I am a business consultant at Corporate Directions, Inc., the first Japan-based strategy consulting firm, as well as a part-time board member at AYA Network Inc., a venture company providing outsourcing services in the telecommunications industry. My long-term goal is to establish a venture company in the multimedia field. In order to pursue this goal, I would like to enroll in a business school that emphasizes entrepreneurship in the high-tech industry. My career goals were shaped by my experience at the Tokyo Institute of Technology. At the Institute, I developed a breakthrough communications protocol for information
security. I consider this to be my most significant personal accomplishment. My research paper on the protocol was accepted by one of the most prestigious international conferences on cryptography (ASIA CRYPT). I presented the paper for hundreds of top researchers from all over the world. I was the only master course student speaker among many professors and phDs.
To my surprise, after the conference, I felt empty, when I should have been filled with happiness. I tried hard to discover the source of my displeasure. Finally, I realized that my project would have little meaning to me until it was actually used in new products and services that improve daily life. I concluded that I would never be happy working solely for money, fame, and status, and that I wanted a future career in which I could directly help people. My experience creating the protocol did not only influence my career goals, but it also increased my self-confidence. Before I began working on the protocol, I did not expect that I would be able to concentrate for so long on one project. I always thought I would easily give up when faced with a difficult situation. However, in order to produce a successful protocol, I had to learn many new mathematical and scientific concepts. Although I sometimes felt frustrated with my abilities, especially when I read research papers written by exceptional scientists, I did not give up. I forced myself to continue trying by continually thinking of my goals. My success in the project gave me confidence in my ability to work hard and excel at challenging tasks. I learned that accomplishment comes from believing in oneself, having a clear view of a goal, and pursuing that goal aggressively. Whenever I face a difficult situation, I think about my success at the Institute and gain confidence.
