Thirty Minutes Early

面接の朝、電車が少し遅れたが、約束の三十分前にオフィスに着いた。

Mensetsu no asa, densha ga sukoshi okureta ga, yakusoku no sanjuppun mae ni ofisu ni tsuita.

On the morning of the interview, the train was a little delayed, but I arrived at the office thirty minutes early.

受付で名前を告げ、透明のファイルから履歴書を出すと、手のひらが少し汗ばんでいるのに気づいた。

Uketsuke de namae o tsuge, tōmei no fairu kara rirekisho o dasu to, te no hira ga sukoshi asebande iru no ni kizuita.

At reception I gave my name, and when I took my resume out of a clear file, I noticed my palms were a bit sweaty.

呼ばれて部屋に入ると、面接官が二人いて、柔らかく会釈をしてくれた。

Yobarete heya ni hairu to, mensetsukan ga futari ite, yawarakaku eshaku o shite kureta.

When I was called into the room, two interviewers were there and they gave me a gentle bow.

「本日はお時間をいただき、ありがとうございます」と挨拶し、椅子に座る前に一礼した。

"Honjitsu wa ojikan o itadaki, arigatō gozaimasu" to aisatsu shi, isu ni suwaru mae ni ichirei shita.

I greeted them with “Thank you for your time today,” and bowed before sitting down.

志望動機を聞かれ、前職で学んだ顧客対応と、御社のサービスを好きになった理由を、例を交えて落ち着いて話した。

Shibō dōki o kikare, zenshoku de mananda kōkyaku taiō to, onsha no sābisu o suki ni natta riyū o, rei o majiete ochitsuite hanashita.

Asked about my motivation, I calmly talked—using examples—about the customer service I learned at my previous job and the reasons I came to like your company’s service.

うまく言えたか不安だったが、「具体的でわかりやすいですね」と言われ、肩の力が少し抜けた。

Umaku ieta ka fuan datta ga, "gutaiteki de wakariyasui desu ne" to iware, kata no chikara ga sukoshi nuketa.

I worried I hadn’t spoken well, but when they said, “That was concrete and easy to understand,” some of the tension left my shoulders.

次に弱みを問われ、完璧を求めすぎるところがあるが、期限を意識して優先順位をつけるようにしていると正直に伝えた。

Tsugi ni yowami o toware, kanpeki o motomesugiru tokoro ga aru ga, kigen o ishiki shite yūsen jun'i o tsukeru yō ni shite iru to shōjiki ni tsutaeta.

Next, asked about my weakness, I honestly said that although I tend to aim for perfection, I try to prioritize with deadlines in mind.

さらに、チームでの失敗をどう乗り越えたかを聞かれ、率直にミスを共有し、役割を見直したエピソードを話した。

Sarani, chīmu de no shippai o dō norikoeta ka o kikare, sotchoku ni misu o kyōyū shi, yakuwari o minaoshita episōdo o hanashita.

Then, asked how we overcame a team failure, I talked about frankly sharing mistakes and reviewing roles.

最後に「入社後、どんなことに挑戦したいですか」と聞かれ、ユーザーの声を活かした新しい提案を形にしたいと答えた。

Saigo ni "Nyūsha-go, donna koto ni chōsen shitai desu ka" to kikare, yūzā no koe o ikashita atarashii teian o katachi ni shitai to kotaeta.

Finally, when asked “What would you like to take on after joining the company?”, I answered that I want to shape new proposals that make use of users’ voices.

面接が終わり、エレベーターを待ちながら、さっきの受け答えを頭の中で何度も反芻した。

Mensetsu ga owari, erebētā o machi nagara, sakki no ukegotae o atama no naka de nando mo hansū shita.

After the interview ended, while waiting for the elevator I replayed my answers over and over in my head.

その日の夕方、「ぜひ次の選考に進んでください」というメールが届き、胸の奥で小さくガッツポーズをした。

Sono hi no yūgata, "Zehi tsugi no senkō ni susunde kudasai" to iu mēru ga todoki, mune no oku de chiisaku gattsupōzu o shita.

That evening, an email arrived saying “Please proceed to the next round,” and I made a small fist pump deep in my chest.

夜、コンビニの温かい肉まんをほおばりながら、次はもっと自分の言葉で話そうと心に決めた。

Yoru, konbini no atatakai nikuman o hōbari nagara, tsugi wa motto jibun no kotoba de hanasō to kokoro ni kimeta.

At night, nibbling a warm convenience-store meat bun, I decided to speak even more in my own words next time.