Importance of Summer Programs for High School Students in Japan

When Generation X was growing up, the end goal of education was to get a good job. Things haven’t changed much for the millennials, and although tech is making sure things are shaken up, many people still believe that academic excellence is a sure ticket to a well-paying job. While this notion is not entirely flawed, it’s becoming more evident that today’s employers are interested in academic excellence as much as they are in work experience.

Senior high school students in Japan must participate in Summer Camps programs if they want to gain the necessary experience and exposure to get their foot in the door for their desired career path. There are a lot of benefits that come with summer programs.

Let’s look at some of them:

1. Increases your chance of getting a job

As mentioned, this is perhaps one of the most apparent benefits of summer programs. Research by the Association of Accounting Technicians, AAT, found that 49% of employers prefer to find a relevant apprenticeship, placement year, or internship on a candidate’s resume. 71% of these said an internship shows the candidate has demonstrated their skills in a practical setting, which is valuable since all they have to do is build on what the candidate already knows. An internship shows they have a better understanding of the world of work.

Summer programs allow you to apply subject-specific theories to a real-life situation. Back in class, you work on journal articles, lectures, case studies, and more, but at the workplace, you learn if these theories apply to real-life scenarios.

Students are often shocked when they learn some theories learned in class aren’t applied as they would have thought. Other dynamics may influence a company’s decision, even when the principle used to decide uses foundations you learned in class. Some equipment and techniques may differ from what you used in class, so you shouldn’t automatically assume what’s done at work is right and what’s practised at school is wrong.

2. Improves skills and knowledge

 There is no better way to gain the experience you need to excel at your job than at work. During summer programs, you not only learn what’s required to succeed in your role or what’s called hard skills, but you also learn to develop soft skills that are invaluable at the workplace. In fact, AAT’s research found that students who learn soft skills had a higher chance of fitting into the workplace than those who didn’t have these skills. The best place to learn and apply is at work, which makes summer programs valuable. Some skills students will learn:

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● Teamwork - Build on what you learned when working on group assignments. At work, you may not get along with everyone, but you must learn to work as part of the team to achieve the organisation’s goals.

● Planning, organisation, productivity, and time management- You learn to juggle different priorities, work on simultaneous projects, and meet key performance indicators within set deadlines.

● Interpersonal skills- Learn to work with people at all levels, including top management and subordinate staff.

● Negotiation skills- You learn to negotiate deals and ideas you think will benefit the company when there are conflicting opinions.

● Learn to adapt to the work culture- Learn what the workplace culture is, how you fit into it, and the demands it places on you.

● Communication- You learn to communicate clearly and succinctly, prepare presentations, and pitch ideas.

● Problem-solving and decision-making skills- You learn that you can’t rely on others to tell you what to do, including your boss. Instead, you practice coming up with decisions and presenting them to your boss instead of always going to them with a problem.

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3. Professional development

A study by the Federal Reserve Bank of New York found that only 27% of graduates work in a field related to their major. This means over 70% of people end up dispersed in areas they never majored in. This figure could well be higher for Asian countries like Japan. While attending college isn’t a waste of time, working in a field related to your major gives you a footing and background of the work you will be performing.

Now, during a summer program, you get the perfect opportunity to gain insight into your chosen field. You work with modern tech in your field and learn about the practices you will be employing every day. This gives you insight into the area that attracts and interests you, and you can finally decide if it’s really everything you ever imagined.

You can then decide if this is something you’d like to pursue for the rest of your life, whether this is the kind of organisation you’d like to work for, and whether you’d like more experience somewhere else before you decide. You meet people who have been in the field for a long time, some of whom are willing to mentor you. This kind of networking makes it easy for you to get a job offer once you graduate college.

4. Personal development

The skills you learn during summer programs make you take a more in-depth look at yourself and what you could do better. For instance, if you previously couldn’t work under pressure or juggle different assignments with tight deadlines, you develop the skills to do it. The same goes for giving presentations in front of your boss and colleagues as you pitch an idea to help the organisation grow. You grow in confidence and become more mature. Teachers with students who have gone through summer programs always say that the students who come back to college aren’t the same ones who left. They are more mature, hardworking, and dedicated to excelling, all the skills they have learned at work.

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So, how do you know the program you are considering is the best one for you?

● The job is challenging and relevant to your studies. It’s more challenging than what you’d do in a typical internship.

● You are motivated, engaged, and have a good understanding of what’s expected of you.

● The employer is ready to treat you like part of the team or like any other employee. They are prepared to integrate you into the workplace and give you the opportunities you need to excel.

● You can meet the employer’s needs, and the employer is ready to meet your needs. Although you may not get 100% of what you expect, you gain most of the things you need from a program with ease.

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It must take you out of your comfort zone for a program to benefit you, challenge you, encourage you to learn, and gain new skills. If you aren’t pushed past your comfort zone, you won’t learn or have a positive experience. This doesn’t mean the employer will place too much on you or burden you with loads of work. Instead, they will work to help you balance work and school.

High school students in Japan who opt for a placement year/summer program should ensure the opportunity to be in-tune with their future careers. It should also consider your motivation and perspective. Your inspiration is the most critical factor to a successful placement, so make sure it matches your interest. If they don’t, you will suffer a negative experience.