I have always been a “people person.” In university, I was part of a volunteer group that provided support for children, where we made crafts and plays together and, during summer break, ran a summer school program where we would watch the children for several days. As the health squad leader, I was responsible for keeping the children safe and healthy, and as the publicity officer, I documented and shared our activities. My sense of responsibility for safety and meticulous preparation to earn trust were cultivated during this period.
At my part-time job at a restaurant, I sometimes handled everything by myself, from waiting on customers to cooking to taking telephone calls. The joy I felt when customers thanked me directly taught me about the fulfillment of work. Working part-time at a bank as an operator meant I was responsible for performing the final check on my colleagues’ work, which had the added tension of handling money. This experience taught me the importance of living up to trust.
During my job search, I looked at school nurse positions, the beauty industry, and hotels, but what aligned with my personal principle of believing in the potential of people was WILL GROUP’s value “Believe in Your Possibility.” The employees I met during the hiring process were all positive and warm, convincing me that I would be able to grow here as well. That is why I made my decision to dive into the unfamiliar world of construction.
The construction industry faces serious labor shortages and lags behind other industries in terms of women’s advancement. It was within this context that I was assigned to a major public works site on the Tokyo waterfront despite the fact that I was a liberal arts graduate with no industry experience. The projects would support the local community, such as the reconstruction of a waste incineration plant and the construction of underground water storage facilities for the sewage system.
At first, I worried whether I would be able to handle it, but I was in fact given all kinds of work opportunities. WILLOF CONSTRUCTION has a culture of actively providing opportunities and training to each and every worker, regardless of gender or level of experience.
My first tasks were surveying and marking. While I struggled with handling the equipment, I would constantly ask my senior colleagues questions and take notes, gradually improving my accuracy. One day, when just my colleague and I were assigned to subsidence monitoring, I realized how much the company trusted me then. If my measurements were incorrect, it would affect the entire construction project. While I was nervous about this major responsibility, that trust motivated me.
Safety management was also a critical part of my role. During midsummer, I would measure WBGT (Wet Bulb Globe Temperature) to maintain a safe working environment for workers at the site. While running around in a full harness and helmet under the scorching sun was tough, I felt proud knowing my checks would help keep my colleagues safe.
The construction industry has traditionally emphasized experience and skills, but at my site, I was never held back for being a liberal arts graduate or for being a woman, and was instead given work with increasing responsibility.
WILLOF CONSTRUCTION has a comprehensive support system in place to foster employee growth while providing practical on-the-job experience.
The career manager system stands out in particular. In this system, each employee is assigned a dedicated career manager who helps with career development and on-site challenges. My career manager listens with genuine care to my concerns about work and my anxieties about the future. Once I resolved not to leave anything I didn’t understand as is, I started asking questions and learning something new every day. When I could identify at least one thing I learned each day, I felt myself growing despite my lack of experience. Staying connected with peers who joined at the same time has also been an important source of support. Regular exchanges with those peers assigned to different sites remind me that I’m not alone in facing challenges and that everyone is working hard, which maintains my motivation. Since I’m often sent to sites alone, the reassurance these peer connections provide is invaluable.
Senior colleagues at the site also foster an environment that makes it easy to ask questions. They encourage me to ask about anything I don’t understand, and when instructions are unclear they patiently explain things so I never have to worry about what to do.
Moreover, my work at the site extends beyond technical tasks to community engagement, such as visiting civic centers to address residents and hosting site tours for government officials and students, which has taught me the importance of behind-the-scenes support. As my opportunities expand, I have come to believe I am experiencing true growth here.
My current goal is to become a fully qualified construction manager. I want to develop a balanced mastery of the five major management areas—safety, quality, scheduling, cost, and environment—to be someone who can be trusted to manage entire sites. People grow when they are given responsibility. Having experienced this firsthand has made me want to take on even greater responsibility.
In the future, I would also like to try the role of career manager. I want to leverage my on-site experience to help draw out the potential of junior colleagues and peers. Just as my career managers have supported me, I want to be someone who supports the growth of individual workers. My desire to believe in people’s potential remains unchanged, and I want to pass that on to the next generation.
I also want to make construction a profession people aspire to. The fact that I, as a liberal arts graduate and a woman, can work at construction sites in itself is bound to send a message. I would be delighted if people see what I have accomplished and are inspired to try. I believe that these efforts over time will raise the value of the entire industry.
I value my personal time as much as I value my work. On days off, I enjoy traveling and hobbies, and switching between work and personal time helps me focus at work. Each time I visit a new place, my perspective broadens, which also improves my adaptability at work sites. Hobbies and leisure are not just ways to refresh, but are essential elements that let me work in a way that is true to who I am.
Even as a liberal arts graduate or as a woman, you can succeed at construction sites. The path I have walked is proof of that. I hope that, by showing how I have grown by working in my own way, I inspire others who are uncertain as I once was. Going forward, I will take pride in being an engineer and hope to support society alongside my colleagues.
