Note: Departments and posts are as of the time of the interview(January 2021)
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I learned the importance of work after taking childcare leave
I was frankly at a loss as to what I wanted to do when I joined the bank. I chose a bank as my place of employment because it would let me interact with customers from various industries in the course of my work. When I was at university, I often negotiated with companies to raise team funds as a manager of the American football club, so I was confident in my communication skills. I had a vague idea of working for about five years until I found what I wanted to do.
Once I actually began working, though, I became busier than I had imagined, and it was all I could do to get through the work at hand. I have experienced several transfers since joining the bank and it has been tough learning the details of new jobs every time I move, so I keep pushing myself hard every day to get up to speed quickly and achieve results. In my ninth year, I was transferred to a sales position targeting major corporations and, while being entrusted with such important work gave me a greater sense of responsibility, I still could not figure out what I wanted to do.
I had been married seven years at that point. I wanted a child, but I was concerned about being able to balance a family with work. My boss, who had noticed me worrying about my future career plan, approached me and kindly asked me about what kind of work I wanted to do, when I planned to have a baby and what else I had in my life plan. Thanks to that, I was able to take a step forward, determined to continue working while raising children. I gave birth to my first child in March 2017 and took six months off for childcare leave.
A half-year of childcare leave proved to be a major turning point for me. Until then, I had been so busy with my daily work that I didn't have time to think about what I wanted to do and what this job meant for me. When I stepped away from work and society, however, I missed the sense of accomplishment and connections I had gained through work, and I realized that work is an essential part of my life. I became proud to be an SMBC employee and wanted to continue working here and make it an even better bank. I was worried that balancing work and child-rearing would be difficult because of the increased burden, but it turned out to be a good opportunity to take another look at myself, and I was glad that I was able to take a positive approach to work.
With my boss giving me a push, I took on the challenge of a major assignment while raising my children
Nevertheless, before I returned to work, I was very anxious because I did not know how much I would be able to improve my work performance while raising my children (laughs). If you work shorter hours to pick up and drop off your child at nursery school, you will spend less time at the company, and you may often have to leave the office suddenly if your child comes down with a fever or you receive a call from the nursery school. In such a situation, it might not be possible to be entrusted with large companies as your main customers. I had been thinking in a negative fashion that I would probably be made a sales assistant for a corporate client.
It was then that my boss phoned me, letting me know that he wanted to assign me as the main person in charge for a key client when I returned to work, and I recall being very surprised at this unexpected development. I had my doubts about how much I could do alone but, wanting to respect my wishes, my boss told me that he understood that unexpected things will happen and that the staff would provide support in those areas I could not handle, and asked me to let him know whether I would accept the offer. It was a difficult choice, but I honestly answered that I did want to take the assignment.
When I actually restarted working, I received many unanticipated calls from the nursery school, but the people around me offered support each time. When I could not attend evening or morning meetings, the team members thankfully shared information with me immediately so there would be no information gap. I became determined not to cause any inconvenience to customers and colleagues, and not to use shorter working hours or childcare as an excuse, and I seriously endeavored to produce results in a limited time. I also devised ways of working efficiently in short periods of time even after returning home, such as putting my child to bed and then working from home. As a result, in FY2018, immediately after returning to work from childcare leave, my target achievement rate hit an all-time high and I even won the bank’s award for excellence in corporate sales. I realized that, even while raising a child, you can get results by taking on challenges without giving up.
If you keep trying without giving up, results will surely follow
I had my second child in June 2019 and am currently working full-time while cutting back on my overtime. My husband is now able to work flexibly and is willing to help me out with housework and childcare. I also do telework two days a week, so I take care of the housework on those days I am at home. On other days, my husband is responsible for the housework and childcare, and he does much more of the housework. I think we have been able to raise our children by supporting each other.
In future, I would like to take my children overseas, become involved in managing staff coming from a variety of cultural backgrounds and then utilize that experience to support others as a manager after returning to Japan. My current goal is to make SMBC a bank that is more trusted by our customers. I would like to take on various challenges with the aim of ensuring that SMBC is the first bank that comes to mind when customers are in need.
The important thing in balancing work and family is to never give up. While raising your children, you will certainly spend less time in the office and receive more unexpected calls. However, you should not hesitate to raise your hand when you find something you want to do. If you continue to take on challenges and follow your own feelings in doing so, positive results will surely follow. If you are worried about balancing work and family, it is important to consult with someone and not just fret alone. SMBC launched an in-house SNS this year, making it easier for employees to exchange information. If you connect with people who have the same concerns and circumstances, you might be able to make a breakthrough. I will be providing support through community activities and other means to help you realize what you want to do.
Double-income work style
Daily schedule
How I spend my days off
Both children love playing outdoors, so we often play in a big park in the neighborhood;
I also get invited to play on the playground equipment
Younger son's shrine visit
We visited Atsuta Shrine in August 2019; I had my first picture taken since my second son was born
