Questions for 3 New Grads - What were your reasons for joining WOVN?

WOVN is entering its ninth fiscal year in 2022, and is hiring new graduates in preparation for further business growth.
What kind of people are the new grads that join startups? We interviewed 3 new grads as they finish their first quarter in WOVN. We asked them about their job hunt, what drove their decision to join WOVN, and their plans for the future.

Q. Please introduce yourself briefly. What did you do as a student?

Vu:

I attended a Japanese university and spent much of my time on research and hanging out with friends.
I started programming when I was 15 years old, and I continued learning about coding every day even in university. I also had lots of reports and homework, so it was a busy time in my life.
My research was on the optimization of multiple small computers with varying specs working together on a task requiring 100 times more RAM (random access memory) than is found in an average computer.
There’s too much to say on the topic here so please come and talk to me in person if you’re interested (laughs).

Hatsuda:

I studied abroad when I was in college.
One of the most memorable experiences was going to Cuba for a year to do field work and learn Spanish.
So I often get asked, “why did you study abroad in Cuba?” I decided to study abroad in Cuba because I was fascinated by the people I met there during my travels.
Specifically, I was fascinated by how down-to-earth the Cuban people are and how this is valued in their society. For example, do you want to go to school if it’s raining? In Japan, you’d go to school even if you don't want to, but in Cuba, teachers don't complain if you miss school. While comfort, convenience, and safety are valued in Japan, society here lost sight of which is more important, the system or people. Cubans, in comparison, prioritize the people.

Kogoma:

Since I did nothing but soccer from the age of three until I graduated from high school, I wanted to experience new things at university, and so I lived the next 4 years of my life with the theme of “broadening my horizons.” Of course, I hung out with friends, but I also dove headfirst into an unknown world, volunteering in Malaysia, interning at a SaaS company, and going abroad to experience different cultures. I experienced something new every day, so I had a lot of fun discovering new things. Especially since I started interning at a SaaS company, I began to think frequently about what I wanted to be in the future, and I retained a high level of enthusiasm.

Q. What did you prioritize when looking for a workplace?

Vu:

I wanted to grow as an engineer, so I focused on startups.
In a large company, the work is specialized and you grow only in a specific area. For example, if I am a back-end developer, most of the time I only work on the back-end.
While growing in technical and specialist areas like coding is important, I want to expand my possibilities by developing my ability to think about the product itself. Therefore, I was looking for a startup that allowed me to act at my own discretion.

Hatsuda:

There were two things I was looking for.
First, can I relate to what the company is doing? For example, if I had to sell this product, I thought it wouldn’t be fun if couldn’t relate to the product itself. I felt that if I wasn’t interested in the product, it’d be a drag learning about it, and most importantly, I felt that I could not speak passionately about it.
Second, can I relate to the way the CEO thinks? I believe that how the CEO thinks is directly connected to the company's values and philosophy. The minimum requirement was whether or not I could relate to how the pillar of the company thinks.

Kogoma:

It’s important for me to be able to relate to the mission and the business.
When I first started looking for a job, I focused on whether or not I could grow as a businessman. Of course, this aspect is important, but I started thinking that I don't want to spend 40 hours a week just for growth. I thought that since I would be investing a lot of time in work, it would be better to do things that I enjoy rather than just pursue growth.
One of the things I enjoyed in the past was working toward a larger mission, so I was looking for a company that had a large overarching mission that I could relate to.

Q. What made you settle on WOVN?

Vu:

As I mentioned in the previous question, the deciding factor was having an environment in which we can grow.
I decided to join WOVN because I believe it offers an environment in which I can expand my possibilities, offering many chances to think about the product itself and to get involved in the business side, rather than being limited to a single area of expertise.

Hatsuda:

I was inspired by the mission of “Localize the Internet.” I was genuinely excited when I learned that we were going to break down language barriers and make the Internet truly open and equal.
It is a very challenging mission, but if accomplished, it will have an enormous impact on society, and I wanted to be a part of the process.
Also, the fact that they respected my ideas so much during the hiring process was also significant. They were sincerely interested in what I want for my career. They did not only show the good facets of WOVN, but also talked about the ongoing challenges, which gave me a chance to consider the advantages and disadvantages of choosing WOVN as my first job.

Kogoma:

Many factors were important during my job search, like relating to the mission, business growth, and career path, but in the end I decided on WOVN because of its “people.”
I happened to intern at WOVN for a month during the hiring process, and the employees working there seemed to be having a lot of fun. When I was interviewed by Hayashi-san and Uemori-san, they spoke very passionately about WOVN. I got the impression that the employees have a good understanding of the overall business, and everyone works with an altruistic mindset to achieve the mission, which made me genuinely want to work for this company. Everybody seemed respectable as coworkers and as individuals, and there was no doubt in my mind that I can grow myself by working together with them.

Q. Is there anything different from what you expected before joining?

Vu:

Mostly everything was as I expected before joining.
I feel that WOVN still has room for growth as a company, and that a great career as an engineer awaits me. Individuals can act at their own discretion, meaning it’s an environment in which you can directly impact the product if you put in the effort.
There are also many excellent engineers on the staff whom I respect and want to learn from.

Hatsuda:

It might not be a difference of expectations, but the importance of acting on one's own initiative is more important than I had expected.
Large companies have accumulated a lot of knowledge with regard to training new graduates and are home to senior employees who have taken the same path aspiring employees will take. So, while I still receive a certain amount of information, I realized just how much I need to act on my own initiative in a startup like WOVN.

Kogoma:

Everything was as I expected before joining the company.
During my internship, I felt that many employees agreed with the company values and enjoyed doing their work. I also felt many people based their actions around the mission, and that in this environment, everyone is equal, can share opinions, and takes on challenges based on their skills.

Q. It’s been 3 months since you joined. What have you been doing recently?

Vu:

As a member of the development team for WOVN.app, which is used for localizing apps, I develop SDKs (software development kits).
My main focus recently has been to build a test automation system for Android and iOS. I was able to contribute to the team by allowing us to release features faster with less effort.

Hatsuda:

After a month and a half of training for new members, I was assigned to the Support Team in the Customer Sucess Department. We respond to customer inquiries, revise help pages, and host seminars on operations. I have access to the customers’ unfiltered voices, and while I still have a lot to go, I’m starting to get a firm understanding of our customers. Since WOVN is an enterprise product, there is a lot to learn and catch up on, such as improving understanding of customers and the nitty-gritty of product specs. However, all my coworkers are very helpful and thorough.

Kogoma:

My post-employment flow and job description are the same as Hatsuda.
In addition to Customer Success, I’m also involved in the ESG project. I was an intern for six months before officially joining the company and was selected as an ESG project member in the meantime. The project began in August 2021, and through discussion with other project members, we decided on the key issues that WOVN should address. Six months later, in mid-May, we held an internal meeting on the topic and made the information available externally on our website. The next phase is actually implementing specific measures, and I hope to contribute there as well.
If you are interested in WOVN's sustainability efforts, please visit our website.

WOVN.io | Make your website multilingual

Q. Please tell us about what your plans going forward.

Vu:

I would like to build up my technical skills and keep programming, as well as deepen my understanding of the business side of the company so that I can contribute to the mission. In order to contribute to the development of the product, I believe it is important to have an understanding of business-side things in addition to engineering matters. I want to add depth to the product as a developer by understanding how the products I develop are delivered to customers and how they create value.

Hatsuda:

WOVN employees are all very talented, and their knowledge of WOVN's products, as well as their IT knowledge, is unmatched. However, if I just twiddle my thumbs knowing I can’t stack up to others, there is no point in my being here, so I would like to pinpoint my own unique strengths and work on developing them.

Kogoma:

First, I would like to increase customer understanding. In order to gain an understanding of our customers and WOVN, we are first assigned to Customer Success, where we get unfiltered access to our customers. Being gifted such an environment, I would like to increase the awareness of the value that WOVN provides to our customers. Ultimately, I would like my coworkers to think “glad to have you onboard, Kogoma.” To this end, I will strive to find ways to contribute in my daily work.