Mizuki Kisa, Human Resources Strategy Department, Parco Co., Ltd.

■ Profile

She joined the company in 2012. After gaining experience in promotional work (public relations, media, event negotiations, etc.) at the Sendai store, she has been in charge of recruitment in the Human Resources Strategy Department since March 2020. With people forced to stay at home due to COVID-3, she is relieving stress by relaxing in the bath.

As a developer, the company's main job is producing commercial facilities, but it also has its own unique appeal, such as being involved in new businesses and having an entertainment division.

■Please tell us about the characteristics and appeal of the industry.

　PARCO has a strong image as a commercial facility and is often mistaken for a department store, but in fact it is a real estate business. Our main job is as a commercial developer. Unlike retail businesses that deal directly with customers, we handle everything from commercial facility development to marketing, and we communicate with tenants through repeated meetings, sharing information and providing advice.
　One of our company's features is "incubation." This involves discovering and supporting up-and-coming creators and tenants who have only had experience with street-level stores. In addition, we have an entertainment division, which is rare in the industry, and helps us to quickly grasp the latest trends.
　Furthermore, our company's strength lies in the low turnover rate of 1% among new graduates within the first five years. I believe this is related to our company culture, which encourages employees to take on the perspective of the customer, creating an environment where young employees can put their ideas into practice. I believe this openness is a major factor.

■What kind of students are you looking for?

　We don't place importance on the name of the university, whether you have a liberal arts or science background, or whether you have qualifications. Rather, we are looking for people who can clearly communicate in their own words what they like and their experiences as students to others. When you join the company, each person will be in charge of a different floor, and within that, they will experience a wide variety of work, including display advertising. For this reason, we believe that people who have a wide range of interests in many genres and who enjoy communicating with others are a good fit for our company.

■Please give us a message for university students

　Job hunting is of course important, but I think it would be a waste to spend all your time on it. University is the last time you have to enjoy doing what you love to the fullest. I hope you will use this precious time to try out a variety of things and gain something from them. Also, as you progress through the academic years, you will have more opportunities to give presentations and write application forms. When doing so, it is important to be conscious of not just communicating but also "getting your message across." It is very important to see things from the perspective of the listener, reader, etc.

Student newspaper April 2021 issue Masato Yamamoto, second year student at Meiji University