Skills for career advancement at international companies

Hello everyone aiming for a global career! There are many people who are thinking of changing jobs or advancing their careers at international companies by leveraging the experience they have gained at Japanese companies. For mid-level businesspeople in their 30s and 40s, understanding the new skills required in addition to their old methods is a big step to the next stage. This time, we will explain the themes of “skills necessary for career advancement” and “competencies required by international companies,” with particular reference to evaluation standards at Amazon, Google, Microsoft, etc. I will tell you from a professional perspective, so please use it as a hint to review your own strengths and weaknesses.

We will also touch on key points for a successful career move to a foreign company and how to utilize the career accelerator program "GCAP" provided by GCI. Please read until the end and use it for your future career strategy.

Tips for advancing your career at a foreign company

There are some major differences between international companies and Japanese companies in how they are evaluated and the roles they are required to play. First of all, international companies have a strict system of merit rather than seniority, and a major feature is that employees are evaluated fairly based on results and skills rather than age or company experience. Even if you are young, if you produce results, you can be promoted and earn a high income, but if you do not produce results, you will be evaluated harshly. To advance your career in this culture, keep the following points in mind.

• Immediate contribution:international companies tend to expect results immediately after joining. It is important to hone your industry knowledge and specialized skills before changing jobs and prepare to produce results.
• Importance of self-management:There is not as much training as there is at Japanese companies, so you basically have to think about how to proceed with your work and improve your skills on your own.
• Resistance to pressure:Because of the results system, there tends to be a lot of pressure to achieve goals. It tests your mental strength to persevere and overcome adversity.
• Adaptation to corporate culture:Since each foreign-affiliated company has its own unique corporate culture and values, it is important to understand its characteristics before joining the company and be aware of this to ensure a cultural fit.

Based on these, let's take a look at the main skills specifically required by international companies. Although many of these are required at Japanese companies, they tend to be required at a higher level when advancing one's career at a foreign company.

Main skills required by international companies

We have summarized the following six typical skills that are important for success and promotion in international companies. Please objectively view your own strengths and weaknesses and utilize them in your future career strategy.

1. Communication skills and logical expression skills

The ability to think logically and communicate clearly is one of the most important skills for international companies. In particular, there is little culture of “observation”, so it is necessary to express one's thoughts and opinions clearly in words. This includes not only fluency in English, but also presentation skills that allow you to concisely summarize your conclusions while providing evidence. It is also important to have an attitude of appealing to those around you about your accomplishments and achievements.

2. Global mindset/adaptability

Cross-cultural understanding and the ability to adapt flexibly are essential when working in a multinational team. When working with colleagues and clients from diverse backgrounds, it's important to find a balance between respecting the values of others and communicating your own opinions. In addition, international companies, where market trends change rapidly, frequently change their business models and organizational structures, so they must be flexible enough to respond to changes.

3. Expert knowledge/problem-solving ability

international companies are highly “specialist-oriented” and highly value human resources with deep knowledge and experience in a specific field. Furthermore, an innovative attitude is required to utilize logical thinking and propose improvement measures to solve unknown issues. It is important to acquire a wide range of problem-solving skills while increasing your expertise in areas such as technology and marketing that are appropriate for the job you are applying for.

4. Commitment to achieving goals (result-oriented)

In results-based international companies, the focus is more on whether the goal was achieved in the end than on the process. High KPIs are often set, so you must have the attitude of trying to achieve results despite the difficulties along the way. In addition, even if an achievement is not achieved, the person who can analyze the cause and use the PDCA cycle to utilize it next time will be evaluated. It is also effective to appeal using past numbers and achievements.

5. Self-management ability/autonomy

It is important to have the "autonomy" of being able to act on your own initiative, rather than waiting for detailed instructions from your superiors. international companies have fewer systems for developing employees than Japanese companies, so it can be said that it is an environment where it is difficult to produce results unless you have the initiative to carve out your own skills and career. Skills such as thorough time management and task management and the ability to maintain high productivity even under remote work will be valuable.

6. Language skills (especially English)

Needless to say, English proficiency is an advantageous weapon for promotion and success in international companies. The required level will vary depending on the job type and position, but in many cases, communication in business English is essential in companies where English is the company's official language or in environments where there are foreign bosses. However, the evaluation criteria is not "English proficiency = everything", but also the balance with specialized skills, so it is important to formulate a strategy that combines it with other strengths.

Evaluation points of top international companies (Amazon/Google/Microsoft)

Here we will introduce examples of top international companies such as Amazon, Google, and Microsoft. Understanding each company's evaluation standards and corporate culture will make it easier to organize how you should present yourself when changing jobs or getting promoted.

Amazon: Leadership Principles (OLP)

Amazon has a 16-point leadership philosophy called "Our Leadership Principles (OLP)" as part of its unique corporate culture. In recruitment interviews, emphasis is placed on whether the candidate can demonstrate behavior consistent with OLP, such as “past experience of demonstrating ownership and solving problems.” It is a good idea to always be aware of your customer-first approach and proactive problem-solving skills, and be prepared to connect your experience to leadership principles.

Google: 4 evaluation criteria and Googleyness

Google's job interviews and evaluations comprehensively look at four things: general cognitive ability, leadership, work experience/specialized skills, and Googleyness (culture fit). Among these, Googleyness refers to a mindset that matches Google's corporate culture, such as "user-centeredness," "diversity," and "willingness to learn." The key is to compare your experience to the four criteria and prepare an episode that specifically shows Googleyness.

Microsoft: A growth mindset and a culture of collaboration

Under CEO Satya Nadella, Microsoft has undergone a major transformation into a culture that emphasizes a "Growth Mindset." Your open-mindedness, which allows you to continue learning from mistakes, and your ability to build cooperative systems with other departments will be highly evaluated. People who can constantly update themselves on the latest technology and market trends and who can demonstrate leadership that involves both internal and external parties will be able to expand their career opportunities greatly.

Summary: Strategic preparation and continuous effort are key to career advancement

So far, we have explained the skills and mindset required when aiming to advance your career at a foreign company. In order to continue to produce results in a meritocracy, it is essential that you utilize the experience you have gained at a Japanese company, hone your professionalism and communication skills at an even higher level, and commit to achieving your goals.

Especially for mid-level businesspeople in their 30s and 40s, it is important to reorganize their past achievements in line with the “evaluation axis of international companies”. In addition to taking inventory of your strengths and appealing to them in the way the company wants, you should also supplement your weaknesses in a planned manner. If you have room to improve your language skills, expertise, management skills, etc., we recommend taking action as soon as possible.

At GCAP, you can choose support for thinking about your career direction and preparation tailored to the destination you are applying to, depending on your goals.

At GCAP PIVOT, we organize your experience, strengths, and desired conditions and consider career options. If you have decided where to apply, we will proceed with application and interview preparations according to the position using GCAP AMAZON, AWS, Google, etc. If you would like to face the challenges and demonstrate your abilities in your current position, we will introduce you to GCAP ELEVATE.

It is never easy to advance your career in a foreign company, but if you continue to make the right preparations and make efforts, you will have the potential to receive greater discretion and compensation than ever before. Please refer to the contents of this article, make the most of your own strengths, and take the first step towards achieving your ideal career. We at GCI will do our best to support your enthusiasm.

Author

Global Career Incubator Co., Ltd. CEO Shinichi Ikawa

Biography: Entered the business world after working for the Ministry of Defense (National Class I) and the Australian Ministry of Defence. After working at a major real estate company, he started a real estate venture and experienced management and recruitment at a domestic fund, domestic business company, and overseas tech company before founding our company.

Developed a career accelerator program based on my experience as a corporate manager and hiring manager. We specialize in foreign-affiliated, bilingual, and senior talent, and support individual career advancement and corporate organizational strength and efficiency.