Qudo
Master of Science
Joined in 2020
Marketing
CX Planning Group
Rakuten Ichiba Marketing Department
What are your current responsibilities?
The mission of the CX Planning Group, to which I belong, is to enhance our customers' shopping experience on Rakuten Ichiba. My primary responsibility is to examine how the “Bookmark” and “Review” services in Rakuten Ichiba can be changed to improve customer convenience and to ensure these changes are reflected in the services. I analyze Rakuten Ichiba's purchasing data and other information and sometimes conduct direct interviews with users to identify points for improving the service. I then work collaboratively to create better services while building consensus with various people, including those in other departments and business units. Rakuten Ichiba is a large-scale business that I have even been using myself since I was a high school student, so I feel a great sense of satisfaction whenever the service is improved.
What has your career path been like, and how have you grown?
I joined Rakuten Group as a business position hire, where my first assignment was as an engineer at Rakuten Mobile. Although I was a little worried about working in a field in which I had no background, I feel very fortunate to have been involved in a new focus business at that time and this was a very valuable experience for me. Later, I was transferred to a marketing position, an area I had originally been interested in. In some cases, advanced analytical skills aided by software tools are required to derive consumer insights from their purchase data. My experience in engineering came in handy in such situations and I became good at data analysis, which gave me an edge as a marketer. I have been able to advance along a career path from engineer to marketer, even though I was a biology major in graduate school and had no IT knowledge or experience.
Why did you join Rakuten?
When I was in college, I belonged to an intercultural club to promote interaction with foreign students and found it interesting how people from different backgrounds have different values and ways of thinking. This led me to focus my job search on global companies, whether in Japan or overseas and resulted in my coming across Rakuten. The global culture, business development style, and positive approach to entering new business fields that I found there really resonated with me. I am the kind of person who is interested in a variety of things, so I decided to join Rakuten Group because of its culture that encourages people to take on challenges and for the opportunity to be involved in several businesses while remaining in one company. Transferring to a different area has been a step up for my career, and I feel it has helped me to grow.
What does your typical workday look like?
I start my workday by checking my emails, schedule, and to-do list. Multiple regular meetings are scheduled, so I try to efficiently complete my to-dos in between meetings. For lunch, I go to the cafeteria with my team members. The cafeteria offers a variety of delicious items, and the menu changes daily. After lunch, I step outside the office to get a cup of coffee to refresh myself. In the afternoon, I check the latest news about my company and its competitors. Then, I continue to attend meetings and work on to-dos. It depends on the day, but when I finish my work around 7 pm, I have dinner in the cafeteria. Afterward, I often go to a nearby gym to do strength training or go to a sauna to relax.
SCHEDULE
- 09:30
- Take advantage of the flextime system and come to work after peak rush hour to avoid the crowds. Check emails, schedule for the day, to-do list, etc.
- 10:00
- Prepare for meetings and create materials. I use this time in the morning, when my mind is clear and sharp, to get more and more work done.
- 12:00
- Delicious lunch. After lunch, I go out to buy coffee and refresh myself.
- 13:00
- Multiple meetings. Meetings are packed in through 17:30, and I work on my to-dos in between.
- 17:30
- Create materials for meetings. When I feel hungry, I boost my energy level with some protein.
- 19:00
- Leave the office. I have a nice dinner in the cafeteria and then go to a nearby gym for strength training. On days off, I grow and take care of cactuses as a hobby. I enjoy the trial-and-error process of growing cactuses to my liking.
*This article is based on information provided at the time of the interview.
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- Applications Engineer
- Infrastructure Engineer
- Data Scientist / Researcher
- Security Engineer
- Information Security / Privacy Governance Specialist
- Technology Management
- Product Management
- Development Support（Q&A, etc.)