International Career Seminar

Dec 05, 2012 (Wed.)

International Career Seminar Flyer
International Career Seminar Announcement

On Friday the 16th of November Kansai Gaidai was host to its first International Career Seminar in the impressive ICC Hall atop the newly constructed International Communication Center (ICC). The speakers, two of them Kansai Gaidai Alumni, related to the audience their experiences as foreigners working in, looking for work in, and starting companies in Japan.

The assembled students, a mix of international students with their sights set on a future career in Japan and Japanese students with an interest in international companies, were treated to an excellent opportunity to learn from and be inspired by the unique viewpoints of the three speakers.

Paul Hintgen, National Sales & Marketing Director at Schindler Japan, talked about the importance of breaking the mold, and knowing when to challenging established rules and traditions. Paul Levine, CEO of Pacific Associates Limited, discussed his experiences starting and managing businesses in Japan, and talked about the importance of clearly showing how to save or make money for your customers and employers. Finally Jeremy Goldstrich, Managing Director of the Asia Pacific Division of FedEx, tied the seminar together, discussing the importance of taking chances, but also taking care of yourself just as carefully as you take care of your career.

After the seminar the students asked questions about everything ranging from the Japanese economy to the importance of Japanese language skills. Finally the seminar concluded with an informal networking session, where the students had the opportunity to exchange name cards and talk to the guests in a more informal manner.

Building a network with and being mentored by role models with firsthand experience of careers in Japan was a welcome opportunity to many students, and judging by how the conversations between students and guests continued even after the venue closed for the evening it was clear that the students benefitted immensely from this opportunity which hopefully will be the first of many to come.