Coffee break time with the General Manager and Department Heads! What makes Division 2 unique from a new graduate’s perspective? | Division 2 Edition

Hello everyone! We are Sakai, Hayashi, Ueno, and Sato, first-year new graduates!

Following the Division 3, Division 1, and Account Planning Division editions of our series introducing the appeal of each assignment from the perspective of first-year new graduates, this time we bring you the Division 2 edition!

Click here for the Division 3, Division 1, and Account Planning Division editions ☟
It’s already been two months since our assignment! What makes our new teams so appealing? | Division 3 Edition
The unknown face of Division 1: The appeal of our assignments as seen by three fresh faces | Division 1 Edition
A first in SUNNY SIDE UP’s history! How a first-year new graduate became the youngest planner | Account Planning Division Edition

■First, a brief introduction to Division 2!

Compared with other divisions, Division 2 has an especially broad business scope. Its work spans a wide range, including Section 1, which handles content in-house and produces goods, and Section 2, which is strong in the digital domain—going well beyond PR alone.

Another characteristic of Division 2 is that people get along well across all levels of seniority (or at least we like to think so…!), and it is easy to talk with the General Manager and Department Heads as well.

For this article, the four of us in our first year as new graduates sat down for a coffee break with the General Manager and Department Heads to ask about what makes Division 2 so appealing!

■The digital backbone of Division 2: A coffee break with Mori, Head of Section 2, Division 2!

We took a coffee break with Mori, the Section Head of Section 2, which is particularly strong in PR that leverages digital, at a café near Sendagaya Station—about a five-minute walk from the office!

Curious about what kind of work Mori has done at SUNNY SIDE UP so far, we asked—and received some unexpected answers, such as doing PR by producing campaign goods in-house. We also learned of an unexpected connection with Section 1: Mori even knows the designer who currently supports us when we produce goods in Division 2, Section 1! It really brought home one of Division 2’s strengths and appeals: the breadth of work we can take on.

When we asked about the image of Section 1, where Sakai was assigned, we were told that Section 1 is where people who are skilled at developing plans tend to gather. Rather than simply doing business with character content, they propose plans that enhance the value of the content. I need to work hard so I can become someone who is good at developing plans, too…!

Lastly, Mori shared a message for the four of us new graduates in Division 2, now six months into the company: “Spend this year so you can proudly say, ‘They let me do whatever I wanted!’ It’s important for new graduates to thoroughly carry out what you are taught, but I think it’s also fine to work with free ideas in the way you want—so I want you to take on even more challenging work, more freely!” We will do our best so that, six months from now, people will say the Class of 2021 is a generation that takes on many challenges!!

■She has experienced every division! A coffee break with Masuko from Section 3!

Hayashi, a new graduate in Division 2, Section 4, spoke with a senior colleague with a very rare career path within SUNNY SIDE UP. After joining SUNNY SIDE UP as a new graduate, Masuko moved through PR (now Division 1) → Sports Promotion (now Division 3 Sports) → Global Communication (now Division 4) → and then Division 2, and is now the Section Head of Section 3—having experienced every division. In fact, SUNNY SIDE UP has relatively few inter-division transfers, so Masuko may be the only person who has worked across all four divisions…!

We had the pleasure of speaking with Masuko—who it is no exaggeration to say knows everything about SUNNY SIDE UP—about everything from work to private life over delicious coffee!

First, when we asked Masuko, who knows all the divisions, about her impression of and the characteristics of Division 2, she answered that it is “a division that is free in many ways.” With Section 1’s content creation and the digital domain—communication that goes beyond PR—Division 2 is, in any case, very free. I have only been with the company a little over six months, but I also feel that Division 2, with its many younger members compared to other divisions, is a place where initiatives and efforts born from that energy are thriving.

When we asked Masuko, who has been in Division 2 for a little over four months, how she honestly feels now, she said, “It’s fun!” It makes us very happy to hear someone who knows many divisions say that Division 2 is fun…!

Lastly… when we asked, from a Section Head’s perspective, how she would like us new graduates in Division 2 to work hard going forward, she advised, “Make lots of mistakes, and learn properly from them.” She told us that if we constantly observe those around us, act with intention in each and every thing we do, and keep asking ourselves, “What would I do?” we will grow faster—so she wants us to keep at it!

We first-year employees will surely face many walls and failures from here on, but just as Masuko said, we would like to work hard as the four of us in the same cohort to turn failures into learning and become capable, wonderful PR professionals!

■Also known as “Oyabin”! A coffee break with Takazawa from Section 4!

Ueno, a new graduate in Division 2, Section 3, was able to take some time for a coffee break with Takazawa.

As the title suggests, Takazawa—nicknamed “Oyabin”—is a dapper, handsome boss who looks great in a suit.

At the group meeting for Section 4, which Takazawa leads, there is time set aside once a month for members to introduce a favorite book. This is an initiative that makes use of “Sunny Library,” one of SUNNY SIDE UP’s proud benefits, 32 Benefits. I think it is wonderful to have time like this to engage with books and share what we have learned.

Takazawa reads a lot on a daily basis—so much so that he says, “Books made me who I am.” We asked him to recommend some books.

A recommended book he read recently is…
“How to Create the Best Workplace”

This book was written by Masamune Mimura, who has delivered many results after working at SAP and McKinsey Company. According to Takazawa, it is packed with what we should aim for as people and as a company, and what we should incorporate going forward. It is not a collection of brand-new, innovative ideas, but he said it is a good book for reaffirming one’s core principles.

Next, a recommended book for new graduate professionals like us, and for students about to enter the workforce, is…
“Shall We Talk About the Hard Times?”

This book is said to have been born from author Tsuyoshi Morioka writing down advice for his daughter, who was struggling with job hunting. It describes, based on his own real experiences, how to face moments when you hit a wall or find yourself burdened with worries, and how to look for solutions.

Lastly, Takazawa is known for his lightning-fast replies! Even across divisions and throughout the company, he has a reputation for being exceptionally quick to respond.

Takazawa says, “Fast responses directly lead to trust, and the more you put off tasks and small duties, the more troublesome they become.” He shared very important advice: industry knowledge and document-creation skills are important, but even more than that knowledge and experience, what matters first is being the kind of person who makes others think, ‘I want to work with them.’

■A hat is his trademark! A coffee break with Morita, General Manager of Division 2!

Sato, a new graduate in Division 2, Section 3, took a coffee break at a café near the office with Morita, who serves as both Head of Section 1 and General Manager of Division 2—and whose trademark is his hat!

We asked Morita directly what Division 2 looks like from his perspective, and he said it is “a group with a strong professional mindset, made up of people who deliver when it counts,” and “a group where conversation never stops and communication is active.”

I have only been assigned for about five months, but I also feel that Division 2 is a division where many conversations arise regardless of seniority. From work to private life, from things that made us happy recently to things we are worried about, we can talk about anything and seek advice not only from our cohort but also from senior colleagues, making it a very warm and homey division. Whenever I come to the office, I always talk with Morita about recent updates (laughs)!

Next, we asked what kind of people he hopes the four of us new graduates will become going forward. Then, Morita asked us in return, “What kind of person do you want to become?” When I said, “I want to become someone trusted both inside and outside the company!” he told me, “I want you to become someone who continues working while holding on to the feelings you have right now. Work can be tough in many ways, but I want you to be someone who does not forget your goals and can enjoy your work.” (General Manager… so cool!)

Lastly, when we asked about Morita’s own goals and what Division 2 aims for, he said powerfully, “I want to make this a division where I—and above all, everyone in Division 2—can continue to grow!”

We often have casual conversations with Morita, but this time, hearing again his thoughts and ideas about new graduates and the members of Division 2 made us feel that we must grow even more as a group of new graduates!

■In closing, our determination!

Through these coffee breaks with the General Manager and Department Heads, we were able to learn about the appeal of Division 2 and their thoughts for us new graduates. It has already been half a year since our assignments. Once again, we feel that we want to keep the goals and the people we aspired to become back in April, and continue to grow. We are sure there will be many difficult and challenging times, but when that happens, we would like to keep working hard while not forgetting to enjoy ourselves—drawing on the support of our warm senior colleagues and cohort members in Division 2!