Last year, SEKISUI headquarters were looking for a graduate to work as English Business Coordinator in Tokyo. Alexander Howard Horgan from England was finally chosen to join the Human Resources Department and the team of Miriam Stadje from Germany. In the future, he will be responsible to promote SEKISUI’s global business by developing the English communication skills of the employees in Japan. We asked him about his first experiences in the home country of SEKISUI.
Which experiences did you have throughout the hiring process?
After seeing the advertisement I did some research on SEKISUI and was attracted to both the role and the opportunity to live and work in Tokyo. The first phase was submitting my CV as well as a form detailing my education and experiences. I then had a Skype interview and finally, I flew to the Netherlands to have an interview with two members of staff from SEKISUI Europe and one member of staff from the Tokyo office.
Have you settled in well? What were your first experiences?
The settling in process here in Tokyo was made very easy – with all the help that SEKISUI gave me. Before I came to Japan SEKISUI arranged to take Japanese lessons so the language and cultural barriers were not as high as pronounced. When arriving, working at the Tokyo office was made easy as well as my colleagues made me feel very welcome, inviting me to dinners and making an effort to speak English to me. From my first month in Tokyo I only have positive experiences to share.
Is it as you expected?
Everything is better than I expected! Before I came I was worried about the stereotypical Japanese work schedule but SEKISUI has been very supportive in pursuing interests outside of work and having a healthy work/life balance. This means that I have the chance to take some time to enjoy living in such an amazing country.
What have you learned so far?
I have learned so much in my first month. For example, I received training on Japanese customs and business etiquette when I arrived. I am much better at bowing to people now! I have also learned a lot about Japan and SEKISUI in particular. Everyone I work with is more than happy to help me learn more every day.
What will be your main tasks?
My primary responsibility is to teach English to employees and aid them in developing their global business communication skills. This is part of a wider responsibility to encourage the use of English in the Tokyo office as SEKISUI continues to become more global. The best part of the role is the fact that I get to meet and work with some amazing employees who are generous when it comes to sharing their professional experience and knowledge with me.
What are you looking forward to the most?
Japanese food! More seriously, I am most excited about developing my business skills and learning as much as I can from my colleagues. Moving to Japan and working at SEKISUI has provided me with so many opportunities, it is now up to me to take advantage of them.
