Adversity presents opportunity. Just ask
Iwao Keiichi. Forced by illness to close his
restaurant management and food manufacturing
firm, Iwao began life anew in 1993 when he
5 established Tokyo’s first job placement firm,
Way Station.The Japanese economy had just crashed,
and Iwao expected that many people would
soon lose their jobs. He was right. Last year
10 his turnover was $4.1 million, and he expects
a four-fold increase this year.Job placement services are new to a
nation which is used to lifetime employment.
In these jittery times, Iwao, 54, is helping
15 Japanese who haven’t a clue how to look
for work, His firm retains job-seekers and
refers them to prospective employers. Big
firms also pay Iwao for advice on how to
deal with layoffs and restructuring. “My
20 services,” he says, “offer a soft landing for
all parties.”At Way Station, every client facing the
chop is assigned a “job-hunt” counselor.
Counselor spend about three months studying
25 a candidate’s work skills and matching them
to job prospects. Clients also learn how to
write resumes, use PCs and face interviews.
Iwao’s training centers in Tokyo, Osaka,
30 Nagoya and Fukuoka. He expects 1,200
this year. Since competition for jobs is
tough, he advises clients to change their
way of thinking and look beyond Japan’s
major corporations to small firms. Iwao has
35 succeeded in part because he is much like
his client – a middle-aged man facing a
mid – career setback who took a gamble
and won.