INTERVIEW

After working at CTC for 3 years, where she verified systems for delivery to KDDI’s mobile network, Nakai joined xGN in December 2019 as one of the initial members.

Nakai has experienced her own growth along with the growth of the organization.
This year marks my fifth year at xGN, and since I have been with CTC (ITOCHU Techno-Solutions) for the first three years since I joined the company as a new graduate, I have learned many basic business skills and various ways of looking at things and thinking as a businessperson at xGN.

I feel like I’m growing as the organization grows.

Currently, I work in the Technical Strategy Office, where I am responsible for a wide range of work, from planning mid-term plans and company-wide policies, internal engagement, internal training policies, etc., to research on new technologies from information systems. My responsibilities are also wide-ranging, focusing on arranging and setting up PCs and cell phones for employees to use for work, introducing and setting up internal systems, as well as planning and preparing for events as education-related planning and engagement improvement measures.

When xGN was founded, it had about 30 employees. Although it has now grown to an organization with 200 employees, it is still a small company compared to KDDI or CTC. However, because we are not a large company, we are able to closely learn the work processes and thinking processes of our seniors and colleagues from various backgrounds, and to have them directly share their various values and perspectives with us.

I also can have the opportunity to talk with the executives at the timing of planning. It allows me to see and listen the high perspective of the executives who have a much longer-term view of our company than I do when I am facing the business in front of me. I believe that the advice and pointers I receive from various people have helped me to grow as a person.

What is the best that xGN can offer?

To be honest, when I was a newcomer, I did not think too deeply about the tasks I was given and I never questioned, “What is the best I should do?” to myself.
However, everyone working for xGN thinks through their every role which they are assigned. Even if you ask a question about a single system, they have understandings in detail and why it is specified the way it is. Even when they come up with an idea, they investigate it from all angles and prepare enough references before moving forward with the realization of the idea.

Having seen and learnt the attitude and process with which everyone at xGN approaches their work, I too have come to ask myself, “What is the original purpose of this idea? “Is this the best idea? What is the alternative plan in case it doesn’t work? I am now able to recognize the necessity of these points.
I also obtained new perspectives from the differences between KDDI and CTC.
I believe that CTC employees have a fundamental SIer philosophy of “being close to the customer, the company, and providing the best that the customer desires. On the other hand, KDDI has a huge variety of end-users, so it is impossible to fulfill everyone’s needs. We must consider various situations and ask ourselves, “What is the best service we should provide?” We provide what we have thought through and defined for ourselves regarding ” the best service we should provide”. This perspective is something I did not have before coming to xGN.

And now, working at xGN, I can apply both perspectives from KDDI and CTC.
When an employee has a trouble with our system, I try to understand their intentions or needs. When I work to improve engagement, I have come to think about “What is the best way that xGN should take,” with considering the thoughts of management and the various employees on the frontline. I began to think about this point.

The possibility of providing value that is truly our own.

xGN is an environment blessed with a wonderful human resource. On the same floor, there are people in charge of various fields such as 5G core network, infrastructure, RAN, and system automation, as well as people from different backgrounds such as KDDI and CTC. Thanks to this, I have met many people with whom I would not have had contact if I would not join the xGN.

And by being in touch with various ways of working and values, I was also able to see various options for my future career. When I was a newcomer, I imagined that I would only learn one technology in depth in the organization to which I was assigned and provide it to customers.

However, after joining xGN, I realized that there are a wide variety of choices. For example, to provide something, whether it be pursuing a particular technology through various processes or following a wide range of different technologies.

I believe that there are more possibilities than I had imagined for my future career direction. I would like to continue to challenge myself in various things at xGN, learning and growing as I go.