I have been a swimmer for 18 years, from childhood through high school. However, when I went to university, I thought about how I could grow as an athlete and wanted to challenge myself in a different field. However, I couldn't find anything I wanted to study in Japan. At that time, I suddenly realized that I didn't like China very much because of the behavior of tourists and the influence of some media. I was ashamed of myself and wondered, "Why do I feel this way about a country I've never been to?"

I didn't understand Chinese at all, so I had a hard time at first. Since most of the international students are from Europe and the United States, the official language of the class is English. I wasn't good at English either, so I struggled to keep up while looking up English and Chinese dictionaries during class.

I believe that studying abroad has enabled me to interact with people from a broader perspective. Considering that there are various races and cultures, I feel that I have become better at building relationships with people because I have acquired the stance of “trying to understand what kind of person the other person is”.

When I started job hunting, I wanted to work in Shanghai. However, I had to temporarily return to my home country due to the novel coronavirus, so I decided to apply for a job at a Japanese company while I was in Japan. That's where I met GA technologies Co., Ltd.. China is very advanced in technology, and I was also interested in PropTech.

As the selection progressed, I began to think that this company might be a good fit for me because of the attitude of wanting to change the analog industry and the employees I met during the interview who were casual in a good way. He said, "My goal of raising IT literacy in Japan may be fulfilled if I join GA technologies Co., Ltd.." I decided to join the company.

After all new graduates complete their training, they are assigned to their respective departments, but my department had its own training period for new employees. As a marketer, you need basic knowledge to communicate with people in various occupations such as data analysts and front-end engineers. Therefore, I was able to thoroughly learn the basics necessary for work, such as SQL and coding, for half a year.

At first, I had to study until the early hours of the morning because I had never done or heard of anything. It was too painful, so when I consulted with my senior, I was given an assignment, "Aim for No. 1 for one month, whatever you want." The condition was that I would decide the theme and content myself, so I continued to translate Chinese articles and post them on Slack.

It was tough, but by continuing to post about things I didn't know, I was able to make people around me think, "Let's ask this person about this field." As a result, the number of consultations increased and information gathered steadily. I realized that my position was established through continuous input and output. After the training, I was able to get involved in the promotion of Shenjumiaosuan Business, and I am really glad that I did my best.

Currently, I am in charge of web marketing and advertising for the online Real estate investment service RENOSY. My job is to approach customers who are interested in our products and services and connect them with asset planners.

Like asset planners, the marketing department is directly connected to business performance. It may seem surprising, but marketing is hard work done as a team. That said, there is a sense of accomplishment when the team's efforts translate into results, and the process of getting there is also fun.

We don't just look at the number of customers we were able to connect with asset planners, we also track the data to see what process those customers went through afterwards to buy our products, and then as a team we think about what measures we should take going forward. I find it really interesting to not just spend money on advertising, but to use our heads to find new needs.

I like how close I am to my boss. There was a time when the president, Mr. Higuchi, and Executive Officer sat right next to me. I was surprised at how close I was to the management team, including the other Director, and how easy it was to communicate with them. I learn a lot by working in the same space.

In addition, the corporate culture that gives young people a great deal of discretion also leads to a rewarding job. It's been a while since I joined the company, but I've been in charge of more than 20 media by myself. Since you have a lot of discretion from the first year, you can have the awareness that you will create the numbers yourself. Conversely, it may be said that it is a tough organization for those who do not have such an awareness.

The way I move is directly linked to the company's sales, so it's both rewarding and stressful. My hands trembled when I set the advertising budget for the first time on a large media so that I could buy a luxury car. When I feel like I'm being overwhelmed by the pressure, I write down my thoughts and concerns on paper to dispel my anxieties one by one. In addition, anxieties are often resolved by consulting with seniors and superiors. There are many seniors in the team that I can rely on, so I communicate closely and get help.

The marketing department is expanding its team and the number of members is growing rapidly. I think it is important to clarify each role and add value to each and every one of them.

Originally, I only had a vague image of wanting to do marketing, but I never thought, "I definitely want to do this job." There was a time when I imagined a completely different career, such as "I want to work overseas." Even so, I enjoy working at this company every day. What you want to do and the vision you aim for will change as you work. If you do your best, you will definitely see something, so please do not be too anxious and try to challenge yourself to be moved.