WATC （Womens' Advancement in Their Career) Event Part 1
Establishing a Career Mission Statement - Doscovering the Career You Desire

Through previous interview with female manager, WATC（Womens' Advancement in Their Career) recognized the need to provide a space for female staff to discuss their careers in order to promote women's advancement at TÜV Rheinland Japan. Therefore, we hosted a mentoring session with a total of five participants: two mentors and three mentees, creating an approachable environment for discussion.


"Are you too busy with family, work, and various environments that you put yourself last? This 1.5 hours is a time to reflect on yourself."


The mentoring session began with this statement.

This time, three women with completely different job roles—sales, accounting, and engineering—participated as mentees. They first shared their career journeys during self-introductions. Then, I asked them about the career visions they envision for the next ten years and until retirement. What emerged first from their discussions were not career visions, but rather the conflicts they face in their current situations. They expressed heartfelt concerns such as, "The careers of my single friends seem sparkling," "I feel stressed having to interrupt my work with my kid's 'I'm hungry'," "Balancing home and work is so demanding that securing study time is difficult," and "I lack confidence in my abilities to meet my boss's expectations."

The two mentors shared their own experiences of having faced similar conflicts in the past. They expressed that they simply did what they could at the time, showing empathy towards the mentees. One of them mentioned that being present as a mentor to support others is a result of their journey. For the mentees, who felt the dilemma of whether they are on the right track or if they need to work harder, the mentors helped them realize that while continuing to do what they can now is not an easy task, it will defenitely lead to future opportunities.

Perceptions of stress vary from person to person. Many women seem to feel stressed by the impact that having family can have on their concentration, resulting in lower quality and speed of work. During such times, one of the mentors suggested that sometimes it helps to adopt the mindset of “That’s enough for today! The rest will work out somehow.” However, some individuals find that leaving tasks partially completed adds to their stress. In response, another mentor shared their approach of thinking, “It’s not unfinished work, it’s work to be done later,” and emphasized the importance of allocating some other time to complete tasks thoroughly. Having two mentors with different styles allowed for advice from diverse perspectives.

For the mentees, recognizing the differences in each other’s working styles and thoughts was also a positive aspect of the session. Everyone has different weights assigned to work, childcare, and family. They may have thought, “I feel this way, but that person thinks or acts differently.” This realization may have led them to reflect, “Maybe I’m pushing myself too hard,” or conversely, “Maybe I can push myself a bit more,” and “Perhaps there are other methods I haven’t considered.”

The group had lively conversation over artisan pastries, and the 1.5 hours passed in the blink of an eye. After the mentoring session, the mentees took five minutes to write about their "ideal selves" without stopping their pens. They were encouraged to reflect on what kind of person came to mind during the session, what they wish to achieve by retirement, what barriers they might encounter, and what constraints they face. Finding a career statement in such a short time of 1.5 hours is not an easy task. However, it may have served as a valuable opportunity for them to reconsider their vision of their ideal selves.

The three mentees have just begun to explore their future selves through this event. Once they find that vision, the next step will be to reflect on any limits or constraints they may be placing on themselves and to think about how to move closer to their ideal selves. They are already shining brightly, but I hope to see them shine even more in the future.


～Reflecting on Our Mentoring Event～
At TÜV Rheinland Japan, we have female staff members from various backgrounds. I believe there are many who, for various reasons beyond family matters, find it difficult to take time for self-reflection on a daily basis. How about dedicating a moment to introspection, whether once a day or, if that’s too challenging, at least once a week? WATC will continue to support female staff in selecting their own work style and fully demonstrating their abilities through various events, allowing them to work vibrantly.

TÜV Rheinland Japan promotes woman’s advance in their career.
We aim to be a company where female staff can choose their own work style and work lively with enthusiasm while fully demonstrating their abilities.