Samuel Bird

Computer/EE Technology Specialist

“I've learnt how to communicate ideas in an efficient manner. It's all about taking problematical concepts and ideas and distilling them for client consideration without glossing over the crucial bits.”

 

What was the most difficult aspect of adjusting to work and life in Japan initially?

Language, food, and chopsticks – this list is not in any order of precedence.

How was Japan in reality to what you had imagined before you arrived?

I had little prior knowledge of Japan, so few expectations. I would guess that, outwardly, it does not appear as technologically advanced as expected.

How would you describe your co-workers during your initial time at work?

Friendly and helpful. Our team has a strong and deep team spirit which makes it possible to remain steady in challenging situations. The teamwork and dedication that is obvious everywhere here and you will find a performance-driven, results-oriented atmosphere, yet at the same time it's very supportive.

What work skills and habits have you learned or improved?

How to communicate your ideas in an efficient manner. One of the most important things I've learned is how to anticipate our clients' needs — what they're interested in knowing, what types of questions they will ask and what kind of results they are expecting. It's all about taking problematic concepts and ideas and distilling them for client consideration without glossing over the crucial bits. I like that I can directly see the impact of our work in the clients' reactions – when we get a case allowed or come to a solution that we didn't think that we could.

What are the challenging or difficult aspects of your work?

The main feature and challenge of this job is to review and understand a large amount of technical information and provide your analysis/recommendations thereon, in a quick and accurate manner. Being able to prioritize and keep track of multiple tasks.

What are the key skills required in your current role?

It is crucial to have analytical depth and efficiency with careful attention to detail. Getting to the gist of what is relevant and disentangling the signal from the noise in the documents and correspondence. The job is linked to tight deadlines, so one must be ready to deal with that pressure, which gets easier with practice.

What advice would you give to entry level recruits?

Be humble and ask a lot of questions. Be agile and have an open-mind. With these qualities, you can easily adapt to the fast and constantly-changing demands of clients.