TILT CAREER

In August this year, the White Paper on Health, Labour and Welfare 2025 (Reiwa 7) was released. The White Paper consists of two parts: Part I focuses on a special theme for the year, while Part II provides detailed explanations of overall health, labour, and welfare policies. The title of Part I this year is “To the Youth Who Will Lead the Next Generation: Understanding the Role of Social Security and Labour Policies in a Changing Society.” It is written in plain language aimed at young people, explaining Japan’s social security and labour systems in an accessible way. One section that helped me organize my thoughts clearly was the discussion on self-help (jijo) , mutual help (kyojo) , and public help (kojo) . These terms are often used in various contexts, but “mutual help” has always been somewhat unclear to me. Self-help is easy to understand—it means taking care of oneself. Public help roughly means the government taking responsibility to assist people. But what exactly is m...

A career consultant I know, who is active within a company, was seconded to a different company this fiscal year and is now working on career support for people with disabilities. It seems to be a company established under the special subsidiary company system. This was the first time I had heard the term "special subsidiary company," but it seems to be a system where, in order to meet the statutory employment rate for persons with disabilities, a separate company is established within a corporate group, and the number of disabled persons employed by that separate company can be included in the calculation of the statutory employment rate for the entire group.   Companies want to employ people with disabilities, but there are issues with how to balance recruitment standards, working conditions, performance evaluations, and so on with those for able-bodied employees. Since it's difficult to maintain consistency within the same company, it seems that a separate company ...

Every summer, a program called Job Camp is held for students from 35 metropolitan high schools in Tokyo. It gives students the opportunity to experience real workplaces. < Job Camp > https://jobcamp.metro.tokyo.lg.jp/ In this program, high school students choose a company they are interested in and visit it to learn about work directly from professionals. Many career consultants participate in this initiative, supporting the students' learning. I recently took part myself, and it was truly refreshing. The program runs in three-day cycles. On the first day, career consultants visit high schools or orientation venues to conduct a pre-visit session with the students. This includes the very basics, such as how to greet people when visiting a company, how to bow properly, and other fundamental etiquette. Then we look at the company’s website and explore together what kind of business it is and what kind of work they do. Things get more serious from the second day onward. W...

Last month, the Upper House election was held in Japan. I respected the candidates who are out in the scorching sun, passionately sharing their policies on the streets. I also admired the voters who stop and listen to them with genuine interest. Personally, I couldn't handle the heat and would rather avoid the risk of heatstroke, so I stayed in my cool room and watched the policy broadcasts or campaign speeches online. In the election, one of the major issues being frequently discussed was the “foreigners issue.” It was sudden—why had this theme became a central topic now? But it's not entirely incomprehensible. Back in the mid-2010s, the term “inbound demand” became common, and many foreign tourists started visiting Japan. Although this trend came to a halt during the COVID-19 pandemic, after restrictions were lifted, the number of foreign visitors quickly surged again. With the yen weakening, Japan became a more affordable travel destination, and visitor numbers soon sur...

In career consultant training courses, students study both career theories that emerged in the early 20th century and psychology, which originated in the 19th century and gave rise to various theories in the 20th century. These two fields have merged to form the academic foundation for providing theoretical support for each worker’s self-actualization and for finding meaning in their work. Usually, the role of a career consultant is understood based on these modern academic theories. However, Work by Lars Svendsen offers a fascinating perspective by tracing the concept of work all the way back to ancient Greece, showing how our ideas about work have evolved over time. Rather than going into too much detail here, I’ll summarize Chapter One of the book, which outlines the major transitions in the concept of labor. This chapter alone is already quite thought-provoking. * * * In ancient times , Greek philosophers regarded labor as something base or lowly. They believed that the goal o...

After obtaining the national certification as a career consultant and finally preparing to start your practice, many people face the challenge known as "the wall of inexperience." Even when browsing various job postings for career consultants, most of them favor those with experience, and there are few opportunities where newly certified consultants can thrive. If your company happens to have a career consultation office, you might still find opportunities to be active. But in many cases, people work in companies where the very concept of a "career consultant" is barely recognized. After earning the certification, many people feel that the first step is to gather information from various industry associations. This often leads them to join professional organizations such as ACCN or JDCA. Once you join such groups, you may fortunately be introduced to internship programs designed to help break through the wall of inexperience. These programs allow you to particip...

Up until obtaining the national qualification as a Career Consultant, one can steadily move forward on the path thanks to the variety of information available—from training schools offering preparatory courses, publishers releasing exam prep books, and well-known YouTube channels sharing insights and advice. However, what many people face is what comes after getting the qualification. They wonder: Now that I’m certified… what should I do next? At this point, many are left feeling lost. For those already working in companies that have in-house Career Consultants, it's easier to transition into that role. But for those trying to find Career Consultant positions externally, jobs are scarce—and when they do exist, they often prioritize experienced professionals. For newly certified consultants, the opportunities are limited, and even when a role becomes available, competition is fierce. As a result, it's said that about 30% of certified Career Consultants end up working in co...

  "Toyota's People Development That Akio Toyoda Values Most" (Published by President Inc.) The release date was May 27, 2025. I bought and read it right away. The book gives a detailed account of the Toyota Technical Skills Academy , an in-house school run by Toyota.   As a career consultant, I have a deep interest in the advanced approach to career education in Nagoya. Career education begins as early as elementary school, likely due to the large number of major manufacturing companies in the Tokai region. This environment fosters a culture where children aspire to become technicians or engineers from a young age. At the center of this culture, naturally, stands Toyota.   The Toyota Technical Skills Academy is a school independently established by Toyota. Company-run schools are quite rare, and I imagine many people are unaware they exist. The academy has two educational tracks: a high school-level department where students enroll at age 15 and attend for th...

The revised Childcare and Caregiver Leave Act came into effect on April 1. This section focuses on caregiving, and the main changes are as follows: Relaxation of eligibility requirements for caregiving leave → Previously, employees with less than six months of continuous employment were not eligible for caregiving leave. This restriction has now been removed. From the moment of hiring, employees can take caregiving leave. Workplace environment development to prevent employees from quitting due to caregiving → Employers are now required to provide training for employees about caregiving-related systems and to promote the use of such systems through awareness campaigns. Individual notification and confirmation of intention to use caregiving systems → Employers must now individually inform employees facing caregiving responsibilities about the available systems and confirm their intention to use them. Additionally, e...

 My late father had a physical disability. In his prime, in his 40s, he began experiencing health problems and eventually ended up in a wheelchair. As a child, I couldn’t comprehend the profound life transition that occurs when someone who was once able-bodied becomes disabled. But now, I often wonder what was going through his mind during that time. In any case, he continued working until retirement and supported our family. While people with disabilities are often regarded as “weak” in society, at home he was a stubborn and intimidating father—someone none of us dared to defy. Because of that, I’ve never strongly associated disability with weakness. Starting in fiscal year 2026, the legally mandated employment rate for people with disabilities in private companies in Japan will rise to 2.7%. This statutory employment rate began increasing rapidly in the 2010s, when Japan’s labor shortage became more pronounced: 2.0% (2013–2017) → 2.2% (2018–2020) → 2.3% (2021–2023) → 2.5% (2024–...

 When you take a training course to become a career consultant  in Japan, you learn about the effectiveness of the Self-Career Dock system and acquire the skills to passionately explain its value. However, it's still hard to say that the concept is widely recognized. According to the 2023 Basic Survey on Human Resource Development by the Ministry of Health, Labour and Welfare, only 41.7% of companies have introduced the system. In reality, public awareness seems to be lower. Even if the system is introduced into companies, it may be not being used. The other day, I had the rare opportunity to hear from an HR representatives at a certain company that is actively implementing the Self-Career Dock system. Many career consultants may be able to guess the company name, but here I’ll just refer to it as “a certain company.” It’s a retail company with around 4,000 employees. Currently, it has 10 in-house career consultants who conduct career interviews based on employees’ age mile...

  On April 22, the Ministry of Health, Labour and Welfare issued a press release titled “On the Use of AI at HELLO WORK as Looking Toward the Future.” Initially, starting in this fiscal year (FY 2025), AI will be trialed at 10 HELLO WORKs across Japan. The aim is to assess the potential of AI in performing job placement services, which have traditionally been carried out by humans. When thinking how deeply AI has become embedded in society, it seems to be natural that HELLO WORK would consider making use of it.   Limiting the trial to just 10 locations feels narrow—I can’t help but think it would be better to conduct it nationwide, across all 544 offices. Even if it’s just a pilot program, large-scale data inputs would provide clearer insight into AI’s effectiveness. But, anyway, it must be a positive step forward.   While AI can be applied to various tasks, its most meaningful use at HELLO WORK will likely be in matching job seekers with employers. That is apparent...

  In career consultant training programs, various assessment tools (psychological tests) are introduced and their usage is taught. Among the most well-known are VPI (Vocational Preference Inventory) developed by Holland and GATB (General Aptitude Test Battery) developed by Japan's Ministry of Health, Labour and Welfare. When you actually take one of these assessment tools for yourself, you may be surprised or enlightened—"So this is my personality?" or "I have this kind of aptitude?"—or even find yourself reacting with skepticism, saying things like, "No way!" Either way, it provokes a range of responses. Thus, learning about assessment tools in career consultant training programs is positioned as a way to support “self-understanding.” But they are strictly considered support tools. That’s why the training emphasizes not placing absolute trust in the results. You're also taught to always confirm whether the client—who is the one taking t...

 On March 31, a detailed 273-page investigative report called the Fuji TV Third-Party Committee Report was released ( https://www.fujitv.co.jp/company/news/250331_3.pdf ).   This comprehensive document covers a sexual assault incident involving a female announcer.   Key points : The report details the company's response to a female announcer who suffered mental health issues due to sexual violence. It addresses legal disputes and corporate responses after media coverage. While initially seeming unrelated to career consulting, the report suggests potential benefits of career counseling for those involved.   Incident overview : June 2023: A talent sexually assaulted a female announcer (referred to as Woman A). Woman A's health deteriorated; the incident was reported to upper management. Limited members handled the situation confidentially. Woman A wanted to return to work but lost trust in the company as...

April starts. The new fiscal year has begun in Japan. At the beginning of 2024, I made a resolution and attended a training course for the national Career Consultant certification, and then I passed the exam at the end of the year.  As 2025 arrived, I completed the registration process and finally started my new activities as a Career Consultant. However, having just begun this career, I still need a lot of studies and experiences.  I've decided to record my self-improvement journey on this blog. 'Tilt' means being biased or inclined, and is sometimes used negatively to describe losing one's cool and going in a strange direction.  But when I think about our future careers and work lives, I feel it might be okay to be a little biased, inclined, or moving in an odd direction.  AI will handle perfect work. At least better than us. If so, what kind of work will humans do then? Thinking about this, I believe it's okay to be imperfect, flawed, or have peculiar obsessions....