Why do I study design after studying international relations at university?
Career
I studied international relations at university and was interested in global politics and international culture. Then, I interned at the Japan Foundation, a cultural exchange organization. During my internship, I interviewed Indians and created pamphlets, which I found very rewarding. After graduating, I worked at an IT company in Tokyo, where I learned that there was a branding job. Branding has something in common with cultural diplomacy, and I wanted to work in that field. There are many ways to brand—marketing, PR, design, communication, etc. I struggled to decide which one to study, but as I will explain later, I wanted to be able to do something other than communication. I am an introvert, and I love travelling, reading travel magazines, looking at souvenirs from my travel destinations, and going to stylish cafes, so design was the one that satisfied all of these.
Skills
I studied international relations, but I could hardly use what I learned in international relations in the private sector. For example, the international relations theory is not helpful for work lol. And all I can do is communicate with others. In other words, I realized I can only do what almost everyone can do. I was envious of people who had some special skills. People who can play instruments and perform in front of others, compose music as an artist and deliver it to the world, program and create something, etc. Therefore, instead of deepening my study of international relations at graduate school, I wanted to become someone who could do something other than communication, so I decided to study professional design course while learning English and French.
International Relations x Design x Japanese in MTL= Rare Pokemon
After college, ideally, I would like to work in branding in the advertising or design industry. If I can’t find such a job, I would be happy to work in a career that combines international relations and design. For example, a PR position for an international NGO or a sales or design position for a global company. Not many people combine international relations and design; even more so, there are not many Japanese people in Montreal, so I’m a rare Pokemon. Now is the time to catch rare Pokémon!