The Story of Being Entrusted with an International Event One Month After Joining: The 'Unexpected Field Skills' of University Staff #3

Many job seekers might have the image that university staff spend their days processing paperwork at a desk.

But in reality, you might find yourself communicating in English with overseas universities, coordinating appointments for university presidents, and managing events for hundreds of people on the day. Such tasks are sometimes entrusted to new employees in their very first month.

This time, we spoke with Y-san, who works in the International Strategy Department at Kanda University of International Studies, about her 'unexpected real-life experience' right after joining the university.

Profile

From wanting to work for a manufacturer to choosing to be university staff

I started job hunting in the spring of my junior year of university. It was in the middle of the COVID-19 pandemic, so all information sessions were online.

“I wanted a job that would allow me to have some kind of connection with the world.” Having experienced language study abroad in the Philippines, Y-san vaguely aspired to work in a global role and initially looked at a wide range of industries, focusing on manufacturers.

The turning point was her experience interacting with university staff through club activities.

“I thought the fact that it is a private organization but also an educational institution is something you don't find in other companies.”

The balance between rationality and educational value. Attracted by that unique position, her job-hunting focus shifted toward the university industry. Among the six or seven university corporations she applied to, Kanda University of International Studies in her home prefecture of Chiba caught her eye.

“It was a university I already knew, and since it's a university of international studies, I thought it fit my own focus. When I looked it up, they happened to be hiring.”

Language, international, education—the place that perfectly overlapped with her own experience was actually in her hometown.

One month after joining, a South Korean university visits

She was assigned to the International Strategy Department. It is a department responsible for accepting exchange students and coordinating with overseas partner universities.

It was in June, just over a month after she joined. She was entrusted with managing an event where faculty and students from a partner university in South Korea would visit Japan.

The problem was that all the senior staff in charge were away on business trips. There was no manual. Although she could hear about their expertise, she had to think through all the actual arrangements herself.

“I was excited to be able to do work typical of the International Strategy Department, but honestly, I was also very anxious.”

Building trust through face-to-face interaction

The first thing I did was to listen to the requests of the visiting party. I confirmed the number of people, the schedule, and the purpose of the visit, and then went around asking for cooperation from relevant departments within the university.

Since I had just joined, no one knew my face or name. That is precisely why I made all requests for cooperation in person. Instead of just sending an email, I made the effort to go and see them. That accumulation of effort became the catalyst for building a network and trust within the university.

Flexibly handling sudden developments

As preparations progressed, additional information arrived from the Korean side. They mentioned that the Honorary Chairman would also be accompanying them. I urgently secured appointments with the President and Vice President and redesigned the flow of movement.

When I consulted the President's office, I learned that there was a pine tree on campus that had been planted together with a Korean university in the past. The suggestion to 'take a commemorative photo there' was realized, adding depth to the program.

Then came the day. The group from Korea arrived one hour earlier than scheduled.

'I panicked at first, but I rearranged the schedule by moving the campus tour to the beginning. From this experience, I learned the importance of always having multiple plans in mind.'

The event ended successfully. We even received feedback from the other party that it had been a meaningful time.

A job where you can 'witness graduation ceremonies'

Looking back, Y says that before joining the university, their image of the work of university staff was 'honestly, quite vague.'

Once I actually started working, I realized that I was involved not only in the work of my own department but also in university-wide events such as entrance exams, entrance ceremonies, and graduation ceremonies. The breadth of the work was beyond what I had imagined.

'Being able to be involved in things like graduation ceremonies, where you see the students you've watched over graduate, was a gap in a very good sense.'

I provide consultation to exchange students, handle the selection for overseas dispatches, and sometimes witness the milestones in students' lives. Far from being just administrative work, there is a field where you face people directly there.

'There are really so many kind people at our university,' says Y. Because it is a small university, we can deal with each student personally. A high level of communication skills among the staff is also a characteristic unique to a foreign language university.

'Once I joined, I found that the corporate culture has a spirit of challenge, trying to do various things flexibly. Before joining, I had an image of rigid, civil-servant-like work, so it was a gap in a good way.'

From now on, in this place

The 'attitude of asking for the other party's purpose' and 'building trust with stakeholders' that I gained from the event in my first month are now the foundation of my current work.

'As the declining birthrate progresses, there is a strong desire to incorporate new things and make this a university that can grow. While promoting efficiency, I hope to work in a way that allows me to properly face each student—that is the kind of work style I would like to have.'

Stability and challenge. Y's third year is beginning in an environment that offers both.