By Takumi Oto
The University of Shimane
On October 1st, I found again that getting ready is essential for success. I got a job offer from the company I will enter after graduation from university this April. The company held a “newbie ceremony” at its building called the Comprehensive Center in Osaka on October 1st for new recruits.
One day, I was given a mission by the human resources employee before the ceremony was held. The mission was to read an address replying beck to the president’s encouragement one for the new recruits. When I got the call, I felt honored, but at the same time, a little nervous, too. Referring to two previous addresses sent to me, I wrote an original one, and sent it to the company to check. After making sure my address was suitable for the ceremony twice, the time when I would have to read it got closer. Not to read it out loud with a shaking voice, I decided to practice reading and to give myself confidence. I went to a karaoke booth alone with my address paper and read it again and again through a microphone. That was the first preparation I did by myself for success.
My second form of preparation happened on the day, October 1st. I arrived at the center two hours earlier than the opening of the ceremony since I planned to practice the actions in the ceremony and read out loud the address. One HR employee and I did it together, and that was helpful because I could imagine how to behave during the ceremony. After having lunch with him, at 1:00 pm, the ceremony finally started. It’s held in a medium-sized hall, 23 new recruits including me were in the hall and 10 board members sat in front of us. After the introduction of each board member, the receiving of the offer confirmation, and then the president’s address, my turn came. I was not nervous but confident because I knew how to walk in the front of the president, read out loud the address, and fold the paper to give him, so I carried out the mission. Practicing those steps was the factor for my success. Without this practice, I would have felt more nervous and would have not been that confident when I was in front of all the participants.
Therefore, I was able to realize again that to keep practicing is the huge factor for succeeding. Those two steps -reading out loud alone in the karaoke box and practicing with a partner in the real situation- gave me confidence and better understanding of what to do in the ceremony. Getting ready for the actual performance is necessary for the success.
