\"\"\r\n<\/div>\r\n
\r\n

\r\nManabu Haba\r\n<\/h3>\r\n

\r\nGeneral Manager
\r\nUNIVA Marketing Limited \r\n<\/p>\r\n

\r\nI wanted to tell myself, \u201cMake more NAKAMA!\u201d. I was a new graduate in 1997. I worked as a space engineer for five years in a large corporation. People were talking about \u201cnetworking\u201d back then too, but I did not like the idea of making friends for their usefulness. My circle of friends was small, even though I was in great environment to make many friends. I changed my job, and when I was working in the area of business development, I received help from many people within and outside of the company (and sometime I helped them.) I have gradually learned the importance of NAKAMA. Many of my colleagues became my friends with whom I spend my private time. Although I was not proactive about making friends, my colleagues from previous company still invite and welcome me when they get together. Today, I have a strong awareness that NAKAMA are our most precious asset. \r\n<\/p>\r\n<\/div>\r\n\r\n\r\n\r\n

\r\n\"\"\r\n<\/div>\r\n
\r\n

\r\nHaifeng Hong\r\n<\/h3>\r\n

\r\nManager, Market Development Team
\r\nUNIVA Marketing Limited \r\n<\/p>\r\n

\r\nThis is my eleventh year as a working person. When I look back the past ten years, I want to tell myself, \u201cDon\u2019t be afraid of making mistakes\u201d. When I started working, I thought it was embarrassing and uncool to make mistakes. Most of the time, I completed my work following manuals or conventions, so I could avoid making mistakes. But now I learned there is no \u201cmistake\u201d in life. We can learn from mistakes and use the experience in the future. From that perspective, \u201cmistakes\u201d are wonderful \u201cexperiences\u201d and \u201csources of growth\u201d. We need to realize that the biggest risk is \u201cto do nothing\u201d and \u201cnot to try\u201d. We should keep challenging ourselves for our personal and professional growth. When we try our best every day, the accumulated effort will bring us a significant result. Chairman Inaba often talks about \u201cco-creation\u201d. I want to provide strong support to my NAKAMA and co-create UNIVA with them. \r\n<\/p>\r\n<\/div>\r\n\r\n\r\n\r\n

\r\n\"\"\r\n<\/div>\r\n
\r\n

\r\nYumiko Ikari\r\n<\/h3>\r\n

\r\nSub Manager, Corporate Communication Department
\r\nNaturally Plus Co., Ltd.\r\n\r\n<\/p>\r\n

\r\n\u201cBe positive. Proactively reframe your mind.\u201d When we start working, we realize that we need to work with other people who have different ideas or find themselves in different situations. When I graduated from university, my dream job was \u201c to help people improve their health\u201d, and I got a job at a major pharmacy chain as a certified nutritionist. In pharmacy, we work with other employees including pharmacists and administrators, and all of us were supposed to work together so the pharmacy operates smoothly. I was excited about helping people who wanted to become healthy. However, what was waiting for me was the challenge of \u201cworkplace culture\u201d. At the pharmacy to which I was assigned, people who were already working there dumped their work on the freshmen even though it was their responsibility. First, I was puzzled, and then I felt it was unfair that we had to do the work of people who were slacking off. The toxic workplace culture harmed the mental health of some of the employees; some people left the company. I had two choices then. \u201cShould I keep accumulating frustration and leave the company when I cannot take it any longer?\u201d or \u201cShould I tell myself, \u2018You cannot change people. Be positive. Reframe your mind and do your best.\u2019\u201d. I chose the latter. I persevered, thinking, \u201cThis will become my wisdom.\u201d I believe this experience helped my career. I am thankful that I am still working to help people improving their health. I want to tell myself, \u201cYour decision back then was right. Keep going!\u201d\r\n<\/p>\r\n<\/div>\r\n\r\n\r\n\r\n

\r\n\"\"\r\n<\/div>\r\n
\r\n

\r\nMai Tomizato\r\n<\/h3>\r\n

\r\nMarketing Department
\r\nUNIVA Paycast Limited\r\n<\/p>\r\n

\r\nIt has been almost three years, since I joined UNIVA Paycast. What learned is the importance of \u201ctaking action\u201d. As I kept \u201ctaking actions\u201d, my career evolved. In my second year, I joined a data application project team in addition to my regular work in sales. I had some concerns, but decided to focus on the work and tasks in front of me. This experience led me to a significant change. This January, I was transferred to Marketing Department, and the data application project became my main work. I would have feared such a change, and would have been reluctant to be transferred to another department. But now, I welcome changes and am tackling new challenges with my NAKAMA of UNIVA Paycast. The advice that I wanted to give myself is, \u201cDon\u2019t fear, take action.\u201d\r\n<\/p>\r\n<\/div>\r\n\r\n\r\n

\r\n\u203b Thank you, Mr. Mizuno, Mr. Mukai, Mr. Hayashi, Mr. Kunitoh, Mr. Haba, Mr. Hong, Ms. Ikari and Ms. Tomizato!
\r\n
\r\nDo you second some of the comments of the eight people who shared their stores? Please comment and share your \u201cWhat I wanted to tell myself when I was a new graduate\u201d. \r\n<\/p>\r\n\r\n<\/div>\r\n\r\n<\/div>\r\n\r\n\r\n\r\n<\/div>\r\n<\/article>\r\n\r\n\r\n<\/div>\r\n<\/div>","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"UNI-SQUARE What I Wanted to Tell Myself When I Was a New Graduate Photo by Baim Hanif on Unsplash March is a t […]","protected":false},"author":2,"featured_media":0,"parent":1413,"menu_order":0,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"closed","template":"page-discussion.php","meta":{"_locale":"en_US","_original_post":"https:\/\/univacap.com\/uni-sight\/?page_id=1329","footnotes":""},"class_list":["post-1419","page","type-page","status-publish","hentry","en-US"],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/univacap.com\/uni-sight\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/pages\/1419","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/univacap.com\/uni-sight\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/pages"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/univacap.com\/uni-sight\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/page"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/univacap.com\/uni-sight\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/2"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/univacap.com\/uni-sight\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=1419"}],"version-history":[{"count":8,"href":"https:\/\/univacap.com\/uni-sight\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/pages\/1419\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":1734,"href":"https:\/\/univacap.com\/uni-sight\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/pages\/1419\/revisions\/1734"}],"up":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/univacap.com\/uni-sight\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/pages\/1413"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/univacap.com\/uni-sight\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=1419"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}