Nicola is Policy Advisor at the Ministry of Business, Innovation and Employment.
Education
Secondary:
Five years at high school, followed by a year as an exchange student in a high school in Japan
Tertiary:
Completed Bachelor of Arts, majoring in Japanese, at Massey University
Motivation to begin Japanese
Nicola’s interest in Japanese began at primary school with the arrival of an exchange teacher from Japan.
Current employment
Nicola uses her language skills and knowledge of Japan to form stronger relationships with Japanese government representatives in her work as a Policy Advisor at the Ministry of Business, Innovation and Employment
Skills gained
Nicola states that the skills she has benefitted from by learning Japanese go beyond the ability to simply understand and use the language. She firmly believes that learning other languages provide you with a wider perspective of your own language and the world, and helps people to better understand each other. Nicola says:
I have gained an understanding of different cultures and the complexities of cross-cultural communication, a better understanding of the English language, and more knowledge on modern history – both New Zealand and Japan’s roles in this.
Time spent in Japan
Nicola’s ten months as an exchange student provided her with a very strong foundation in Japanese language and culture, particularly as she was living in a rural area and had only one or two English speakers around her. Living away from home at a young age also helped Nicola to develop her skills at managing her own finances.
Later, while on a three-month working holiday opportunity provided by her university, Nicola was able to see Japan from the perspective of an employee. This experience enabled her to gain a clearer understanding of the Japanese working environment and the cultural differences between New Zealand and Japanese working life, the expectations that are placed on employees and whether or not she would be comfortable working in Japan long-term.