Not all people from elite university are excellent. Some Japanese need to be more aware of this!

 In Japan, when someone graduates from a top-tier university, many Japanese will always have a high expectancy of great working skills on them. That mindset does not apply to me as I always believe that impotent and irresponsible people exist even if they come from a prestigious university that provides one of the best educations in Japan. And, I was right! It made me struggle and I almost had a mental breakdown due to his aftermath. 

Here's the story.

Let's start with a guy named Sato. I have changed the name to disguise. He is a technical specialist who has 30 years of experience in the field, he has been the head of the department, and not forget to mention, he graduated from Tokyo University. Yes, the No.1 university in Japan for a very long time, almost forever. He used to work domestically, and he decided to join overseas project in his 50s. I admire that he is willing to challenge and learn English to work abroad. Well, just in case you don't know, a large number of Japanese couldn't speak fluent English despite the fact they have high-quality educators, where now many schools employ more English-speaking foreigners as English teachers.

Enough with the introduction. It all began about half a year ago. Mr. Sato came to join this overseas project which he was given tasks which is relevant to his profession. It is a paid assignment that the client approved and needs to be completed when it ends. Therefore he is obligated to provide some deliverables (analysis results in report) to the client at the end of his assignment. Yet, this is where the horrible episode lies. Although he only had half a year to complete his task, not only did he not fulfil his job and run away, he also did not update the client on the current progress when his assignment came to an end. Imagine a 30-year experience, 52-year-old man, running away irresponsibly. 

For his assignment, he conducted a few analyses. However the result was not the ideal one, thus he needs to provide an explanation to the client about the outcome BEFORE he leaves the project site. In the end, he did none of those deliverables where he should and went back to Japan. With a big smile, leaving the mess to people who are still at the project site. Coincidentally, the client asked for an explanation on the day he left, and I was still researching his result. I have no way but to explain what I know and the current situation. It ended up being me and another superior got scolded by the client. There's another point: I wasn't officially assigned by the client, but I was there to assist. It is absurd that a guy approved and getting paid by the client ran away without explanation while a newbie like me who was not assigned and not receiving any remuneration from the client gets scolded. He did make reports but without much clarification. 

Of course, it wasn't just that guy's problem. The project manager of the client side at that time, he was also somehow a psychopath as he was getting fired by his boss and he needed to defend himself.

This experience hit me hard and made me doubt myself. As a foreigner working in a country with different backgrounds and cultures, we tend to meet tons of morons. It does give me a better chance for growth and showed me the world is full of wonders and idiots. I have only stepped into the cooperate world for the 2nd year and I met this kind of case. These things are inevitable and it's a real drag. Anyway, the only thing I can do is get over it and get better with my skills. What doesn't kill me makes me stronger.

Just remember that not all Japanese from an elite university can work, as my experience has been verified.