Staff Interview with Farina Fabricius

Get to know Meiji Internships' staff!

You recently joined the Meiji team. What inspired you to work for Meiji Internships?

From my own experience, I know how difficult it can be for foreigners to live in Japan sometimes, may it be just for studies or long term work. The unique cultural customs and human interactions in Japan can be very challenging for newly arrived people. Therefore I felt the need to share the knowledge and expertise that I have acquired over the years by contributing to a positive change for the next generation of students & interns in Japan. That is when I came across Meiji Internships, an organization that exactly represents the values and mindset I stand for: an international, young, and vibrant team united by a strong team spirit. Their hands-on approach, very professional customer service, and really friendly work atmosphere convinced me immediately to join this global team of education and internship consultants.

What initially sparked your interest in Japan?

I was always fascinated by Japan’s unique culture and especially became interested in its history and relations to other Asian countries through time. Due to the large cultural differences between Europe and Far East Asia, I also became really curious about how this affects social and corporate life in Japan. I wanted to explore this exciting region of the world more, hence I decided to proceed with my higher education in East Asian studies. I studied about Japanese economics, geopolitical relations, culture and history, as well as the language itself during my studies in university.

How do you support Meiji Internships in providing the best language courses and internships in Japan?

Having been a student in Japan, as well as having worked in different cultural-related industries before, gives me a big advantage in terms of understanding customer needs. I am responsible for the direct communication with customers, consulting on internship placements, and marketing related projects at Meiji. Thanks to my previous work experience and hands-on training I received from senior staff, I do believe I can advise fellow students/interns in four different languages with my expertise in customizing and tailoring personal packages for their needs.

What makes Meiji Internships’ programs different from other programs in Japan?

We are the only internship provider that offers personally tailored internships across all major cities in Japan with high-quality Japanese language, culture, and business courses for reasonable prices.

Our international team consisting of more than 10 nationalities and also our very innovative approach in terms of solving a variety of customer requests, has proved successful over the years. We are already the largest internship provider in West-Japan and have been around for only five years, compared to long-term established competitors.

As a foreigner living and working full time in Japan, what is your best piece of advice for incoming students?

Be open-minded and stay curious to explore new things! There are so many things to learn and new experiences to be made here in Japan. I highly recommend approaching unknown customs with open eyes and to just try to say yes to new challenges! Japanese people are very friendly, love to meet foreigners, and love to learn new things about other cultures. Thus, it is good for new students to engage in cultural and language exchange events we host on a regular basis.

Every day in Japan is exciting and even now after so many years living in Japan, I always come across new and funny things in everyday life here.

How do you use your own experience interning, studying, and participating in a working holiday in Japan in your current role?

As I have been through the whole process of being a student, interning in Japanese companies and working full time in Japan, I very well understand the hurdles and challenges many students go through. I try to apply my own real-life work experience in consulting and advising future students to make the right choices for their studies and internships in Japan. Most important is the intercultural awareness and teaching of the Japanese mindset in our business courses that stands out from all other internship providers.

Why do you think Japan is a great place for international internships? What about Fukuoka specifically?

Japan has the third largest economy in the world and is well respected for its milestones, whether it be in science, technology, design, architecture, and many other industries. The harmonic coexistence between traditional values and future technology in a highly advanced economy, like Japan, is just one of many unique facets this country can teach you. The Japanese business practices and corporate philosophy is applicable to solving many management issues that international companies face.

In particular, Fukuoka is known as the gateway into Japan, and Kyushu has been the port of exchange with the outside world for most of Japan’s history. Fukuoka’s economic and demographic growth also contributed to its name being the “Startup City of Japan”. It offers special visas and financial support for foreign entrepreneurs who want to set up their global startups in the Far East.

In short, if you can make it here in Japan, you can succeed anywhere in the world!

What do you enjoy most about working for Meiji Internships thus far?

Two words: Team Spirit! Meiji Internships is a very dynamic and young team of very ambitious international people. There is a lot of positive energy and motivation across all colleagues and being part of this amazing team makes me really proud. There are many new projects popping up all the time. It feels really good to know and see that my work is making a visible impact in the company’s operations on a wide scale.

Besides all the hard work, we do love to go out with our fellow students to explore and enjoy Japan’s hidden beauties together.