The "Welcome Lectures" in which several teachers spoke about their own areas of expertise were also interesting, and several of these were given by Professor Hara Susumu. As a fan of ekiden even before enrolling, I will never forget hearing from him the fascinating story of how he built an unshakably strong team from scratch as a coach. The content of the lectures also encouraged student growth, which motivated me. The talks by the other teachers were also very varied, covering topics such as the natural environment and how to make magic squares, making these classes ideal for students who want to broaden their knowledge.

Due to the COVID-19 pandemic, most interviews were conducted online. The Career Guidance and Employment Division mainly offers individual consultations online by appointment, and during these consultations, we conducted online mock interviews. I think it was a great benefit to be able to immediately use the advice I received from staff and career counselors in the online interview on the day. It was also very helpful to receive guidance on small but basic and important points such as clothing and camera angles.
I also feel that my studies at university contributed to my success.
In "Information Technology Experiment II," I found it more fun to think about "what kind of person would be happy if something like this could be realized" than to code, and created a deliverable based on the concept of "a calculator that makes you want to press the button without thinking." This is a calculator with five possible states for each button, and you don't know what the result will be until you actually press it. I independently created about 20 parts for each state, and when I explained my commitment to this during my self-introduction at the interview, I received a generally positive response.
I also gave up my long vacation and gained a lot of experience through internships and group discussions, and was able to receive a tentative job offer from my first choice, NTT Data. I have a strong desire to realize new ideas, and I like communication and making people happy, so my goal is to eventually use the knowledge I gained at university to manage a project. I also want to continue to defy the expectations of those around me in a good way, while always finding things interesting for myself.
Job hunting is a long-term battle, so there were times when it was difficult to maintain motivation. At times like that, I would have a friend who was going on to graduate school play games with me to let me relax, or check whether the time I was devoting to job hunting was reaching my goal. Unlike my fellow job-hunting peers, this person had no vested interest in me, so I was able to cooperate without hesitation. I am full of gratitude for the support I received from so many people, including this friend, which helped me achieve the best results.
I personally felt that taking action is the most important thing in job hunting. At first, I was worried about whether I should visit alumni and join the community, and I was nervous, but now I truly feel that it was good that I did it. It is also important to act quickly, so approach it with the mindset of "if in doubt, take action" and keep trying until you are satisfied with your results.