Must-read: Why candidates who cannot answer “Why a trading company?” fail

Hello, this is TJ from Alpha Advisors.

Every year, many students say, “I want an offer from Mitsubishi Corporation, Mitsui & Co., or Sumitomo Corporation.”
Yet in actual interviews, only a handful can clearly answer the simplest question: “Why a trading company?”

Many cannot articulate their goals in their own words or explain why a trading company is the best stage to achieve them.
With that gap, even strong profiles will not pass at the ES or interview stage.

Successful candidates share one trait: they work backward from their long-term career goal and refine a clear logic for “why it has to be a trading company.”
They also hold a consistent, company-specific answer to “Why Mitsubishi Corporation?” “Why Sumitomo Corporation?” and so on.

This article explains the core approach to breaking through a trading-company interview, where “simple questions are the hardest.”

Simple questions are the hardest

In interviews at trading companies, you will not be asked esoteric questions.
“Why a trading company?” “Why not a manufacturer?” “Why not a bank?”
“Why Sumitomo Corporation? Why not Mitsui & Co. or Mitsubishi Corporation?”

These are truly basic questions, but very few can answer them convincingly. The reason is that many candidates lack consistency across their long-term goal, motivation, and self-PR.

What interviewers evaluate is the “spine of your logic”

Interviewers look for a coherent story of long-term goal → why a trading company → why that specific firm.

The same applies to your self-PR.
If your past experiences and your future objectives do not connect logically, you will not be persuasive.

For example,
if your long-term goal is “to address a specific problem through cross-border infrastructure investment,” you must explain concretely why a trading company is the optimal platform and why Mitsubishi Corporation, Mitsui & Co., or Sumitomo Corporation is the right place to pursue it.

If this axis is not straight, passion alone will not land.
Naturally, interviewers will probe “why you want to solve that problem,” so rigorously examine every Why: why you want it, why a trading company, and why that particular firm.

“Personality” or “study abroad” alone will not carry you

A common misunderstanding is that “I worked hard in sports,” “I studied abroad,” or “I have strong drive” will be decisive. For trading-company offers, those are expected. You need to go deeper.

What matters is how your long-term goal connects to the trading-company business model.
And whether you can clearly articulate why that company among many.

It is also common not to have a clear goal yet.
Candidates who excelled in test-prep often struggle with goal design. Alpha’s students win offers because we start with exhaustive self-analysis and rigorous goal-setting dialogs that 99% of candidates never do.

Clarifying “Why a Trading Company”

The challenge of defining a strong motivation for joining a general trading company lies in its very nature. These firms operate across almost every industry and mainly handle B2B businesses, which makes it difficult to express a clear focus.
To craft a convincing reason for pursuing this career path, you must first set a long-term goal and conduct thorough, first-hand industry and company research.

Many candidates believe they understand the business after reading about it online, but that level of research is never enough. You need to engage directly through alumni conversations, networking, and even field visits to gain insights based on reality.

The key step is then to connect what you learn to your personal goal.
Generic statements such as “trading companies cover diverse businesses” or “I want to work on international projects” will not set you apart. What matters is how those opportunities align with what you personally aim to achieve and why that specific environment allows you to do so.

Landing an Offer: Self-Understanding × Strategy × Relentless Preparation

The most important factor in securing an offer at a global trading company is the ability to answer basic questions with clear logic built on deep self-awareness.
The simpler the question, the harder it is to answer.
Instead of creating superficial motivation statements, take time to reflect on your life, define your long-term vision, and clarify what kind of business you want to lead within a trading company.

Once you establish that foundation, you can respond to any interview question with clarity and confidence.
However, achieving that level of precision is difficult on your own, which is why professional guidance can make a major difference.

Conclusion: Genuine Preparation Wins

Interviews at general trading companies may appear simple, but they test the depth of your thinking.
Only those who can show a consistent and logical connection between their motivation and personal story, and articulate why a trading company is the right platform, will succeed.

To reach that level, you must:
・Conduct in-depth self-analysis
・Define your long-term goal
・Clarify why you must achieve it
・Explain why a trading company is the best environment for it
・Understand why other industries such as manufacturing, banking, consulting, or government do not fit
・And finally, express why you are drawn specifically to Mitsubishi Corporation, Mitsui & Co., Sumitomo Corporation, Itochu, or Marubeni

Achieving such logical and emotional coherence is what enables Alpha Advisors to help hundreds of candidates win offers at top global firms.

With 18 years of proven results, TJ, former Sumitomo Corporation professional, Chicago MBA graduate, and ex Goldman Sachs IBD banker, personally coaches each student.
Do not waste time trying to solve everything alone. The first hiring rounds for major trading companies such as Mitsui & Co. begin in late October, so now is the time to act.

If you want to win an offer, start with Alpha today!

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TJ Profile

TJ: Formerly with Sumitomo Corporation, where he worked in the Corporate Accounting Department overseeing budgeting, financial reporting, and performance management for over 800 domestic and overseas group companies, as well as IR (Investor Relations) activities. Selected as the youngest trainee for Sumitomo Corporation of America (New York), where he contributed to the restructuring of a U.S. electric arc furnace steel business invested in by Sumitomo. Later joined the Project Finance Department, where he was engaged in arranging large-scale financings for infrastructure projects in developing countries and financing for Jupiter Telecommunications. Selected as a company-sponsored candidate for overseas MBA programs.

Earned his MBA at the University of Chicago Booth School of Business, with concentrations in Finance, Entrepreneurship, and Organizational Management. Founder of the University of Chicago Japanese Association. Initiated and executed the school’s first-ever “Japan Trip”, which has since become an annual tradition.

Subsequently joined Goldman Sachs Japan’s Investment Banking Division, where he advised on numerous M&A transactions in the media and consumer sectors, supported capital raising including IPOs, and worked on private equity investments and corporate restructuring assignments.

Selected as one of only six fellows (out of over 200 applicants) for the 4th Entrepreneurial Leadership Program of the Japan Association of Corporate Executives (Keizai Doyukai), where he received mentorship from leading entrepreneurs including Hideo Sawada, Chairman of H.I.S.

Served as President of the Chicago Booth Alumni Association in Japan (2006–2010). Has guided numerous candidates to admission at top MBA programs (Harvard, Stanford, and other leading schools in the U.S., Europe, and Asia), graduate schools, universities, and boarding schools. Track record of placing students at leading global firms including Mitsubishi Corporation, McKinsey & Company, Goldman Sachs, BlackRock, Google, Big 4 consulting/FAS, Dentsu, Toyota, MUFG Bank, Nomura Securities, among others.

Renowned for his rigorous one-on-one coaching for TOEFL, GMAT, IELTS, and GRE, with a reputation for pushing candidates to fully complete their preparation. Highly regarded for his ability to design and achieve career and academic goals with unmatched quality and precision. As a result, he is in high demand as an advisor, with numerous requests to work directly under his guidance.