To get started as a small and medium-sized business consultant with practical skills and a network
Graduated in March 2022 (11th batch)
Osamu Miyamae
What made you decide to enroll in graduate school?
"It seems the sake brewery has decided to close." This happened in the summer of 2018, when I was volunteering in a town that was affected by the heavy rains in Western Japan. "I want to revitalize sake breweries all over Japan!" This was the moment when my desire to work as a small and medium-sized enterprise management consultant became stronger. To that end, I wanted to learn practical skills and become a consultant, so I began to think about taking a training course.
Why did you apply to our Small and Medium Enterprise Management Consultant Training Program?
Another attraction of our school is that in addition to being enthusiastically supervised by professors who are active small and medium-sized business management consultants, students are also supervised by professors who are active consultants belonging to the Chiba Prefecture Small and Medium-sized Business Management Consultants Association.
Did you have any difficulties while in school?
As I enrolled in 2020, the first thing that comes to mind is that my graduate school life began at the same time as the COVID-19 pandemic. The state of emergency was declared immediately after I enrolled, and lectures became online. After the state of emergency was lifted, both lectures and practical training were held in person, but there was a lot of information about the new coronavirus, and it was very difficult to balance work and lectures while considering the risk of infection. On the other hand, although I was initially unfamiliar with online lectures, I was able to easily handle group discussions and presentations by sharing the screen. I also still visit the restaurant where I did my internship as a customer. One of the attractions of corporate internships is that you can build these kinds of relationships even after time has passed.
What was the best thing about going to college?
(1) It was a place like a cross-industry networking event, (2) I was able to experience five one-month diagnostic training sessions, (3) I was able to take the knowledge I gained at my desk and step up in the actual diagnostic training over a two-year span, (4) I was able to experience online work on a daily basis amid the COVID-19 pandemic, and (5) I was able to get a feel for the actual work of a SME consultant by seeing and hearing real-life information from active SME consultants, and I was able to imagine a blueprint for after graduation. I had never thought about going independent, but being in this environment, including leaving my job early while I was a student, naturally led to a change in my attitude.
In addition, I chose a topic for my master's thesis related to the industry I had worked in, and since I had recently left that company, it was a great opportunity to objectively view the industry I had worked in for many years and reflect on my own actions and behavior within that industry. One of the attractions of graduate school is the opportunity to write a master's thesis in these seminar activities, in addition to learning about the SME management consultant qualifications.
What did you think after completing graduate school?
The unexpected onset of the COVID-19 pandemic has changed student life considerably from what I had imagined it would be like before I enrolled, but I found it extremely comfortable to watch the process in which students flexibly dealt with various constraints while incorporating the wisdom they had gained from their own experiences. It could be said that the experiences I have gained over the past two years are experiences that I could only have felt because we have all shared the hardships of the COVID-19 pandemic.
Also, during the second corporate internship in my first year, I was embarrassed to admit that I fell ill and was unable to participate in part of the second half of the schedule, which led to me considering dropping out at one point, but thanks to the help and support I received from the diagnostician who was in charge of the internship and my classmates, I was able to complete the course. The two years I spent with such wonderful teachers and classmates, and the friends I made with whom I will continue to work, are assets that I will cherish for the rest of my life.
What would you say to those who want to take the exam?
I believe that the results you achieve will vary depending on what your goals are and how you spend your time. Two years is by no means an easy period, but it is not difficult if you have a strong will and a sense of purpose. And above all, I guarantee that your abilities will be improved through these two years of student life. All of our alumni and current students look forward to seeing you!