Seeking stability, from zero experience to a full-time role in IT

What made you choose SSS?

There were many reasons, but the biggest was that they considered "me," not just my "resume."
And being hired with no IT experience was a once-in-a-lifetime chance. "I want to do my very best where I have been placed. I want to contribute to SSS no matter what." With that all-or-nothing resolve, I decided to join.

Catching up on knowledge from scratch.
The appeal of SSS is learning up close from the president

Tell us about your work as a consultant.

The work is wide-ranging, but the core of a consultant's job is "listening and proposing" and "direction."
For example, say a client asks, "Could you build a landing page for our product site?" I start by listening to their needs and making a proposal.
For landing page production, we typically work as a team of two or three, including me. Conveying the requirements to the designer and coder and delivering the best possible result by the agreed deadline is another important part of a consultant's role.
SSS also aims to walk alongside clients over the long term. We are thorough about never treating a project as "build it and done."
Normally, important work is waiting even after the landing page is built. Depending on budget and structure, it is also important to run ads and design a flow that leads to higher sales, so we talk about that with the client as well.
A distinctive strength of SSS is that most of our projects are repeat business or referrals. I believe that is only possible because we look ahead to the client's future and take consistent responsibility for support after production.

How did you catch up on the knowledge you needed?

I sat in on Fujinami's client meetings and learned relentlessly. Fujinami is skilled at winning clients over, and always drew out their concerns with ease.
In the first meeting he would focus entirely on listening and closing the distance with the client. Solutions were taken back to the office and proposed later.
Following that model, I too focused first on thoroughly easing clients' concerns. As I gained experience, I became able to make the right proposals, and the knowledge followed.
The appeal of SSS is that you can learn by watching the president and senior colleagues up close. I am often assigned to the same projects as the president, so there are many chances to learn.

Strong support for maternity and childcare leave.
If it does not exist, we build it together

You recently took maternity and childcare leave. Was that system already in place?

My pregnancy was the catalyst for creating a maternity and childcare leave system that did not yet exist. Our CEO, Fujinami, led the effort to set it up, working with people inside and outside the company. I am truly grateful.
SSS also offers dual-work arrangements and flextime, and I was able to attend prenatal checkups without using paid leave. The flexibility to adjust my hours to how I was feeling and to work from home was a huge help.

Were you anxious about returning from childcare leave?

Honestly, I did have worries, such as "Can I balance childcare and work?" and "Can I keep up?" But warm messages from colleagues before my return, and invitations to lunch and a welcome-back party, turned my outlook positive.
I also had several meetings before returning, where I could talk through my concerns until I was satisfied. Because they worked out a sustainable way of working together with me, I was able to return with peace of mind.

What kind of support have you actually received since returning?

Flextime and remote work were already available, but in addition to shorter working hours, my team was made aware that I cannot be available during drop-off and pick-up times, and I am able to work with everyone's understanding and consideration.
It is easy to talk about things like my child's school events and doctor visits, and paid leave and half days are easy to take, which helps a great deal.