Dare to try, embrace failure, and do what captivates you! What you try and experience at university will lead to a career that is uniquely your own

University life is an extremely important time for thinking about your future career.
However, your career does not simply refer to what you do or where you work. What are your values? What kind of people do you want to interact with? What kind of life do you want to lead? These are just some of the questions you will need to answer to realize your envisioned “life design.”
In recent years, as companies begin recruiting earlier and engaging in more diverse recruitment activities, more and more students are expressing an interest in internships and early selection from their first and second years, but there is no need to rush.
Rather, you should throw yourself into all kinds of activities on a daily basis with the mindset of trying anything and enjoying it even if you fail. At university, you can try your hand at everything from classes, clubs, and volunteer work to part-time jobs, travel, and hobbies. The possibilities are endless. None of these activities will help you find the “right answer,” but they will help you develop a sense of who you are as a person.

The three abilities referred to by the Japanese government as the “Basic Skills for Working People” are cultivated through the process of engaging in activities that truly captivate you. The ability to take a step forward refers to the courage to tackle the unknown. The ability to think things through refers to thinking deeply on your own to come up with answers. And last but not least, the ability to work in teams refers to working with others to produce results. These are the abilities that will enrich not only your future career, but also life itself.

Don't let the flood of information confuse you; design your own career at your own pace. By engaging in experiences that you can only have now, you will develop your own sense of direction, which will ultimately become a strength when it comes time to make choices about your future. Rather than seeing your university years as merely a preparation period, you should think of them as an experimental period in life and enjoy them to the fullest!