The SUNNY SIDE UP members interviewed this time are Ogawa and Masuno.

At first glance, the two seem to have little in common, as they currently belong to different departments and have different career paths at SUNNY SIDE UP. However, Ogawa actually served as Masuno’s mentor during her rookie days under the OJT system.

Now, five years later, they sat down to reflect on their impressions of each other and their time during the OJT period.

[What is the OJT System?]

“OJT” stands for On-the-Job Training, a development method where skills are acquired through actual work tasks. At SUNNY SIDE UP, we place great importance on one-on-one pairings between new employees and seniors close to them in age to learn practical field knowledge that is difficult to grasp through classroom learning alone. In the world of PR, where methods change significantly from project to project, we believe this OJT system is particularly vital.

[Member Introduction]

Ogawa, Director, Sports Section, 3rd Division, Public Relations Business Headquarters
Masuno, 2nd Division, Public Relations Business Headquarters

■ Career History and Reasons for Joining SUNNY SIDE UP

Ogawa: I loved sports and entertainment, so I wanted a job where I could be involved in those fields. I first learned about SUNNY SIDE UP through a senior from my university days. To be honest, I applied because I wanted to work for SUNNY SIDE UP specifically rather than aiming for a PR firm in general; I only learned what a PR firm does and that PR stands for “Public Relations” after I joined (laughs).

During university, I served as the manager of the ice hockey club, where I handled everything from updating Twitter and blogs to event management and poster production, so I think I always liked promotional activities. I had also received a job offer from a video production company, but I decided to join SUNNY SIDE UP because I felt I could be involved in a wider variety of media, including video. Now that I am working on both sports and entertainment projects, I feel like my dream has come true.

Masuno: During my university years, I worked part-time at “bills,” the all-day dining restaurant operated by SUNNY SIDE UP. When I started thinking about employment, I looked up SUNNY SIDE UP and saw the phrase “Let’s Have Fun!” As I read the employee interviews on the site and realized they were involved in news outlets like “Fashion Press”—which I already loved reading to keep up with trends—I became increasingly interested in the PR industry. I interviewed with other PR firms, but ultimately chose SUNNY SIDE UP for its open atmosphere.

■ Impressions of Each Other

Ogawa: The first thing I thought when I saw Masuno was, “Her face is so small!!” (laughs). After joining, she quickly became the person everyone likes to tease. Also, since she started, she has always been the type to observe professional etiquette better than anyone. She was always very mindful of seating arrangements, such as who sits in the seat of honor, and the order of entering elevators. I thought she was a very polite person.

Masuno: I was definitely the one being teased—people would often mimic me or playfully squish my cheeks (laughs). While SUNNY SIDE UP has a casual atmosphere where everyone gets along, I do try to be conscious of proper manners. I often saw people gathering around Ogawa’s desk, so I had the image of her being a highly trusted person who is adored by many. I was so happy to have someone like her looking after me that when my OJT placement was decided, I bragged about it to my fellow new hires (laughs).

Ogawa: Members in charge of OJT hold regular meetings to share progress and information, and we have thorough discussions on what kind of work and experiences would be best for the trainees. At the time, the term that often came up to describe Masuno was “hates to lose.” Of course, I mean that in the positive sense of being persistent!

■ Reflecting on the OJT Period

Ogawa: During the OJT period (since we didn’t have hot-desking back then), she sat in the seat next to me. We worked on the same projects, and in addition to having her accompany me to appointments, I checked all the calls and emails she handled to provide advice. There are so many media outlets that media relations staff need to approach, so we started by learning those together. However, Masuno knew so little about the media that she couldn’t even name the TV stations, which was shocking (laughs). It was at a level where I doubted if she really wanted to work at a PR firm (laughs).

Masuno: When I first joined, I didn’t understand the differences between the various TV stations at all (laughs). Seeing that, the seniors in charge of OJT created a written test related to the media. All the new hires kept taking it over and over until we reached the passing score. It’s an embarrassing memory (laughs). Beyond that, they taught me everything step-by-step, from greetings to exchanging business cards and email correspondence. I am nothing but grateful. Sitting next to Ogawa the whole time allowed me to receive feedback in real-time.

Ogawa: Even for a single phone call, you need to adjust your response based on how the other party reacts, so we would brainstorm all sorts of ways to handle different situations together.

Masuno: To be honest, there were times when I felt pressured having my mentor watching every single task right next to me (laughs). However, because she created an environment where I could consult her immediately—both physically and psychologically—I would reach out as soon as I ran into trouble. She always gave me proactive advice, so I was constantly being helped.

Ogawa: This is something I still value today, but I want to avoid flustered reactions to unexpected events. So, I try to either anticipate various possibilities and plan responses in advance or take action beforehand to prevent those possibilities from arising.

Masuno: During my first appointment, I realized in the middle of the meeting that I had forgotten the explanatory materials for the project I was handling. Ogawa immediately grasped the situation and proceeded with the negotiation verbally without stopping, all without the documents. I’ll never forget that. It really brought home how amazing she is, and I felt strongly that I would never make the same mistake again. Now that I am in a position to teach juniors myself, I truly feel the difficulty of being an OJT mentor.

Ogawa: That was quite a shock (laughs). I was desperate to cover for her (laughs). A few years have passed since I was her mentor, and while I’ve matured a bit, I don’t think my relationship with Masuno has changed much. We don’t work on the same projects like we did during the OJT days, but we still talk often.

Masuno: The only thing that has changed is that we now talk about our love lives (laughs). She is someone I can talk to freely about both work and private matters.

■ Future Goals

Masuno: From this term, I have transferred from the 3rd Division to the 2nd Division. I believe I need to look at promotions and PR from a broader perspective now, so I want to firmly acquire that knowledge. In terms of genres, I hope to be actively involved in projects related to fashion, gourmet food, and travel.

Ogawa: Nowadays, I rarely mentor new employees directly; instead, I spend more time talking to the members who are acting as OJT mentors. Therefore, I want to use my own experience to teach management methods to those mentors. Personally, I think acting as an OJT mentor is the third wall you face after joining SUNNY SIDE UP. The first is simply keeping up with the work after joining. The second is handling a project alone without an OJT senior. The third is guiding a junior as an OJT mentor. However, there is much to be learned by being a mentor, and since young employees often guide even younger ones at SUNNY SIDE UP, I want to support both sides so they can grow together.

This time, we conducted an interview with an OJT pair to look back on their early days. Having a senior who is fully committed to helping you hit the ground running as a professional and a member of SUNNY SIDE UP is very reassuring. The members working at SUNNY SIDE UP are full of personality, and the relationships between OJT pairs vary, so we plan to conduct interviews with other OJT pairs in the future! Please look forward to it!

*Training and development after joining are constantly being refined and may vary depending on the year.