1-1 Job Hunting

— A Beginning Without a Dream —

Starting the Job Hunt

I didn’t have a dream job. There wasn’t even a company I particularly wanted to join. Still, I had to start job hunting, so I decided to take the recruitment exam for a travel agency. My reason was simple: “I like traveling.”

The major companies were surely out of reach, so I looked into several mid-sized travel agencies instead. Even the mid-sized ones were all respectable companies.

Would any of them really hire someone like me? Where were my dreams and hopes in life supposed to be?

A Small Company in Nishi-Asakusa

While flipping through job listings with my tired mind, my hand suddenly stopped.

Interview Dates: Anytime during the recruitment period Interview Hours: 10:00–15:00

It was a small travel company in Nishi-Asakusa.

“Anytime”… does that mean almost no one comes for interviews? There was no mention of a written test.

The photo of the company president on the homepage felt somehow nostalgic— as if saying, “We’ve always had fun, and we always will.”

At the Career Fair

I also went to a large career fair where travel-related companies had gathered in a huge event hall. The young men and women at each booth, explaining things to students, didn’t seem much older than me, yet in their suits they looked sharp and confident, responding smoothly to every visitor.

Would I be able to do the same a few years from now?

With the heavy stack of brochures I had collected, my backpack—and my heart—felt heavier as I left the venue.

Choosing Three Companies

Without too much hesitation, I chose three mid-sized travel agencies to apply to.

There was an option to apply to one major company “just for the challenge,” but I couldn’t bear imagining a future that would never come— me getting hired there, me living some corporate life. So I stayed away.

Was this the beginning of being judged every day by people I didn’t know?

As I stared at the calendar where I had written down the interview dates for the three companies, the president’s face from the Nishi-Asakusa company floated into my mind.

Maybe I should go and ask him if his days are really as fun as they seem.

Sending the Email

I didn’t even know if I would get to meet the president, but I immediately sent an email to the Nishi-Asakusa travel company asking for an interview.

They had only three employees, so I figured I would surely see him if I went.

I requested a Sunday interview— even though their regular days off were Saturday and Sunday. Some might think that showed a lack of consideration as a working adult.

After sending the email, I sat in front of my computer, enjoying the quiet aftertaste of the moment.

Then, a message appeared on the screen:

“We look forward to seeing you.”

It was a reply from the travel company in Nishi-Asakusa, with instructions about the next steps.

And just like that, the first job interview of my life was set