'You should always think about why'

Hahm Chae-young, left in the front row, an MBA student at Waseda Business School, poses for a photo with her professor Ohtaki Zemi, center in the front row, and fellow students at the school in Tokyo, Japan, July 19. / Courtesy of Hahm Chae-young

Hahm Chae-young majored in Japanese literature as an undergraduate in Korea, and is now pursuing an MBA at Waseda Business School in Japan. Before starting an MBA, she worked in Korea and Japan for about five years.

Why did you decide to study for an MBA?

After graduating from university in Korea with a major in Japanese literature, I began working at a trading company in Osaka. I was mainly responsible for translations. I moved to another trading company in Korea and worked there for about a year.

I came back to Japan and restarted my career as a web programmer at an info-tech firm. I took some courses at an IT education center in Japan just before getting that job. I worked there for about three years, but I aspired to a better career. I quit the job and returned to Korea; but I missed the Tokyo life a lot and it was quite difficult to get a job, which made me think that I needed to study more.

What made you choose Japan and Waseda?

First of all, I strongly desired to work in Japan. I already had working experiences there so I felt a lot more comfortable with Japan than other countries.

Waseda Business School has been famous for its convenient admission process for foreign students, good quality education, and a broad network of students and alumni. That is why Waseda has the highest number of foreign students in Japan. Japanese people even call this school a “human market.” It is not an exaggeration to say that I can experience a condensed world here.

Plus, the school has plenty of scholarships and support programs for foreign students. So considering all these things, I had only Waseda in my mind.

How's life in Japan as a Korean?

Japan is quite a livable place for Koreans. First, the language is easy to learn. Even people not fluent in Japanese can learn it pretty quickly.

The culture and environment are relatively similar to those of Korea and give a comfortable atmosphere as well. Not surprisingly, the Japanese are really considerate to foreigners. We should learn from its advanced social system.

But the gap between Korea’s and Japan’s perceptions on history makes me anxious. What I worry about the most are natural disasters. The more I hear the news about portents of natural disasters, the more worried I become.

Foreigners living in Japan mostly have future plans of moving to another country. Being part of them, I sometimes feel unstable.

What is the most difficult thing about pursuing an MBA?

I had no problem with studying in Japanese, but it was burdensome to discuss and give presentations in English.

Yet, my biggest challenge was studying itself because I had never done business administration before. I felt dwarfed when I met some people from good families with wealth. But the majority is in a similar situation to mine and we encourage each other. Thanks to my friends, I was able to come out of a slump and even get on the dean’s list.

How helpful was your working experience to studying an MBA?

Most students had careers before starting an MBA, so their previous jobs are instrumental in building networks. Every single social experience is useful for me to better understand classes.

The number of new students with no working experiences has recently been on the rise. They, of course, have different kinds of merits such as possibilities to experience various industries indirectly and land their first jobs successfully.

Who is your favorite professor?

I have a picture taken with professor Ohtaki Reiji (see the picture). I learned many lessons from him. This semester, I learned that there have always been good followers next to great leaders in his class called “Followship.”

Any advice for students who want to enter Waseda Business School?

You should be able to answer to the questions: “Why Waseda?” and “Why an MBA?” Those with a firm willpower can reduce trial and error and gain many things from an MBA.

Interview by Chung Hyun-chae