Am I nervous, anxious, and fearful? Absolutely.
Is there anywhere else I’d rather be? Not a chance!

Flashing back to last May (one month prior to my graduation), during a seemingly usual afternoon, a thought popped into my head. I decided to ask myself a question. What is the single company, world-wide, which I’d dream of working working with?

Here’s a rough outline of what I’m interested in… First of all, I’m highly attracted to start-ups that are innovative & trying something different (the more seemingly impossible – the better!). Secondly, I love experiences and challenges that provide steep learning curves and massive potential. Last but surely not least, I’m motivated by a strong sense of purpose and ethical values.

Time to sum that up for google… I typed in, “Start-ups that are changing the world.”

There are numerous companies which were able to fulfil the first two criteria I mentioned above, but I believe it’s extremely difficult to find one that can fulfil all three.

Well, that’s what I thought until something really caught my eye.

“Japan is socially and economically one of the most advanced countries in the world. We believe that a corporation in such a fortunate environment is obliged to take initiative in solving the most challenging of global issues, and to show the world a vision for the future of humanity. We are a group of people who have the will to accept the risks involved in committing to projects that may seem impossibly challenging, and the passion to shift paradigms to contribute to the true advancement of the human race. Applying new approaches to tackle new questions is a tremendously exciting process, and that is what drives and fascinates us.” Kazuhide Sekiyama.

The more I read about this company the more fascinated and attracted I became. “This is it”, I thought to myself, “this is exactly where I’d dream of working.” Within minutes I began filling out the application form, updating my C.V, and I shot out emails to family, friends, professors, and ex-employers/colleagues asking for recommendations. Next thing I knew, a few hours had gone by. Before I went to sleep that night, I took a look at a paper which was stuck onto the refrigerator,noticing some space in the middle. I grabbed a pen and added, in large font, “I want to work @ SPIBER”. I went to bed feeling amazing, with a huge grin, and started to dream… (http://www.spiber.jp/en/about/) I’m sure my friends who were around me at the time could attest to the energetic buzz I was feeling at the prospect of my new goal.

Now, as surreal as this feels, I am in Tsuruoka (Japan), visiting Spiber. Tsuruoka is a beautiful small city, an hour away from Tokyo, full of rice fields! Its lush green city is surrounded by mountains to the north, east, and south, with a coastal shore to the west. The atmosphere and vibe of this company continues to blow me away. The team is simply amazing. To try to paint a better picture, they are intelligent, diverse, pure, and a joy to be surrounded by – to say the least!

I’m ecstatic to share some great news. As of a few hours ago, I got the job. I’m extremely grateful for such a special and unique opportunity. (الحمدالله)

For every door that closes, another opens, and I’m going in!

“Konnichiwa.”