Joined an IT company as a system engineer as a new graduate. Applied for and successfully passed the Youth Overseas Cooperation Corps while still employed. Went to Rwanda, a country that is focusing on IT. There, gained various experiences, analytical skills, approach skills, and learned Kinyarwanda. The strong belief of "let's make use of anything we have" that was acquired during the stay in Rwanda is also being utilized in the current system operation work.
Reason for Joining the CompanyAfter graduating from university, I joined an IT company and was in charge of system development for a bank. After that, I went to Rwanda in Africa as a member of the Japan Overseas Cooperation Volunteers and worked as a computer teacher at a vocational training school. After completing my two-year assignment, I returned to Japan and became a customer support for accounting systems for major manufacturers and government agencies. When I started thinking about wanting to work for a company where I could utilize my IT skills and education experience, I came across our company, which matched my preferences such as "offering a globally used education tool as a product" and "having stable transactions with main customers such as universities and other educational institutions."
From Joining to NowSince joining the company, I have been working on customer support for universities and companies that have introduced education support systems (LMS). Since the system is open source and developed in Australia, there are few Japanese documents available, and we customize it according to each customer's request, so the inquiries from customers vary. In my previous job, I worked in customer support for financial systems, where speed was the most important factor, but now I am required to communicate with the clients and analyze their needs carefully. As a result, I am now able to think deeply about what is necessary for the clients, rather than just completing the tasks in front of me as I did in my previous job.
Current Business ContentIn my previous job, I managed a team of 5 new graduate employees and 2 mid-level employees as a sub-leader. With this experience, I am entrusted with not only regular customer support tasks, but also proposing and streamlining operations. Specifically, when participating in exhibitions or visiting universities and companies looking for operational maintenance partners, I listen to their concerns and propose our support services tailored to their needs. In terms of streamlining operations, I proposed replacing the inquiry management system to clearly define the status of inquiries. This proposal was approved and we are currently in the process of implementing it. By actively speaking and taking action, I am able to challenge myself beyond the framework of customer support tasks.
Job SatisfactionIt feels great to receive words of gratitude from customers when solving problems. Our customers are often very intelligent, such as university professors, and they ask high-quality questions as they often investigate source code themselves. Additionally, since our LMS is open-source, we can report bugs and request fixes from the developers, but it may take some time unlike with our own products. It is very satisfying when we can propose solutions for difficult problems through operational suggestions. Currently, we also visit our customers to hear their current situation and make proposals for solving issues, which is very enjoyable. I am satisfied that I am getting closer to my goal of becoming an IT consultant, which I aimed for when I first joined the company.
Future GoalsBy consolidating inquiries to the support team, knowledge and skills can be accumulated, allowing for better proposals and services. I feel that the need for operational support, which serves as a bridge between customers and development, is increasing every year. Personally, I would like to first aim for improving customer satisfaction. When customers make inquiries, they are often already in a difficult situation, but if we can provide a prompt resolution, trust will increase. I want to make accurate situational judgments from minimal communication and provide the best proposals. I am also currently studying team management. Currently, there are many areas where we rely on individual strengths, but by considering the way support is provided from the customer's perspective, I believe that a sense of unity will be created within the team and it will become a team where everyone can work comfortably.
