- What made you come to work for Okahata?
- I was already active in finding a job even before finishing university, but I started developing a thought in my mind that rather than just getting a job immediately after graduation, I want to spend sometime to see and experience other world. And in 2004, I went to Shanghai to study Chinese language. In Shanghai by coincidence I met an Okahata employee stationed in China and he recommended me to join Okahata. He is a respectable and reliable gentleman and I decided to join Okahata if I could work together with such a person.
- What is your present job?
- I am in charge of selling various surfactants and water treatment materials.
- What kind of difficulties do you face and what kind of challenges?
The most important thing for a trading company man is to precisely inform manufacturers what our customers needs are. Listening carefully what customer wants and what manufacturer can produce, our duty is to challenge to find a landing point satisfying both sides. When our efforts and judgments are well appreciated by both parties we feel happy and worthy of challenge.
- Is there any experience or study during your school that has been most useful to you in your present job?
- During my university days I learned to meet and associate with many different kind of people, looking at their good point and ignoring bad points, through extracurricular activities on organizing and concluding events successfully etc., rather than academic area. Studying in China gave me a chance to observe Japan objectively and neutrally from outside and let me meet a person who gave me a push and assistance to my decision making to join the company.
- What is the atmosphere of the office?
- It is a friendly atmosphere. Severe words do come from my seniors in business discussions but after work everyone is on the same level. We sometimes go to have a drink together and the annual excursion of the employees is a lot of fun. I now act as the captain of marathon club. Our motto is to participate, not to win and everyone is welcome to the club. The highlight of the club activities is to go to have a drink after jogging and walking.
- What is the most impressive advice you have received from your bosses or seniors?
- When an assignment is successfully concluded, my boss gives me encouraging words. I do get a feeling that I am valued in this organization as one of the people who can carry out the business capably though I am still inexperienced and young. I am very happy and comfortable as I could build the foundation of my business life under the boss who is always straightforward, fair and honest whether I made a mistake or I succeeded.
- What is your future dream or goal?
- I wish to become a businessman whom everybody would refer to as “ Yamada at Okahata who is indispensable”. Our Chinese staffs speak very good Japanese and I tend to rely on them on their language capabilities but I plan to brush up my Chinese much more as our chances of working in and with China further increase.
- What advice do you have for people who are looking for a job?
- I entered Okahata at the age of 25. I did not have any working experience before. I do understand that it is difficult nowadays to find a job under bad economic conditions, but I hope you would establish a firm concept in job finding activities. I would rather like to work with such person who has firm standings of his own. Our company handles chemical products and so basic chemical knowledge is necessary. However, there are many experienced seniors from whom we can learn on the job. We would welcome you who can frankly ask your seniors what you do not understand and who always take an attitude of positively going forward. Also the attitude of learning from mistakes is very important, I think.
