In this blog post, we will introduce effective ways to highlight your strengths, such as practical experience, problem-solving skills, and sincerity, when applying for a system development position.

 

Growth

“I wanted to study hard when I was in school”
I wasn’t a very good student in school, but I was a student who tried hard to do well. I wanted to study well and improve my grades, so I tried various methods. At the time, I was ranked around 10th in my class, but my goal was to be in the top 5. I was highly motivated to study, so I voluntarily attended a comprehensive cram school that covered all subjects. At school, I tried to develop efficient study habits by distributing my study time between class and self-study.
However, my grades did not improve as much as I had hoped. No matter how hard I tried, my grades remained around 10th place. If I hadn’t been so ambitious, I would have been satisfied, but I was frustrated and worried because my grades did not improve despite my efforts. So, from that point on, I decided to analyze my study habits and improve any bad ones. When I looked back on my study habits, I could clearly see what was wrong. I often made plans and bought many workbooks, but I couldn’t follow through with my plans and couldn’t finish the workbooks.
I was all talk and no action. So, I decided to make a plan that I could actually follow, rather than just being motivated. I cut the amount of study included in my existing plan in half and only did what I could do. Instead of trying to jump from 10th place to 5th place, I decided to aim for 7th place first. Surprisingly, I was able to see myself improving little by little, and my grades in math, which I had been struggling with, went up, and my average score went up. In the end, I even ranked first in my class before graduating from high school. Through this experience, I learned the importance of reflecting on my own study habits.

 

Strengths and weaknesses

“The early bird catches the worm.”
My diligent personality and quick movements describe me well. I have been diligent since I was young. I always woke up at 7 a.m. and decided what to do in the morning and afternoon, and worked hard on it, whether it was studying or my hobbies. When I was in school, I signed up for after-school classes to catch up on subjects I was struggling with, and whenever possible, I used my time before school to take self-improvement classes such as yoga. That’s why my nickname was “lark.”
The nickname “lark” had two meanings. One was that I always woke up early in the morning, and the other was that I talked a lot. In keeping with my diligent personality, I was talkative and always willing to express my opinions. In class, even if no one asked me to speak, I would voluntarily share my thoughts, and I liked to express my opinions, whether they were right or wrong. So, even when doing group assignments, I liked to take the lead and present in front of the class, which made me skilled at presentations and expressive.
My diligent personality motivates me to work harder in many ways, which is one of my strengths. I am able to devote more time to areas of interest, which allows me to achieve better results than others. When I was in college, while my friends would sleep during their free periods, I would sit in the library and read various books related to my major. I would read books and do my assignments in the morning, spend my afternoons productively, and go to bed early. In a way, I had a healthy lifestyle of waking up early and going to bed early, and I think that can be said to be my habit. I have a diligent and regular lifestyle, which is my nature, so I believe I will be able to demonstrate my conscientious work ethic at your company as well.

 

Work Experience

“Analysis of existing systems and improvement through analysis”
I worked at ○○ Networks, which produces network-based customer management programs. As it was my first job, I was responsible for proposing new ideas for new business ventures. As is the case with any new employee, I was expected to come up with fresh ideas, and I was well suited to this role as I did not feel pressured to do so. Therefore, while working on a web hard drive project, I proposed a new development process for a management system and analyzed the existing system to identify areas for improvement.
This earned me the nickname “the bold newcomer.” It wasn’t meant to be negative; it was because I would offer my opinions boldly and appropriately when ideas were needed. As word spread about me, various departments wanted to hear my new ideas, and even if they weren’t always relevant to the direction or purpose of the work, I would confidently share my thoughts. My seniors and colleagues in other departments wanted to hear my opinions and told me that they were helpful, which made my work rewarding. Later, when our company secured a deal with an external client and was selected as the main developer, I was recognized for my ideas and even received an award for providing key ideas.

 

Motto

“Be steadfast.”
What I have learned from working in one field for 10 years is that you have to be a person who does their part well, no matter where you are. In particular, the most important thing in system development was expertise in my work. As with any job, if you can do your job well, you can be confident in yourself without worrying too much about other things. That is why I always strive to improve myself and acquire skills that I can be proud of wherever I go, and I try to be a decisive person. Even during meetings, I always try to be a person who is full of ideas and who others can learn from.
By focusing on myself and working hard, I became a person who was steadfast. When you work in an organization, many things happen. No matter how much you plan and prepare, there will always be difficulties at work, and when you work with many people, competition can become fierce, leading to inevitable conflicts. Whenever this happened, I tried not to give too much importance to conflicts or crises. I told myself that it was normal when people work together, and I tried not to let emotional issues affect me. Since I was completely focused on myself, I worked hard and felt that I didn’t have enough time to do my job well. Therefore, I thought that paying attention to other people or other things was a waste of time and emotions. By making such efforts for myself, I grew into a stable person and worker.
I tend to give this advice to my juniors and people who are starting the same job. If you expect too much from your surroundings or start comparing yourself to others, you will often be swayed by situations and people. Of course, as social animals, we cannot help but be influenced by other people and our environment, but if we can minimize that influence, we will be able to live more efficiently. So, when someone asks me for advice about work or organizational life, I tell them that although I haven’t experienced everything yet, if they are a self-centered person, they will be able to minimize the influence of those around them and even teach them lessons.