I failed my internship... Is an open company event even worth it? Considering early job hunting anxiety from a career support perspective

"I made it to the early selection process through an internship!"
"I heard they got a job offer through a summer internship."
──When such voices are heard on social media or from those around them, it is not uncommon for students who have only participated in open company events to feel anxious.

In fact, university career centers are seeing an increase in consultations such as
"I've only been able to go to open company events and I'm worried"
"I feel like I'm falling behind because everyone else is doing internships"
.

Behind this anxiety lies the trend of job hunting starting earlier.
As the Keidanren's recruitment activity rules become mere formalities, many companies are holding internships and open company events from summer to autumn, wanting to connect with students before the official publicity start date in June.
Amidst this, a trend that "internships that lead to early selection are the only correct path"has emerged, increasing the psychological pressure on students.

However, isn't it necessary to stop and think for a moment here?
What is truly important in the early stages of job hunting is not whether it leads directly to selection, but whether you can have an experience that is meaningful to you.
This time, I will explain the value of open company events and how to choose them for both job seekers and their supporters.

Exploring the true nature of "anxiety"

In the first place, why are students driven to participate in internships, and why are career centers, who are supposed to support them, actively encouraging it? I have thought about the causes.

"Invisible pressure" created by social media and the atmosphere around us

Much of the "anxiety" in job hunting does not stem from any actual major event, but from "comparison with others."
For example, on social media, posts like "I passed the internship for Company XX!" or "I've already received an invitation for the main selection process" stand out. This is due to the structure where those sharing information only share "success stories."
When people see this, they easily feel that they are "doing nothing," and their anxiety is amplified.

"Early awareness" spreading in career centers and seminars

University career centers also encourage students by saying, "Let's get moving early." Of course, this is not with malicious intent, but with the intention of increasing students' options, but it can also give the impression that "not having started yet = falling behind."
Even in conversations with seminar colleagues or club friends, rumors like "I heard that person is already going to internships" fuel anxiety.

Student voices: Tired of the "feeling that I have to move"

As for the actual voices of students, many express anxieties such as, "I think I need to start job hunting, but I don't know what to do," "I failed all my internships and lost my confidence," and "Is there any point in just going to open company events..." Such vague anxiety and "comparison with others" are unconsciously cornering job seekers.

What is the difference between an "internship" and an "open company event"?

To begin with, there are not a few students who do not understand the difference between an internship and an open company event.
Also, in cases where the supporters are middle-aged or older, there are instances where they lack knowledge about internships and open company events, which did not exist when they were job hunting, and provide misguided advice.

The "three categories" indicated by Keidanren

According to the definition by Keidanren (Japan Business Federation), initiatives for student career formation support are classified into the following three types.

• Career Education (1 day/short term)
  Lectures and workshops on industries, job types, and work styles.

• Open Company (1 day to several days)
  Company explanations, round-table discussions with employees, simple work experiences, etc.

• Internship (5 days or more)
  More practical experience, problem-solving workshops, provision of feedback, etc.

In other words, an "open company event" is "part of a career support program," and not all of them are internships that lead directly to recruitment.

The "depth of work experience" differs

Open company events are generally intended to deepen understanding of a company through relatively light content and are separate from the recruitment selection process.
On the other hand, long-term internships or internships directly linked to recruitment are positioned by companies as opportunities to "assess aptitude and level of interest through this experience," and in some cases, they serve as a step toward selection.

The Ministry of Education, Culture, Sports, Science and Technology and the Ministry of Health, Labour and Welfare also promote phased career development programs as "opportunities for students to clarify their own aptitudes and future visions," suggesting that not all students need to participate in practical internships from the beginning.

The goals and design differ depending on the company

Also, the content of internships and open company events varies by company. For example, even for the same "1-day" event, Company A might focus on industry research, while Company B might position it as a stepping stone to selection, meaning the significance can be completely different.
Therefore, it is important to have a perspective that looks at the "content" rather than the format.

Let's have the perspective that "early selection is not everything"

In new graduate job hunting, there has been a trend in recent years to emphasize "how to get a job offer as early as possible."
Is that really the case? I believe it cannot be said that securing a job offer while in your third year of undergraduate or first year of graduate school is everything.

The pitfall of "the early bird gets the worm"

The idea that "it's a relief if you get a job offer through early selection"
certainly has some merit.
However,an early job offer is not necessarily a "company that suits you"is the difficult part of job hunting.
For example, there is no end to cases where job offers obtained for reasons like "I chose it for its name recognition" or "I applied because everyone else was doing it" turned out to be a mismatch once the student actually joined the company.

Has getting a job offer early become the "goal"?

The impatience of "I have to decide quickly no matter what" can cause you to lose sight of the essence of job hunting. The original purpose of job hunting is to find a place where you can work by utilizing your own values and strengths. For that, "satisfaction" is more important than "speed."

Many people who look like they are "behind" are actually being steady

For example, among students who received job offers after the official selection process began in March, there are many who have found highly satisfying employment. There are also cases where, as a result of carefully repeating self-analysis during their university life, they encountered a company they felt was "the one."
The goal of job hunting is not "speed of job offers," but "convinced choices."

If you have your own core, you won't be swayed by speed

"What do I value and want to work for?"
"In what kind of environment do I want to grow?"
—By valuing these perspectives, you can build your own pace of job hunting, even if those around you are getting job offers early. If you feel like you are getting impatient, try reviewing "what you want to value."

How can you make use of open company events? Approaches by purpose

So, how should students actually make use of them when participating? And how can supporters approach students to encourage them?

The value for those who are "in the middle of self-analysis"

For students in the early stages of job hunting, the worries of "I don't even know what industry I'm suited for" or "I don't understand the differences between companies" are common. Open company events are ideal as a place to casually listen to stories from multiple companies and compare them with your own interests and values.

For those who are "lost in choosing an industry," it serves as comparison material

Another appeal of open company events is the ability to experience how atmosphere, values, and work styles differ between companies, even within the same industry. Being able to compare things like "Company A is venture-oriented, while Company B is stability-oriented" even in the same IT industry can be a catalyst for clarifying your own preferences.

For those who have already decided on their target industry, it is an opportunity to deepen their understanding of companies.

Even for those who have already decided on their desired industry or company, open company events are beneficial. By learning more about the job content and the type of person sought, you can improve the accuracy of your statement of purpose and self-promotion, and add specificity to your entry sheet (ES) and interview anecdotes.

It is also meaningful for those who failed the internship selection.

Internship selection processes are highly competitive at popular companies and can fill up early. However, many students have increased their interest through connections made at open company events and utilized that in the main selection process. By viewing it not as "it's over because I failed" but as a "place to connect to the next step," continuous approaches become possible.

Let's verbalize what you learned by reflecting after participating.

Don't just end it by participating; if you record "what you felt" and "what insights you gained" in a notebook or app, you can use them for self-promotion and statements of purpose. Since job hunting is also a time for "collecting material," these records will become a major weapon in later selection processes.

What is important is "assigning meaning." How you utilize your experience is up to you.

The essence of job hunting is not "where you participated" or "what the format was," but "what you thought and how you acted through that experience."

Even the experience of participating in an open company event and thinking, "That company isn't for me," is a valuable lesson. This is because feelings like "I don't fit with these values" or "I'm not interested in this type of work" become part of your self-understanding.

On the other hand, if you participate in a practical internship and it doesn't feel right, there is no need to force yourself to summarize it as a "good experience." The important thing is to reflect on that experience and have a perspective on "how to connect it to the next step."

In job hunting, both companies and students are aiming for a "convincing match." Instead of rushing to "decide on something," let's accumulate experience as a process of "finding a place that suits you."

In that sense, both open company events and internships are materials for drawing your own "career map." Don't be bound by the format; think about how to assign meaning to the experience you participated in. The answer is always within yourself.