In this blog post, we will introduce ways to effectively incorporate thoroughness and morality, which are core competencies for applying to the Financial Supervisory Service, into your self-introduction letter.
Background
When I was a child, my father, who was in charge of managing the company’s finances, emphasized integrity and conscience above all else. My father, who was overly meticulous in his self-management skills, often sat me down on his lap and said, “Just as you should not repair your shoes in a cucumber field or fix your hat under a pear tree, you must always strive to avoid misunderstandings and blemishes.” When I was young, I asked him why I had to be so careful when I was just fixing my shoes and hatband, as I wasn’t stealing cucumbers or pears. He replied that even such misunderstandings could spread as gossip and threaten his position, so he had to be careful. I think it was probably a self-deprecating remark about his work, as he always tried to manage our finances transparently.
No smoke without fire. As a child, I felt unfair when my father told me that we must always be careful of rumors. I found it extremely embarrassing when smoke came out of the chimney and people assumed that a fire had been lit even though it hadn’t. However, my father told me that once a rumor starts circulating, it has the potential to become reality, so I must always conduct myself properly. My father’s life seemed to embody integrity. He didn’t smoke or drink alcohol, and he was very cautious when meeting people, always striving to maintain a composed demeanor. He was truly a modern-day scholar. When I was young, I felt that my father’s efforts were excessive, but as I grew older, I began to see him as a person who could live without rules and had strong convictions, and I felt a sense of pride in him. I think it was around that time that I decided I wanted to be like my father, who always stood up straight with his back straight.
School days
Influenced by my father, I received a fairly strict upbringing compared to my peers. From an early age, I had to change my own clothes and clean up after myself, and my father regularly checked my room to make sure it was tidy and clean, leaving me no room for carelessness. In addition, my mother, who was well aware of how much my father cared about his reputation and rumors, would quietly tell me that I had to live an upright life so as not to bring shame upon my father.
Although I sometimes felt suffocated by such restraint, I was never able to stray from the path because I had always observed my father’s daily routine, which was even stricter than his strictness toward me. If he had just scolded me, I would have rebelled, but I was deeply impressed by my father, who got up early every day without fail, exercised lightly, ate a light breakfast, and never slacked off even when he was resting in his study. To me, my father was like a mountain, sometimes so majestic that it made me feel hopeless, but he was also someone who knew how to show his spirit as a scholar with the steadfastness of snow that never melts on a mountain ridge, even in the middle of summer. Influenced by my father, I tried to always behave properly in order to maintain my own discernment in life, even though my friends sometimes teased me for being old-fashioned.
Strengths and weaknesses
I am somewhat ascetic in nature. In order to maintain a lifestyle that is true to my conscience and free from the opinions of others, I repeatedly check myself before acting on my desires or personal thoughts. I care about what others think of me, but I don’t want to be overly concerned about it and lose myself, so I set firm standards for myself and try not to cross the line. I am also very thorough, constantly checking to make sure that I am not inadvertently straying from my goals as I work.
This trait was further reinforced when I took after my father and aspired to work in a field involving money. Although I sometimes dreamed of living a free life befitting my youth, I had already become a master of self-management from a young age, so I decided to follow my own path, just as a caterpillar eats pine needles. Some people may think that I am too strict with myself for staying away from anything that might cloud my judgment and focusing so much on self-management, but I remind myself of my father, who worked hard to maintain his philosophy throughout his life, and I stay focused.
Outlook on life
Let’s be people who can stand tall and look at others. There are people in this world who are sometimes more sensitive to the behavior of others than their own, and who act hypocritically, like a dog barking at a dog that is barking at it. This happens when people take their own faults lightly and exaggerate the faults of others, and our self-defensive attitude unconsciously works to minimize and forget our own faults. In order to avoid this human nature, we must always be strict with ourselves and only comment on others when we believe that our own behavior is completely correct.
Just as showing something once is much more effective than saying it a hundred times, if you want to lead others on the right path, it is most important to walk the right path yourself and show them the beauty of such a life. It is also a much more effective way to convince others. People who only talk without showing their actions are like empty barrels with loud noises, and they easily provoke others. Furthermore, they are likely to be seen as unreasonable because they are imposing on others a philosophy that they themselves cannot follow.
Motivation for applying and aspirations
Having spent my entire life looking up to my father’s integrity, I too have lived my life with conscience and integrity as my highest virtues. When judging a company, financial transparency and conscientious management are of utmost importance to me, and I feel that your company has taken steps that inspire considerable trust. I believe that your history is sufficient to justify your position as a manager supervising others. As someone who will carry on this history, I will always conduct myself properly and strive to ensure that I do not tarnish the reputation of your company.
With humility and without being swayed by personal desires, I will strive to maintain a righteous attitude and learn my job step by step. Just as my father lived his life as an upright and honest man, I will strive to follow in his footsteps and fulfill my duties as a member of society who does not bring shame to his name. I will strive to maximize my abilities with humility, keeping my back straight but my head bowed low in a willingness to learn. If you select me, I will do my best to earn your guidance and support. Thank you very much.
