Newly grads × Mid-career Roundtable

When looking for a job, I was aiming to work for a manufacturer. There are two reasons for this. One is that I had the impression that many manufacturers are highly global. I have always loved studying English, and part of my motivation was to use it to live overseas. The other reason is that I was attracted to making real, tangible products for the world, rather than IT or software.

As I was looking for a job, I felt that parts manufacturers could provide a wider variety of products than finished product manufacturers, so I began to look for parts makers. All the while, I came across SMK and had the opportunity to talk with some SMK staff online. This was an invaluable experience.

In Japan, many companies do not let you know which department you will be assigned until you join. At SMK though, I had the opportunity to talk with two supervisors and two staff members in the department to which I had been assigned.

The managers had a lot of overseas experience, and the employees were very honest and kind. One was from China, and I was also interested in Chinese, so I found the global environment and company culture most appealing. I felt that yes, I could definitely work with these people, so I decided to join the company.

I was introduced to several companies where alumni are employed by the university's employment center, and one of them was SMK. What appealed to me was the same as what H.N. was talking about. It was a manufacturer that could make reliable products, and it was also a parts maker that had the potential to be involved in a variety of products. Another reason I joined the company was that it had a history of more than 90 years and a stable track record, even then.

When I was looking for a job in 2010, it was very difficult due to the impact of the Lehman shock and the global financial crisis. What's more, I had wanted to go on to graduate school, so I was late to start the job hunt.

The industries were limited, with the only choice being IT-related firms, but I felt I was not suited to an IT company.

That's when I found out that SMK was seeking developers for its internal system, and I thought that being an internal SE for SMK would suit me better than being an SE for an IT company. I developed internal systems for about three years before transferring to my current post.

My previous job was corporate sales for a parts maker. When I hit my 30s, I was put in charge of a market, and my job ended up being summarizing sales leads and sharing the information with overseas offices. I decided to change jobs because I wanted to do real marketing work.

However, there were not many openings for sales jobs involving marketing. But I did apply to SMK, where it appeared that I could do the kind of job I was looking for. And so here I am.

My last job was mechanical design. The reason I left that job was that I could not do the kind of design I wanted to because of where I was assigned.

In addition, at that time, I was designing large industrial equipment and devices for assembling products. Since it was not being mass-produced, the main job was to make minor changes to existing products, rather than working on new ones. I wanted to work on creating something new from scratch, so I started looking for a new job.

There was a vacancy at SMK for remote control development, and I became interested in designing daily household products. During the interview, I learned about the appeal of remote control development, and that SMK assembles devices based on the customer's wishes and that here we start from scratch, the device type and shape varying greatly from project to project. I felt that it might be very difficult, but at the same time it matched the value I put on making things from scratch, so I decided to join the company.

The friendly people at the interview were another reason for my decision.

It felt like the communication among colleagues was very lively.

In the mechanical design group, we help each other if we have a problem. The circuit design people are also seated nearby, so we can consult with them immediately. It's good to be able to communicate face-to-face because you can make a quick check. Emails and phone calls are inevitably late.

In my previous job, I was designing large industrial manufacturing equipment, and when it came time to start assembling it, I would make corrections on the spot when problems arose. In my current work with remote controls, I can keep working on the design during the prototype stage. I was surprised at how different the style of work is when dealing with different products.

Seeing a company that is almost 100 years old, I would imagine old hierarchical society, but it was completely different. The managers and executives speak from the heart and are not aloof from everyone else. Everyone talks to me in a friendly manner and we also talk about our lives outside work. The CEO also walks around a lot, and there are many opportunities to talk with him.

I was surprised too. The CEO walks around on the floor, speaks very honestly, and leaves!

I often see the CEO at the company cafeteria, so relatable. At least he is not someone who is "above the clouds" and out of reach.

My department head and branch chief in my last job were definitely out of reach. I was surprised to be able to have a frank conversation with my department head at SMK.

My last company also made departments compete with each other, thinking we would come up with better products that way. However, there is an atmosphere at SMK of brainstorming ideas together and making very good products.

In sales, we have an environment where we can act independently. If you decide on your goals and move in that direction, we can act at our discretion. I can do the sales activities I want to because I come up with them myself and act on them.

It is easy to take time off, so you can take holidays of a week or two. At first, I was very surprised that you could take a week off. You don't hear of many other companies like that.

Personally, I once took a week off around Golden Week (but not during Golden Week) to go overseas. It is great to have flexible holidays.

The system of using flexible days off to take a four-day holiday is like a dream. I have been to Okinawa too. This system existed in my last job, but actually it was limited to those with children and it was very hard to access. At SMK you actually have to take your time off!

I have three kids and I have taken parental leave three times. Even now I work shorter hours. At SMK you can take parental leave if your child is under 3 and you can choose shorter hours until your child starts elementary school. That is why I have been on shorter hours for nearly 10 years.

This is a great company if you are raising a family. The birthing leave and parental leave systems are very good and easy to use. Importantly, colleagues are understanding. When you have three kids, you are going to have take time off if one of them gets a sudden fever or something. They naturally check in with you so it is easy to collaborate. It is a lifesaver.

I have been doing correspondence courses for two or three years. Things like balance sheets directly connected to my job, and this year I took a MOS (Microsoft Office Specialist) course. Especially recommended courses are fully subsidized, so I take a lot of those.

SMK has a lot of qualification allowances and there are systems in each department to encourage and assist you when it comes to sitting tests.

Let's see. Some departments encourage employees to obtain qualifications by subsidizing exam fees and similar costs. The Corporate Legal Dept. recommends taking the Japan Business Law Examination, regardless of your department. This is a test of the legal knowledge you should acquire as a business professional.

In design we basically use CAD software, and there is training as soon as you start at SMK. In my last job, I attended seminars from the company that makes CAD software and online lessons but at SMK, the tutor is an SMK employee and they teach you how to use the software. You can consult after the classes if there is anything you are not clear about. I was surprised there was such a specialist inside the company.

Every function used on the job is taught in the class, so even if you have just started at SMK, you can quickly catch up with the work. Apart from CAD, there are staff members who know everything about processing methods and highly experienced veterans. The company database also has all documents about design in one place, so you can refer to it as you go. This is an environment in which you can study and build things at the same time.

They are good. A lot of diligent people here. At first glance they look nerdy, but ask them a question and they will answer straightforwardly and sincerely.

Right, they are earnest, kind and the atmosphere is calm.

My previous departments, HR and Corporate Legal were my first job, so being taught everything from the start so kindly by senior colleagues was so helpful. In both departments, the atmosphere encouraged the asking of questions.

My previous company had a lot of hustle and bustle and people often talked loudly, but SMK is nice, it has a calm and relaxed vibe.

As a student, I thought that working in a company would be like in a TV drama where you get yelled at in front of your colleagues. But it is nothing like that at SMK. In the end, I conclude that they are good people.

There is a big gap when it comes to people on the design floor. When they are working, they put on a mask!? Essentially, they are glued to their screens and if you ask a serious question, you will get a serious answer. But if you try a little small talk, they can quickly get excited. Sometimes, you think, "Um, work is not possible!"

They are diligent and good at their jobs, but at their core, they are honest and passionate. That makes it fun to be here and it is easy to get along with them.