A Day in the Life of...

Elissa

My name is Elissa and I work in the Customer Quality Engineering Department. I have been employed at Toyota since 2008.

My role focuses on the investigation of high priority warranty issues and the development of design solutions. Each engineer in my department is responsible for a range of vehicles, rather than specific vehicle components. This provides varied work content, as well as great opportunity to learn more about the overall vehicle design.

The Toyota Principle of ‘Genchi Genbutsu’- going to the source and seeing for yourself- is used daily in my role. This practice can take various forms, be it going to the workshop to view components, flying to a mine in Western Australia, or going to a small country town in Outback Australia to talk to a Toyota customer. Toyota recognises the importance of examining the usage environment as well as the vehicle- the Australian environment is quite unique. As an employee, the commitment that Toyota demonstrates to its customers is impressive- and it’s a privilege to be a part of it.

Working at Toyota presents many opportunities. Each employee is exposed to a new way of thinking- The Toyota Way. This will challenge you, improve your engineering and communication skills and give you the foundation for a successful Engineering career. Toyota treats its staff with respect, and this encourages individuals to strive for the best results for the team.

A University degree is the start- Toyota applicants should be prepared to continue learning. Toyota will provide extensive day-to-day development opportunities as well formal training courses.

Aaron

My name is Aaron. I graduated from the University of Melbourne and have been working at TTC-AU for around five and a half years.

I have been on an Intra-Company Transfer (ICT) in Japan, working and living in Toyota City which is located in the Mikawa region of Aichi.

The Japanese training that TTC-AU provided made the transition to my Japan-based team a lot easier. Being able to speak Japanese well enough to communicate on a day-to-day level took the stress out of moving to a non-English speaking country.

The main difference that I noticed between Japan and Australia is that everything here is a little bit smaller. Sometimes it’s hard to find shoes or clothes that fit, especially if you’re outside the standard Japanese size. I had to be conscious to watch my head when going through doors, especially in houses!

Although I was working hard in Japan, I was able to do quite a bit of travel. We got a week off during the New Year, a week off in May and 12 days annual leave, plus there were a few public holidays as well.

The ICT was a great experience. Of course there were difficulties, the language barrier being one, and the subtle cultural difference meant that your working day was certainly not as fluid as it was back home, but overcoming these challenges was rewarding. I’ve learnt a lot and highly recommend this experience.

Alistair

My name’s Alistair. I graduated from the University of Melbourne and have been working at Toyota since December 2006.

I have completed an Intra Company Transfer (ICT) in Japan. I worked in Toyota City and lived in Nisshin City. Nisshin City is located twenty minutes north-west of Toyota City by train.

Before I left Australia I spoke with other Toyota employees who had done their ICT in Japan, and through our conversations I tried to gauge what areas I thought would best suit my lifestyle. Following this, TTC-AU put me in touch with a real estate agent in Japan who provided me with a list of properties. Toyota were really supportive during the process of relocation, it’s definitely not something people should be concerned about.

I have really enjoyed working at Toyota’s Technical Centres in Japan and Australia. Each day is very different so it’s hard to describe a typical day. One theme that remains constant is working as a team. Whether I’m working in design review or with suppliers there’s always a large element of teamwork and this is indicative of life at Toyota, regardless of what division you work in.

The opportunity to learn at Toyota is incredible. You’re constantly surrounded by great designers so there’s always the ability to learn from those around you. Toyota is one of the most respected automotive producers in the world and being part of such a company, for me, is inspirational. ICT is a fantastic opportunity – I can’t speak highly enough of it.