Yamazaki reveals that changing jobs to Itoki was his "last chance." At the time, he felt he had accomplished a certain amount in his previous job and had started thinking about his future career.

However, considering her age and career history, it wasn't necessarily guaranteed to work out. After much deliberation, she says that what ultimately won out was the desire to "not have any regrets."

"I felt that instead of just continuing to work aimlessly, I should do something I really wanted to do. And given my age, I thought now was the only time to take action to achieve that."

Among the companies she encountered, Itoki seemed very appealing. "Unlike my previous job, at Itoki, the customers I sell to are end-users. Also, as a working adult, I was interested in creating offices that are familiar to me." And so, Yamazaki's challenge in a new environment began.

"Being able to talk directly with end users is incredibly rewarding in sales. I realized how interesting it is to engage in dialogue with customers and find solutions together."

Since joining the company and being assigned to the Financial Sales Division, which handles major city banks and other institutions, I have experienced the appeal I had envisioned. However, Ms. Yamazaki's inquisitive spirit knows no bounds.

"I've always wanted to work in sales in a regional area. I wanted to create a project from scratch in an unfamiliar place." In her fifth year with the company, Yamazaki requested a transfer and was assigned to Shizuoka. She says she initially struggled with the unfamiliar environment.

"Since being assigned to Shizuoka, I've experienced many failures. Among them, being told I was 'cold' by a customer is particularly memorable. I thought I was maintaining an appropriate distance in business, but I realized that a more flattering atmosphere is desired in a new environment."

"However, through those repeated failures, I gained lessons and insights. Of course, it was tough, but I don't regret it. Everything was just so new and exciting."

The sales style that he had taken for granted up until then wasn't necessarily the right approach when the environment and the client changed. Through his failures, Yamazaki realized the importance of not clinging to his own methods but changing his approach to suit the person he was dealing with.

From changing jobs to being transferred to Shizuoka, Ms. Yamazaki's career has been a series of challenges. When the Shizuoka sales office relocated, she took the initiative to volunteer and even took charge of designing the new office.

"There was a lot to do, such as communicating with the management company and creating drawings, but it was never a burden."

Why is Ms. Yamazaki able to continue taking on challenges?
This is influenced not only by his own curiosity, but also by a certain way of thinking: "I think it's better for me to take some kind of action rather than continuing to maintain the status quo."

"I feel more fulfilled when I volunteer for a job myself than when someone else assigns it to me. Interesting things don't happen unless you take the initiative yourself, right?"

By not only completing assigned tasks but also proactively volunteering, one's approach to work changes. For Yamazaki, "making work interesting" might mean not waiting for interesting work to come along, but actively creating it oneself.

However, Yamazaki says that the support of colleagues is essential to taking such action. "I think that in sales, you can't do anything alone. I'm truly grateful to the designers and factory workers who turn customer feedback into reality, and to my seniors and superiors who give me advice."

What Yamazaki is looking forward to is working with new colleagues. "A new employee will be joining our Shizuoka branch. We'll grow as a branch together with this new colleague. I'm really excited about this new challenge."

Ms. Yamazaki has not settled for the status quo, but has accumulated a variety of experiences through job changes, transfers, and taking on new challenges. Taking initiative and enjoying new challenges—this attitude may be the key to making work interesting.