Note: All names and other personal data in this sample essay have been changed.]
Massachusetts Institute of Technology
Sloan School of Management
MBA Program
Takayuki Nishikawa
April 10, 2020
Although I grew up in Japan, I lived in Harrisburg, PA for five years before high school. Even then, I was struck by the differences between the train systems in Harrisburg and in Japan. In Harrisburg, the train lines are limited to the city, and they are often used only by people who do not have cars. Many of the trains are also dirty and worn down. In contrast, Japanese trains travel further and people view them as a replacement for cars. The trains are punctual and clean, and the staff is very professional. This contrast made me think about how other countries might adopt Japanese train technologies and know-how.
Now, many years later, I am an engineer and supervisor for the Japan Freight Railway Company (JR Freight). My goal is to gain the international business skills I need to facilitate the spread of Japanese transportation technologies to other countries to benefit both Japanese businesses and people across the globe.
In my four years at JR Freight I have had the opportunity to lead a number of complex projects. I started with JR Freight just a few weeks after the 2011 Great East Japan Earthquake. Naturally, our priority was repairing the severe damage resulting from the disaster, including damage to the infrastructure that provides power to the trains, stations and everything else on the lines. My main task was to survey the damages to the electrical poles and estimate repair costs. I had to prioritize the most severely damaged areas and coordinate schedules with repair teams and other train lines. Only through hard work and strong communication were we able to restore complete service and functionality within three months. This project taught me a lot about the importance of teamwork and establishing priorities, particularly when responding to a crisis.
In the past year, I gained further project management experience developing and finalizing the contract to supply power to new platform doors at one of our stations. I led all aspects of this project. First, I worked with other departments, manufacturers and construction firms to produce a detailed design for construction. Previously there was difficulty advancing the project, so I focused on strong face-to-face communication with the other parties involved. Then I produced a cost estimate in preparation for negotiations. Through extensive negotiations with a construction firm I was able to successfully close a $300,000 contract. My success on this project fed my motivation to expand my career internationally. I want to have the chance to work closely with people from all over the world to lead projects that will have a positive impact on people’s lives.
After earning my MBA, I plan to return to JR Freight to work for the International Business Division, which is focused on developing business abroad, especially in Southeast Asia. We are seeking to expand into Vietnam and Thailand by selling a suite of products including trains, service contracts, technological know-how, and infrastructure development. While we currently face competition from other international companies that can offer less expensive services and products, we can leverage the high quality and broad range of services we can provide.
To gain the advantage, my strategy will be to invite government officials in our target countries to see our operations in Japan to showcase how our trains operate and demonstrate our technical know-how as we propose plans. Our goal is to begin construction on international projects within five years. This will require that we gain approval for our proposals and then research the proposed sites. These expansion plans are critical for JR Freight because the Japanese domestic market is shrinking, while markets in Southeast Asia are continuing to grow.
In the long term, my goal at JR Freight is to become the head of the International Business Division so that I can direct further expansion beyond Southeast Asia. We will consider other target regions such as Africa or South America because some of the challenges we will face in these regions will be similar to those we have experienced in developing countries in Southeast Asia. Ultimately, I want to leverage my experience with JR Freight to start my own consulting company focused on transportation and infrastructure in developing countries. My firm could serve as a liaison between Japanese transportation companies and developing countries as they seek to implement transportation and infrastructure solutions.
In order to shift my career focus from the Japanese domestic market to markets in developing countries all over the world, I will need to gain advanced international business and negotiation skills, as well as management and strategy knowledge abroad. I will also need to learn more about managing international business operations and monetizing the advanced technologies that will give Japanese transportation companies the advantage on the global market.
The MIT Sloan program is the ideal fit for my goals because it offers a global perspective with a focus on technology in business. The curriculum includes a number of courses that will prepare me to achieve my short and long term goals. For example, “Global Markets, National Policies and the Competitive Advantages of Firms” will help me strategize how JR Freight can best compete with transportation firms from other developed countries. Additionally, courses like “Technology Strategy” will help me understand key theories of diffusion and adoption along with the optimal licensing policies for transportation technologies. I hope to have the chance to take a course with Professor Donald Lessard, whose research on the global energy sector will also be relevant to my work in the transportation sector.
At MIT Sloan, I will have many opportunities to work with and gain new perspectives from my diverse classmates, particularly through the Innovation Team program and the MIT Energy Club. Finally, I believe I can make a strong contribution to the program through my own experiences with the Japanese business environment. I look forward to expanding my professional network at MIT Sloan by engaging with current and future business leaders, and to establishing new collaborations between Japan and the US.