Employee Interview
With a sensibility unique to women,
A breath of fresh air in the world of civil engineering
Joined in April 2020Department of Architecture and Urban Environment
Natsuhisa WatanabeNATSUKI WATANABE
Koriyama Branch / Spatial Information Division
You graduated from a technical university. What was the trigger that led you to do this?
I realized that I like looking at the structures and blueprints of buildings, cars, and highways.
When I was thinking about my future career, I was worried because I didn't know what I was interested in. But then one day I realized that I liked looking at buildings, cars, highway structures, and blueprints, and somehow I felt like "maybe I'm a science major" (laughs).
I imagine that engineering was an option for your future, but why did you choose a civil engineering job like Futaba?
I chose "Futaba" as a company that could do the surveying work.
At university, I was able to study design, civil engineering, and regional design in one year, but I realized that I was better suited to on-site surveying rather than drawing blueprints. Furthermore, in my research, I was very impressed by the 3D technology that allows you to obtain a huge amount of information by collecting information from each individual point, and I felt that surveying work would be a good option.
I had originally decided to return to Fukushima after graduating from university, so I chose Futaba as a company where I could do surveying work.
I had the opportunity to do internships at several surveying offices, and I remember that Futaba had a good atmosphere within the company and good communication between employees.
What kind of work are you doing now?
We investigate cultural assets such as shrines, old houses, ancient tombs, ruins, and relics.
I currently work in a job that involves handling surveying data, but I'm still not used to using the software, and there are so many things I don't understand that I have to learn every day.
Currently, I am investigating cultural assets such as shrines, old houses, ancient tombs, ruins, and relics that cannot be preserved as they are due to earthquakes or aging. I am preparing to propose new ways of utilizing these items by preserving them as drawings and VR images based on 3D data.
It is difficult to remember the words for cultural assets as they are all unfamiliar to me, but there are many terms I don't understand and I don't have any knowledge about them, so I am studying with the help of my seniors.
There is still a lot I don't understand about cultural assets and 3D data, but every day is fresh and fun because new information comes into my mind and it helps me grow.
What is the work environment like?
It's a very comfortable working environment where it's easy to ask questions
I'm not the type of person who proactively asks questions, so I tend to try to solve problems on my own, but the barriers between me and my superiors and seniors are low, and the atmosphere is very open to asking questions, making it a comfortable place to work. The building uses a lot of wood, and I think the atmosphere in the office is calming.
In the future, I would also like to be able to do multiple jobs, such as piloting drones and converting collected data into 3D data.
Message to job seekers
It is a company that encourages you to take on new challenges.
Futaba is a company that encourages newcomers and veterans alike to take on new challenges if there is something they want to do or learn. Civil engineering often has the image of being a male-dominated field, but I and other female employees also go to the construction site and do the same thing. It is an easy place for women to work and thrive. If you have the enthusiasm to improve your skills and contribute to society, come work with us!
