Overseas internships for job hunting
Ship experience.
My dream of working on a global stage came true
4th year Department of Economics
OVERTURE
Our university provides consistent career and employment support from early 1st and 2nd years through to the job-hunting period in 3rd and 4th years. We support students to understand the meaning of work and to make concrete preparations and actions to build a career that suits them.
We would like to introduce a student who has made progress over four years and secured a job offer from a government organization.
The deciding factor for admission to Aoyama Gakuin University was the desire to improve English skills
The environment for learning English is well-established. That was the reason I chose Aogaku. From my experience of homestaying in New Zealand during a junior high school study trip, I had a strong desire to be able to communicate with people from overseas and to work overseas in the future.
When I actually enrolled, I found that I was blessed with many opportunities to improve my English, including not only English lectures, but also free chat rooms where I could converse with international students in English and engage in international exchange. The most useful of these was the IELTS preparation course run by the International Center. I had always dreamed of working overseas, and wanted to experience an internship abroad, so I had decided to study abroad for a year. Since I needed to take the IELTS test, which measures English proficiency, in order to study abroad, I was grateful that I was able to fully prepare through the preparation course.
I could feel my growth
Study Abroad in London
In order to make her study abroad a reality, she took action, such as obtaining a scholarship, and finally managed to study at a university in London. While working part-time at a local Japanese restaurant, she realized how popular Japanese food was among the people of London, and began to feel that she wanted more people overseas to know about the greatness of Japanese culture.
Around that time, I found out that the Japan External Trade Organization (JETRO) London office was looking for interns, so I immediately applied. It was the perfect opportunity to achieve my goal of doing an overseas internship in a field that interested me. London is a city with a lot of diversity in terms of race and ethnicity, so I found it a great experience to be involved in work promoting Japan there.
At the same time, I also devoted myself to futsal as a club activity at university. All the members of my team were of different nationalities. I was the only teammate from an Asian country, let alone Japan, and I think everyone saw me as the "Japanese" representative of Japan. That's why I became more conscious of my identity as a Japanese person, and I became more and more interested in work that would promote Japan to the world.
Photo of winning the regional championship
A photo from my solo trip to Ireland while studying abroad
I was a bit impatient because I was late.
Job Hunting
When my study abroad ended and I returned to Japan, job hunting was waiting for me. Because I returned in August, I was left behind by students who were participating in summer internships. I started my job hunt from around October by actively participating in joint information sessions to get a grasp on companies and the work involved. From there, I made use of the support and network of Aogaku 's Career and Employment Center to gain knowledge and then began full-scale activities such as visiting alumni and participating in the selection process for fall and winter internships at companies that interested me.
However, I was rejected from almost all internship selections, so my anxiety only increased. In addition, due to the spread of COVID-19, the job-hunting process for students graduating from university in March 2021 was affected by many early selections from internships, the actual selection process was postponed, and many unexpected events occurred, which placed a heavy mental burden on me. I was late in starting and was unable to participate in the early selection process, so I spent my days feeling very anxious.
However, if you think about it, you can only get a job at one company. Even if you receive many job offers, if you can only get a job at one company in the end, I thought that the time and number of job offers you receive doesn't matter. Also, through studying abroad, I gained the ability to take action to build trusting relationships with the diverse people around me, and this experience led to my own growth and confidence, so I was able to change my mindset and move forward one step at a time. I think that this difficult period ultimately gave me the opportunity to rethink how to write my application form and how to answer questions in interviews before the final selection process.
As a "reliable resource"
I want to spread my wings and fly out into the world
For the final selection process, I decided to set my sights on trading companies, shipping companies, manufacturers, and even government agencies, which mainly focus on global work. It didn't go well at first, but I was finally able to receive a job offer from a government agency that I had high hopes for, and I was pleased with the results. I would like to be stationed overseas someday, work on the front lines connecting the local area with Japan as a "reliable person" for those around me, and contribute to the development of both. I have made efforts for many years to achieve this goal, such as studying English and studying abroad, so I am happy that I feel like I am one step closer to my dream.
As I look back on my time at Aoyama Gakuin University before graduating, I realize that not only English but also what I learned as a student in the Faculty of College of Economics will be useful in the future. For example, I believe that studying "Public Finance" and "Economics of Taxation" under Professor Yabuki Hajime gave me the knowledge I need as a member of society. In addition, the days I spent with my friends in Aogaku 's inline hockey club also enriched my student life. It's a memory I'll cherish forever.
Job hunting was tough, but I learned that there's no point in comparing yourself to others. Through my job hunting experience, I realized that the most important thing is to have a true sense of self and to do a job that suits you. I hope that my juniors who will be facing job hunting from now on will do their best at their own pace.
Kimura's job hunting schedule
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3rd year May to August
Overseas Internship (London)
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October 3rd year ~
Started self-analysis, participated in joint information sessions,
Participating in an internship -
February 3
Alumni visits begin,
Start of SPI and web test preparation -
March 3rd year ~
Application forms, company information sessions, interviews
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June 4th
Received a tentative job offer
Faculty/Department
College of Economics
Aoyama Gakuin University There are two departments at College of Economics in the Department of Economics In the "Economics and Finance" course, students will professionally explore the ever-changing economy, which keeps moving around the world, transcends national borders, and changes every moment like a living organism. The Theory and Quantity Course, the Applied Economics Course, and the History and Philosophy Course are designed to help students efficiently learn perspectives on economic activities and phenomena and how to improve the economic system. In addition, Department of Public and Regional Economics cultivates the ability to design new economic systems (institutions) in a global society where people cooperate across national and regional boundaries. While global society offers many benefits, it also presents many challenges such as inequality, poverty, and environmental destruction. This course cultivates the "public" perspective necessary to overcome these problems and realize a world in which everyone can live comfortably, while making full use of geographic information systems (GIS).
