What Is the WILL Recruitment Process for Assured Initial Placement? New Graduate Recruiting Officers Answer Your Questions (Includes Answers from Actual Application Forms!)

A. Under the WILL recruitment process, students are assured of their initial assignment on joining the company when an informal offer of employment is made.

A. Advancing to the third round of the WILL recruitment process leads to an interview with the GM of the relevant SBU.

A. In an effort to keep pace with the changing attitudes of students toward their careers.

Tsurubayashi I joined Sumitomo Corporation around 10 years ago. Today, my impression is that job seekers have a more concrete image of their career path than they did back then. We introduced the WILL recruitment process to recognize that some job seekers already have a solid idea of the work they're interested in at Sumitomo Corporation.

Shimizu Integrated trading and business investment companies cover such a diverse range of businesses, they are often thought of as companies with so-called "high assignment risk," meaning that students don't know where they'll be assigned until after joining. Through the WILL recruitment process, we have broadened the range of options available to job seekers who had not previously considered a career with an integrated trading and business investment company, thus encouraging them to apply. Sumitomo Corporation is the only integrated trading and business investment company to offer such a comprehensive range of 28 SBUs from which assignments can be selected.

A. Anyone with a clear business area of interest, regardless of their knowledge or skills.

Tsurubayashi You may think you need specialized knowledge and skills for WILL recruitment, but there aren't any absolute requirements that will make you an immediate asset to the company.

Shimizu I agree. If I were really pressed on what's most important, I'd say an interest in a particular line of business. If there is an SBU that you really want to join, I would recommend applying for WILL recruitment. With OPEN recruitment, your assignment will be decided after you join the company, so we recommend this process for students without any strong attachment to their initial assignment, or for those who want to experience a wide range of challenges at Sumitomo Corporation across different departments. In passing, the ratio of students for the OPEN and WILL recruitment was essentially even for April 2025 hires.

A. Not necessarily.

Shimizu An student’s academic background doesn't have any impact on the recruitment process. Despite perceptions that students with science backgrounds have an advantage, in fact, there are many students with liberal arts backgrounds who have received WILL recruitment offers for April 2025 employment. Our impression is that many students who receive job offers have a strong interest in a particular field, regardless of whether they come from the sciences or the humanities.

A. Yes, of course.

Tsurubayashi Each SBU issues a list of job requirements, but these are desirable criteria rather than essential. The WILL recruitment process respects students' desires, so we welcome those with a distinct career path in mind, even if they majored in a different field from their desired SBU in college. Please look at the application forms (edited excerpts) of those who have been offered employment in 2025.

A. Of course. You will find a place where you can be active as your own interests and career goals dictate.

Shimizu The only thing that is assured in the WILL recruitment process is initial assignment on joining the company. After that, as in the OPEN recruitment process, employees can pursue their chosen careers in accordance with their personal preferences. Sumitomo Corporation values autonomous career development and respects the career vision of all our employees.

Tsurubayashi There aren’t any differences between the WILL and OPEN recruitment processes in terms of follow-up during the offer period and training after joining the company. To this end, it doesn’t make any difference which process you choose when joining the company. In fact, students who receive job offers often keep in touch with each other and become good friends even before joining the company, regardless of the recruitment process.

Shimizu Initial student remarks included, “I think Sumitomo Corporation respects the lifestyle choices of individual students” and “Without the WILL recruitment process, I might not have applied to Sumitomo Corporation.” I feel that the introduction of the WILL recruitment process has made Sumitomo Corporation a more attractive option for new-graduate jobseekers. We have also received positive feedback from the frontlines. Many people have commended the process for the opportunity it provides to meet and speak with future coworkers. We believe the WILL recruitment process has been a positive experience for both students and Sumitomo Corporation.

Tsurubayashi I see this as an opportunity for students who haven’t previously considered integrated trading and business investment companies as a possible career choice to learn more about Sumitomo Corporation's business and develop an interest in the company. Some might be hesitant to apply for a job here because they have the image of integrated trading companies as being full of "athletic types" or "bilingual people who grew up overseas." In reality, we are engaged in a wide variety of businesses and have so many diverse people working for us. I would be happy if the WILL recruitment process encourages more people to enter Sumitomo Corporation's recruitment process.

Shimizu Sumitomo Corporation provides contents for job seekers on its official Instagram page, and also provides various information via Linkedin. Please visit our pages to get further information about Sumitomo Corporation!