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Mr. Takeshi Usumoto, a master's student of the Graduate School of Economics, received the President's Prize for Challenge and Creation Project (C&C Prize) last year for his idea of "an Internet matching system for job hunting." |
Q: Your project was to create a system that enables students to search for information about job-openings and to make appointments for interviews via the Internet. What made you decide to apply for the C&C Prize for this project?
A: I thought that students make decisions about their future employment without knowing their employers particularly well. Also, I thought that employers want to know more about the students before they hire them. That was the start of my idea, which I have developed into a system consisting of three parts.
One part is an on-line booking system for the "Job Saloon," where students and staff in the personnel section of companies with job-openings can meet and talk to each other directly. The second part of the system is the "Internet Jobopening Information" section, which students can use to search for the details of the various job opportunities available. The final part is an electronic file of past experiences, comments, and advice from Kyudai alumni.
Using each the three parts of this system, students can receive as much information as possible and learn more about their prospective workplace.
Q: How did you spend your undergraduate school days?
A: When I was a junior high school student, all I did was study and Kendo. So when I entered Kyudai, I decided to participate in a range of different activities and to meet as many people as possible. Although I was a student of Kyudai, most of the activities I was involved were carried on outside the university. I had many valuable experiences and made many friends from different generations through those activities. I could spend my precious time by doing what I thought enjoyable, at the same time as accomplishing my purposes.
One of the many activities I was involved in was a "jobhunting meeting" to help me prepare for job interviews. When I thought about what I wanted to do and how I could use my ability and knowledge, I realized that the relationships between students and companies are not particularly fair. Each cannot see the other's face in reality. The idea of my system came from this experience. I wanted to provide a place where employers could have a careful look at the available students and vice versa.
Q: As a result of your experiences, do you have any messages for other students?
A: Firstly, I would like to say, try Kyudai's C&C Prize. It is a unique program that supports students' projects regardless their majors and is open to all students. For ideas that are chosen, Kyudai will provide laboratory space as well as a grant. On the topic of job-hunting, I would also say that students are products and employers are buyers. I encourage students not to take a passive attitude towards studying and job-hunting during university life. Lastly, try to meet as many people as possible.
Q: What do you want to do in the future?
A: I want to start a new service. Even if someone has a great invention, nobody will buy it unless it is recognized. I would like to make a plan for introducing these inventions to the world, for preparing for presentations and to support the people who start new businesses or projects. Sometimes when a third person becomes involved in these types of processes, an idea can be expanded. I want to become a person who can develop, expand and add a little spice to these ideas.
This spring, there was a C&C President's Prize debriefing. On stage at this debriefing, Mr. Usumoto said, "I am proud of Kyushu University which openly listens to and supports students' ideas." His comments left quite an impression on the audience. Although Mr. Usumoto received the C&C Prize, much to his disappointment only one of the three parts of his system has been implemented. We all hope that, in the near future, students will be able to make full use of his system.
(Challenge and Creation Project)
This scheme, which was established in 1998, supports students' independent or group research and projects. Each year, a maximum grant of 500,000 yen and space in a shared office are provided for about the 10 projects selected.