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At the Ariake office of Fast Retailing Co., Ltd. From left, Kato, Tashiro, and Karaki from Fast Retailing, and student interviewer Tagawa

What we seek is the "intellectual ability" to realize ideals and the "humanity" to build relationships of trust.

When it comes to job hunting, what kind of talent are employers looking for, and what do they pay attention to in students? Also, what do those who have actually joined the company think of it? These are questions that many students are curious about. So this time, SCV*, student career volunteers at Waseda University Career Center asked new graduate recruiters and young employees at Fast Retailing Co., Ltd. about their questions about employment.

Fast Retailing is a global company that operates well-known fashion brands such as "UNIQLO" and "GU." Tomoko Tagawa (2nd year, School of Humanities and Social Sciences) from SCV said she felt that it was a company that supported the career development of each employee and allowed everyone to take on the challenges they wanted to pursue.

(*) Abbreviation for Student Career Volunteer. Student volunteers at the Waseda University Career Center who are responsible for planning, managing, and disseminating information on events and plans.

Fast Retailing Co., Ltd.

Hiroki Kato, Personnel Division New Graduate Recruitment Team

UNIQLO Global Marketing Department Global Marketing Team
Ayako Tashiro (Class of 2020, School of Humanities and Social Sciences)

GU Overseas Product Planning Department Overseas Product Planning Team
Rui Karaki (Graduated from School of Commerce in 2019)

Instead of thinking of joining the company as your goal, I want you to think about what you want to do after you join the company.

Tagawa: Could you please tell us again about the unique features of your company, which operates Uniqlo and GU, brands that are familiar to students?

Kato: Our company's mission is to "change clothes, change common sense, change the world." Clothes are worn every day by everyone, and they provide not only functional value, such as keeping you warm on cold days, but also emotional value, such as getting you fired up for important occasions. We are a company that aims to make the world a better place through clothes, centered on our four brands, "UNIQLO," "GU," "PLST," and "Theory."

Our strength is that we can complete everything from planning to manufacturing, distribution, and sales of clothing in-house, but what makes us special is that new graduates start their careers in stores first. This is because a store is where all aspects of management are concentrated. By experiencing store management at an early stage, we aim to have them grasp the "big picture of management" and use this to speed up their growth later on.

However, there are many different steps to take after gaining store experience. Whether that be managing dozens of stores as an area manager in Japan, taking on management roles overseas, or acquiring expertise at headquarters, we believe that this is a company where it is easy to design a career that meets each individual's aspirations.

So, when applying for jobs, please make sure to highlight what you have devoted yourself to. If you have studied marketing, you can work in the marketing department, and since we also operate our own e-commerce site (online shop), those who have studied engineering or information technology can put their expertise to good use. You can also explore and challenge yourself in areas that interest you while working. We would love to work with people with all kinds of personalities.

Tagawa: What kind of skills are required for all employees to become store managers? Also, what kind of training system is there for new employees after joining the company?

Kato: What we look for is "intellectual ability" and "humanity." When running a store, it is very important to set an ideal, and in terms of how you can materialize that ideal that only exists in your head, intellect is also important. Also, in store management, things won't move forward unless you can build a relationship of trust with dozens of staff members. For that reason, personality is important, and we look at it carefully during the hiring process.

New graduates will be taking a curriculum to become a store manager for about a year after joining the company. Management requires many elements such as people, things, money, and information, but we provide a place for people from each department to learn about apparel and clothing from around the world, cutting-edge trends, IT skills, and more. In every field, we value lectures that teach the world's best.

Also, even if you learn in a classroom, you have to put it to use in practice, but in our case, we have a place to practice in the form of our stores. We have employees put what they have learned to use in the field and try to see how they can actually improve the field. I think that the fact that we can go back and forth between so-called OJT (on-the-job training) and Off-JT (off-the-job training) at a high level is a big attraction.

Tagawa: What kind of business development does your company have in mind for the future?

Kato: Our future direction is clear, and we are focusing on how quickly and reliably we can expand globally. Our financial results for the year ending August 2024 are the best ever, and the key point is that we have been able to grow our business overseas, especially in Europe and the US. The fact that we have been able to achieve results in Europe, where fashion consciousness is high, has given us great confidence.

However, the brand is currently operating in 26 countries and regions, and its sales are still third among global fashion brands. In order to catch up with and surpass the world's number one brand, it is important to consider how to increase the number of customers around the world. For that reason, the company's policy is that all employees should experience working overseas at least once, as long as they have a track record in store operations and a minimum level of English proficiency.

Just as we have a goal, I would like students to think about what they want to do after joining our company, rather than just aiming to join the company. Each person has their own life and aspirations, and companies and jobs are there to help them realize those aspirations. Fast Retailing is a company that values aspirations, so I think it is a good fit for people who look ahead.

Reasons for applying: "I empathize with the company's philosophy" and "It matches well with working with colleagues to make things happen"

Tagawa: Please tell us about your current job.

Tashiro: After working in stores in Hokkaido and Akita for about three years after joining the company, I am now in charge of product marketing in the Global Marketing Department at UNIQLO. I analyze the market and customers to plan how to raise global awareness of women's innerwear products, and develop content to appeal to a wide audience.

Karaki: After working in a store for three years, I was transferred to headquarters in my fourth year and started working in GU's Overseas Product Planning Department. I'm currently in charge of women's bottoms, and my daily routine starts with product planning and sales planning, then I look at what customers thought of the products, and use that feedback to plan the next products.

Tagawa: When do you feel a sense of accomplishment in your work?

Tashiro: I feel extremely rewarded when I receive results and reviews that show that the advertising communication I was in charge of was used effectively to lead to sales, or was effective in conveying the product value to customers.

Karaki: I feel the most rewarded when I can feel the satisfaction of our customers. In my case, I especially felt this when we relaunched our Hong Kong business's children's products, which had not gone well in the past. I felt a sense of accomplishment because I believe that we were able to achieve our sales target as a result of our customers' satisfaction.

Our barrel leg jeans* have been a hit this season, and from the planning stage onwards we were determined to make them the best-selling product in the world. As a result, we worked closely with each business division to achieve this goal, and we feel a great sense of accomplishment in the recognition we have received.

(※) These jeans feature barrel-like curves, giving them a clean silhouette even though they are wide.

Tagawa: What made you want to work here? Also, after joining the company, was there anything you were able to use from your student days?

Tashiro: I love fashion, and in college I belonged to a fashion student club called the Waseda University Textile Research Club (an officially recognized student club). However, clothing was just a hobby and I had no intention of working, and I had no plans to join an apparel company. However, I had the opportunity to learn about Fast Retailing's corporate philosophy of "changing clothes, changing common sense, changing the world," and it really resonated with me. There are many perspectives to consider when choosing a company, such as "ease of working," but for me, the biggest point was that I could truly empathize with the corporate philosophy and values that the company holds dear.

Another reason was my experience studying abroad in the UK during my third year of university, where I experienced firsthand the differences in race and social class. I was very attracted to the idea of working at UNIQLO, which strives to provide truly good clothing for everyone based on the "LifeWear" concept.

Karaki: When I was a third-year university student, I focused on managing a community space that aimed to match career-seeking university students with working adults. Through this experience, it became clear to me that what I wanted to do was to do something for people and to work with my peers to realize events.

Both in running GU stores and in my current department, I am required to cooperate with my colleagues and other business divisions, so I think that is why we were a good match.

Tagawa: What are your future career plans?

Tashiro: I joined the company because I was sympathetic to the company's philosophy and was attracted to the brand value of UNIQLO, so in the future I would like to be involved in branding to communicate the value of "LifeWear" that UNIQLO offers. Brand communication is more abstract than concrete products, which makes it more difficult, and I believe that it should be tackled by the entire brand with all departments and all regions. First of all, I would like to gain the skills to solve bigger problems and the ability to get the job done as a team by accumulating marketing practice while collaborating with each department, each country's team, and people outside the company through the products I am currently in charge of.

Karaki: In our work, it is important to have good cooperation with other departments. However, in addition to improving our cooperation skills, I would also like to improve my own abilities.

Currently, after product planning, the Marketing Department takes the lead in deciding how to spread the product to the world. However, in order to satisfy more customers, we, the people in charge of product planning, should also have the ability to think about how to approach customers more efficiently. I would like to take on the challenge in that area as well.

Our company also has a training system where we invite people from other industries. Since our knowledge of the apparel industry alone tends to lead to rigid thinking, I would like to hone my flexibility and think about what business opportunities there are in other industries.

Interview and text:Naoto Oguma (Graduated from School of Letters, Arts and Sciences II in 2002)
Photography: Kota Nunokawa

I want to approach job hunting with my goals in mind

Towako Tagawa, 2nd year student School of Humanities and Social Sciences

I felt that everyone at Fast Retailing shares the concept of "LifeWear" and works in a way that suits their own aspirations. I think this is because Fast Retailing creates an environment where employees can achieve their aspirations and ideals. An employee who used the internal job posting system to transfer to another department said that their superior thought about it together with them when applying for the system and gave them practical advice. I also heard that the company tries to provide young employees with opportunities to play an active role globally and actively supports them to jump into new fields without being limited by their own area of expertise. I feel that Fast Retailing is a company that provides ample support for each employee's career development and allows everyone to take on the challenges they want to pursue.

This corporate culture is in line with what the recruiter said: "I think many students have the goal of getting a job, but we are looking for students who have a vision of what they want to do after they join the company." Through this interview, I wanted to think about my future career and find an environment where I can continue to take on challenges and grow.

[Next special preview] "Hakone Ekiden Special" to be released on Monday, December 16th