Mongolian engineer delves into his career in Japan

...Rather than professional skills, Japanese people prioritize people’s upraising, communication skills, social skills, ability to work in teams, and their potential to grow in the future when hiring new employees. Japanese students look for jobs and most get employed before graduating...

Like many passionate Mongolians, N.Bayanmunkh is a young engineer gaining valuable knowledge and experience abroad in hopes to develop the construction sector in his home country someday. He has been working at Honda Motor Company in Niigata Prefecture, Japan for four years.

In the interview below, he talks about his lifestyle and his recent achievement of obtaining the highest qualification in engineering in Japan.

You became the first Mongolian to receive the highest qualification for a construction engineer in Japan. How did you get this qualification?

First of all, applicants must have at least three years of work experience in the construction sector. The examination has two stages. The first stage is a test on general knowledge about the construction industry, such as related legislation, quality and other things. The next stage is a written examination.

The second examination covers a wide range of topics, asks about essential standard quantities, and contains many technical terms. It prioritizes one’s knowledge about associated laws, regulations, and standards. Passing the second stage secures the highest qualification in engineering.

You were one of the 5,500 people who earned this qualification out of over 30,000 applicants this year. How did you manage to prepare for it while working?

I prepared for almost four months. You’re chances of passing the examination becomes very slim unless you revise nonstop. I get off of work at 8:00 p.m. but I used to stay up all night revising. I’m glad that my efforts paid off. I pulled an all-nighter the night before the examination. Getting that qualification was my dream ever since I enrolled into university. At first, it seemed like an impossible dream but now I realize that a person can achieve any dream or goal if they diligently work for it. I feel very rewarded.

I got results of the first examination in July and had earned 100 out of 100 points. I was really nervous and anxious to see the results because right after the exam, I regretted writing some of the answers and wasn’t completely confident that I would pass.

Apparently, you got notification about passing the examination right before your mother got on a plane to Mongolia. Was your mother proud of you?

I think so. The results got out while I was on the subway heading to the airport with my mother. Although I tried my best to stay composed since there were a lot of people in the train, I couldn’t help but cry. When I told my mother, she congratulated me and told me that she was proud of me and cried as she kissed my forehead. It was kind of funny because we were crying and other people in the train were staring at us as if we had gone crazy.

I had used a photograph of myself wearing a sweater my mother made for me on my application form. When I showed it to her, she became so much happier.

How does the qualification affect your career? Will it open new opportunities for you?

Regardless of the kind of building, I will be able to work as a senior engineer for any large construction project. I have been working under a senior engineer until now. An engineer has five main roles, which are ensuring the safety of construction workers and overseeing project plan, work process, employees’ performance, building quality, and cost. It’s also important to calculate the required construction materials and workforce, as well as accurately assigning tasks.

Have you received offers from other companies?

Obviously, I get many more advantages now that I have a new qualification. But I doubt that I’ll get offers from other companies. I’d have to apply myself and pass an entrance examination to be able to work at another company.

Is there any organization you’d like to work for?

Yes. There are five top construction companies in Japan. I’d like to work for one of them. They really grab my interests because they carry out large projects. I want to build a stadium for the Olympic Games, an airport, and skyscrapers with more than 50 floors. This is probably every construction engineer’s aspiration

Are you the only Mongolian working at Honda? What do Japanese companies look at when hiring new employees?

I’m the only foreign employee here. My colleagues are always supportive and helpful to me. Our company specializes in the development of buildings and bridges. It’s one of the two biggest companies in Niigata Prefecture. I work with amazing people all who sincerely want to help and teach me new things.

Rather than professional skills, Japanese people prioritize people’s upraising, communication skills, social skills, ability to work in teams, and their potential to grow in the future when hiring new employees. Japanese students look for jobs and most get employed before graduating. They don’t lose time because they start working immediately after graduation.

There are usually many complaints about the quality and structure of buildings in Mongolia. Is this related to construction workers’ attitude to work or technicalities?

I can’t really say because I haven’t built a building in Mongolia. It might be connected to using materials that don’t meet standards. I heard people criticizing construction companies for using cheap and bad-quality material to increase profit.

On the other hand, it’s connected to the technology. Since Japan is a producer country, it produces materials suitable for buildings and their climate. Their strict principle to meet standards influences the quality of their buildings.

What is the most cost-efficient and energy-saving solution for building an apartment?

This is a big problem for Mongolians who live in a country with extreme climate. Houses lose considerable heat through their windows, doors and walls. Sealing the building is the most important task in addition to insulating the roof, walls and floor with good-quality material.

The biggest issue for Ulaanbaatar residents is smog. Decentralizing ger areas and housing their residents might be an effective solution compared to changing stoves.

How does Japan prevent heat loss of homes?

Japanese people use gas boilers to heat up water and electric heaters to keep apartments warm. I’m not sure if this costly solution is suitable for Mongolia.

What would you recommend for Ulaanbaatar’s redevelopment plan?

The peacefulness and security of the public is important for any country. I’ve noticed that many tall buildings that will never see sunlight have been built in Mongolia in recent years. Frankly speaking, I don’t know much about urban planning but I think it’s necessary to build a new city and build large institutions such as universities far away from the city center. This way, the city can expand outward instead of being concentrated in the center. It’d be best to study practices of other countries. Some buildings might need to be demolished for redeveloping Ulaanbaatar.

Japanese people are better at being on time compared to Mongolians. But is there anything Mongolians are better than Japanese people?

I consider myself more decisive and braver than Japanese people. They rarely speak up first probably because they evade taking additional responsibility. I usually lose a lot of time making a decision when I’m working with a Japanese person. In general, Japanese people seem to lack mental strength. It might be why so many of them commit suicide.

I entered Honda with 15 guys but one of them killed himself after six months because he couldn’t handle the pressure. Even though Mongolians live in much more difficult and frustrating conditions, they are able to cope with it. We will not lose to them in terms of family relationship because it’s common for Japanese people to send their old parents to nursing homes and never visit them.

Japanese people are known to be hardworking. What other characteristic do you think we should learn from them?

Japanese people have very high communication skills and are very responsible. Their respect for others is admirable. After 7:00 p.m., they avoid making loud noises and stomping on the floor so as not to disturb their neighbors.

I received many complaints from my neighbors for using the vacuum cleaner late at night. They can unite and help each other in times of need.

The most admirable trait about them is that they value people and their efforts. Japanese schools don’t have janitors. Students clean their classrooms, corridors and bathrooms until they are spotless. Since they clean their classrooms from a young age, they learn to value people’s work and develop affection for their work.

...Rather than professional skills, Japanese people prioritize people’s upraising, communication skills, social skills, ability to work in teams, and their potential to grow in the future when hiring new employees. Japanese students look for jobs and most get employed before graduating...

When did you move to Japan? Do you live with your family?

I graduated Shine Mongol High School in 2008. With support from my school, I was able to enroll in Niigata University and earn a degree in architecture. I live with my wife and five-month-old son in Japan. It’s costly to live here but the pay is good and there’s no bureaucracy. It’s uncommon for problems to arise here. The saying that one can provide for themselves anywhere if he or she can communicate/ know the language is really true. Confusions hardly arise because everything is organized and well explained.

I hope my child will be able to speak Mongolian fluently and think like a Mongolian. I’ll try to take him to Mongolia at least once a year so that he grows close to Mongolian culture and learns about the life there.

What do you want to do now that you’ve obtained the highest qualification for an engineer?

I’m aspiring to get the highest qualification for a bridge and road engineer. The contents of the examination is different to the one for a construction engineer but the process is the same. It has two stages. I think it might be easier because it has fewer standards and quantitative properties.

Will you return to Mongolia once you’ve achieved your goal?

Of course, that’s my biggest wish. It would be nice to dedicate my newly acquired knowledge and experience to developing my home country. There are countless Mongolians living in Japan who wish to do various things in Mongolia in a few years’ time. I’m sure there are many more Mongolians with the exact same thought in other countries.