—— Could you tell us about the work you are responsible for?
S: I handle two areas of work: quality control and production engineering. In quality control I work on stabilising product quality and on investigating and correcting the causes of defects. In production engineering I study how to improve our current manufacturing methods — how to do things more efficiently, and how to make higher quality products in the same amount of time.

—— Is there a part of the work you find difficult?
S: It is when we try a new method. To improve the conditions we have now, we need to try approaches different from those used so far, and when you start something new, other problems often appear in turn. It is a repeated cycle of trial and error. Right now we are running improvement tests on the firing process based on thinking that is the opposite of conventional wisdom, and we are struggling considerably. Even so, by consulting with the departments concerned and repeating our trials, results are gradually coming into view. Sometimes I come in on a Sunday to run tests, but we have reached the point where just a little more will do it, so I want to see it through.

—— You have been with the company about five years. In what way do you feel you have grown?
S: The biggest thing is that I have become able to think about work in terms of the whole picture rather than a single point. As a student, solving the problem I had been given was the goal. At work, though, it is not enough to look only at your own process. Unless you consider how your work affects the processes before and after it, and ultimately the customer, it does not lead to genuine improvement.

—— Was there something that changed that way of thinking?
S: My experience at the Vietnam plant was a major factor. In my second year I was entrusted with starting up a line to introduce a new way of using a raw material, and I went out there. At first I struggled with differences in how quality standards were viewed, but through repeated discussions with the local staff we came to share the idea that a small deviation becomes a large problem in a later process. Through that experience I acquired a perspective that looks at the flow of manufacturing as a whole and considers root causes, rather than only the problem in front of me. I also came to appreciate both the difficulty and the interest of bringing colleagues from a different culture together towards a single goal.

—— Could you tell us what appeals to you about Phonon Meiwa?
S: What appeals to me about this company is that it respects the desire to take on a challenge, regardless of age or experience. I myself had been telling people for some time that I wanted to work in Vietnam, and it was because of that that I was given the chance to take on an overseas project in my second year. I think this is a company where, if you speak up about what you want to do, you really will be entrusted with significant work.

—— We hear you recently took parental leave as well.
S: Yes. This year I took about two weeks of parental leave. Adjusting my work was demanding, but I am really glad I took it. I was able to spend a long stretch of time with my child, and being able to support my wife just after the birth meant a great deal. I experienced for myself how demanding raising a child is, and I felt again how important it is to balance family and work.

—— Finally, a message for those considering applying.
S: I do not think anyone can do everything from the start. If you have the feeling that something looks interesting, or that you would like to take on a challenge, this company will surely be a place where you can grow a great deal. The more you act on your own initiative, the more opportunities open up. I look forward to working with colleagues who can grow together.