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Applying my knowledge from university to the real world.
Studying law at university taught me skills in critical thinking. During my law classes, I would apply the relevant law to a question, then consider the different interpretations of that provision so that I could state my own opinion in a logical manner. Before starting to work, I assumed similar skills would be used in consulting. For example, in consulting you first identify the problem, then examine possible measures from a wide variety of perspectives to craft a strategy that is logical.
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I set my sights on working for FMI for three reasons. Firstly, it is a gathering-place for professionals boasting a wide range of backgrounds. Secondly, I assumed I’d be handed a lot of responsibility in projects. Lastly, my work would involve not only Japanese companies, but also companies from overseas. All of these factors meant that I would have numerous opportunities to learn.
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Immersing myself in a company research project for two months during employee training
I spent my first month with FMI in the new-employees training, but that wasn't all. After that, I was began a training program in company research. Focusing on one company, I was assigned to investigate it thoroughly and uncover issues, then give presentations to management on approaches to address and resolve those issues and plot a growth strategy for the company. The company I chose was a cosmetics company. I studied its history, compared it with its competitors and fleshed out its strengths, then I uncovered issues related to the company and examined them until I felt I could resolve them. The hardest part was backing up my assertions based solely on information I could find on the computer.
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I knew that the ability to respond quickly to customer needs was an important strength, so I visited the booths of competitors at department stores and gathered data on how many questions were asked and how long the sales assistants spent with each customer. I then compared the data for each company. As it turned out, the company I was researching scored highest on both counts. I therefore deduced that the company was able to launch products that met customer needs faster than competitors based on the information it gathered in this way. I made two presentations to the management team. Their interim report to me included constructive advice such as, “You need to shape this information into a story,” and “Here’s a more effective sequence of steps for your report.” I brushed up my ideas further and wrapped up my proposal. Through this training I came to understand the depth and complexity of consulting work.
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Growing a little more every day.
At the moment, I’m handling a growth strategy proposal for an electronic parts manufacturer. In the previous phase, a medium-term management plan was developed; in this phase I’m working on crafting a strategy and outlining the measures needed to achieve the targets of that plan. My routine work focuses on market research, preparing documents and dealing with logistical aspects. Sometimes I do interviews with people overseas, so I ask questions in English.
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FMI is a firm that gathers specialists from a wide range of backgrounds and respects the opinions of each individual, so I can communicate openly and frankly with my supervisors, my seniors and those who joined at the same time as me. For me, the barrier is Japanese proficiency, so I’m working hard to overcome that challenge so I can do my job to perfection. At the heart of my approach is the view that each day is made up of little moments of growth. Those little bursts of growth add up to major growth over time. I want to continue to this high level of motivation so I can keep contributing to FMI.
