【英語】アラフォーのアメリカ人が東京のベンチャー企業へ転職した理由

As of about 6 weeks ago, I'm the new US content director at mybest. Although I've worked several jobs, this is my first time working in web media. I never expected to start a new career in a completely new industry at this stage of my life.

After having worked in Japan for the past 16 years, I joined mybest this November as part of their US team. In my previous job I was head of overseas sales events at a start-up shoe company in Japan for 1 year. Before that, I was a manager at a commercial English conversation school for about 10 years. In college, I studied Japanese language and literature (and minored in studio art).

So why did I pivot into a web media start-up more than 10 years into my working life? mybest was the right choice for me.

How I knew mybest was right for me:

In my job search, I looked through a wide variety of companies and industries. After my time in English education and fashion, I had a general idea of what I wanted to do next, but not a specific goal. Although I encountered several promising offers, I felt a disconnect with each role.

mybest was different. When I first read about the role and the company, I immediately felt that I could relate to the job content. I thought, "everything else aside, I could definitely explain this job to my mother." Moreover, I could understand and explain what the company itself is doing. As a chronic comparison shopper myself, mybest's approach to product recommendations was refreshing. The prospect of making use of my skills and background in a new industry was exciting. Moreover, this was a brand new project for the company. Here was an opportunity to be a part of something from the ground up in a brand new role and team.

Beyond the job role and the company itself, I also related to the company values. "Have integrity," "Help each other," "Work hard." Rather than focusing only on profits or customers, mybest achieves results with a solid employee foundation. In my time as a manager, I achieved my highest KPI results when my team was both satisfied and motivated. It was sometimes a struggle to communicate the importance of this to higher-ups. Seeing this idea displayed right in mybest's company values made the role even more attractive.

Of course, it's easy for companies to espouse lofty ideals. I had some lingering reservations. But when I got to speak with actual team members during the interview process, I felt relieved. There was a genuine sense of the company's warm and welcoming work culture. It made the choice to join an easy one.

Thoughts since joining:

I can say with certainty that the honeymoon period is over. As is common with many start-ups, I had to find my bearings immediately. But this was all expected; the members who interviewed me made it clear that I would be very busy. In fact, I quite enjoy being busy. If you've ever had a job where you did nothing all day, you know what I'm talking about.

There were a few things that surprised me. I didn't expect to be taking on such an ambitious project with so few team members. Working on content for a brand new market is exciting, but there are limits to what we can do. With our current team size, I'm doing much more translation work than I was prepared for. I enjoy making use of my language skills, but it would be easier to focus on my primary goals if we had someone to help.

That said, I love being part of a brand new project within the company. I'm able to take part in important decisions, and the team values my input. It's a satisfying feeling that you won't find in your typical office job. And no matter how tough the workload gets, the team is always supportive and encouraging.

What if--?

I left my previous job without securing my next one; I was job-hunting for about half a year. Because I had left my previous job after only 1 year, there was a nagging voice in my head that made me worry. What if things didn't work out, and I had to start the job search all over again after another year? I had to be choosey. I was very fortunate to have been in a secure financial situation, so I was able to choose the best position. Other people might have felt pressured into accepting a less than ideal position. But in my case, the opposite was true: I couldn't afford to accept an offer that wouldn't work out for me.

So, is mybest right for you?

Based the 6 weeks that have passed since joining, I can say mybest is not for the faint of heart. If you are looking for a standard office job where you can do admin tasks on auto-pilot, this is not the company for you. At mybest, you will need to step up to complete an ambitious workload, think on your feet, and be able to back up your choices with thorough reasoning.

But if that sounds exciting to you, then I have no reservations recommending mybest. The company culture is fantastic and there are many opportunities to learn about new things.

I hope we get the chance to work together some day.

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