E. Kimoto

While spending a year studying abroad at a U.S. university, I spoke with people who were working, or wanted to work, on Wall Street, and I felt very strongly that I, too, wanted to play a part in the world's highest level financial business. A big draw for me was that Morgan Stanley is a firm with a wealth of experience and a proven track record in every region of the world. Also, the business environment here is built on an accumulation of global knowledge, and younger employees get more responsibility after they prove themselves.

The biggest highlight has been that my bosses and colleagues are even more amazing than the impression I'd formed before joining the company, and the work environment is always so stimulating. In addition to the people in Tokyo, there are various product specialists all over the world. If you are willing to learn, you can absorb an endless variety of financial knowledge and information.

There is a lot of pressure and the learning curve is extremely steep, but my work gives me a tremendous sense of fulfillment. In addition, I'm surrounded by a wide variety of personalities, and I feel very much at home in this team atmosphere, where there are always great discussions going on, even when you're busy.

Because my job involves working with global capital markets, there are new developments emerging 24 hours a day. I get to work at 8 a.m. and check the status of New York and London from the previous day. I exchange news on market trends with people in charge of stocks and bonds, and then I share that information with my clients. After that, I put together proposal materials for financing, discuss marketing strategies with the people in charge of stocks and bonds, and otherwise develop the best funding strategies for my clients.

I felt a great sense of accomplishment when I closed a large-scale financing case during my first year, after pouring my heart and soul into it. I also feel good when a new company joins the Tokyo Stock Exchange, and when a new stock is created and begins trading. In addition, there's great sense of fulfillment when my ideas are praised and accepted by the client. Seeing myself grow as a person and professionally is my motivation for working.

When my assignment is not at a pivotal point, I concentrate on finishing my tasks to avoid bringing work home on the weekends, so that I can completely relax. Because my job involves long hours at a desk, in my private time, I go to the gym, the ocean, and the mountains to refresh myself. I do my best to make travel plans on long weekends and holidays.

While working at investment banks such as Morgan Stanley may seem really impressive, the job itself involves steadily working away at tasks and can sometimes result in long periods of exhausting work. It's important to consider how you want to spend your working life, what you want to devote yourself to.