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How N. H. found Nippon Denko, and his current responsibilities
I wanted to work for a materials manufacturer, so I searched for a job with one, and that is how I found Nippon Denko. It was the first I had heard of ferroalloys and their role as a fundamental component of steel, a fundamental material itself. When I learned that the company also supplied materials for batteries and in other cutting-edge fields, I was intrigued.
After joining the company, I was assigned to the Production Department of the Myoko Plant, and I now work there and on the No. 3 Development Team of the Basic Research Group at the Research Laboratory.
My main responsibility is to manage operations for manganese carbonate and other manganese chemical products. I have in-depth conversations with people at the plant on a daily basis and otherwise focus on solving problems and improving processes so that the plant can operate according to production plans.
Tackling challenges
In plant production, we deal with minor scheduling slippages and troubles on a daily basis for many different reasons. Even seemingly insignificant things can pile up and lead to major problems, so we have to detect them and work to solve them and prevent them from recurring. This means we have to go through the plant every day, check the equipment status carefully for anything out of the ordinary through dialogues with the people who work there. We also have to work swiftly to figure out how to solve the problems we find as well as those that actually occurred. I feel a sense of accomplishment when our daily efforts to solve minor problems one after another ultimately prevent major problems and make the plant run more smoothly than before. There are so many issues in plant operation, so there will always be something for us to improve. I intend to continue to do whatever I can to improve the plant and create a workplace that I can be proud of.
A Typical Day at Work
| 8:00 | Start work, group calisthenics, meetings |
|---|---|
| 8:30 | Check operation reports, make the rounds on the production floor, etc. |
| 12:00 | Lunch |
| 12:50 | Prepare materials, work out operation schedules, etc. |
| 16:00 | Make the rounds on the production floor |
| 16:30 | Check business reports, respond to emails, prepare materials, etc. |
| 18:30 | Finish work |
We start at 8:00, and I usually arrive about 20 minutes early. Our morning routine consists of group calisthenics and meetings. After that, I check the previous day’s operation reports and make the rounds on the production floor. After lunch, I organize materials regarding the improvements we are working on at the moment and work out schedules with the plant workers. Later on, I put together instructions for operations through the following day and check business reports and the like before going home.
I imagine that if you are reading this, you are in the middle of your job hunt. You are probably doing the difficult work of considering what you truly want to do and creating a vision for yourself. I want to recommend that you ask the people around you for help. Listening to others could help you see and notice things you could not see or notice on your own. As someone who has made it through the process, I offer you encouragement.
