社内SEの志望動機はこれ!仕事内容から具体的な例文まで解説This is the motivation for applying for internal SE! From job description to specific examples

If you want to become an in-house SE, you must prepare an appropriate motivation. Hiring managers make decisions, such as whether to interview you, based on your motivation. Since it is an area that affects the impression you make, you need to put a lot of effort into the process of considering it.

However, in order to consider the motivation for your application, you must have a proper understanding of the job of internal SE and the characteristics and skills required. In this article, we will explain everything from basic knowledge of in-house SE to specific examples in order to create an attractive motivation for applying.

In-house SEs are engineers who are in charge of IT in their company's system or general affairs department. While general system engineers deal with projects received from clients, in-house SEs deal only with in-house IT. Specific job descriptions are explained below.

Main Tasks of In-House SEs

The work to be done by in-house SEs can be divided into three main categories.

Installation, operation, and maintenance of in-house systems

In-house SEs are responsible for operation and maintenance of the systems installed in the company. For example, when a new employee joins the company, he or she creates an account and grants privileges so that he or she can use the system. In addition, when the system needs to be upgraded, the in-house SE takes the lead in handling the upgrade.
Basically, the main focus is on operation and maintenance, but there are cases where in-house SEs play a central role when a new system is to be introduced. In particular, in-house SEs are likely to play a central role in systems that are used company-wide. They tend to participate in the introduction of in-house systems related to the general affairs division, such as attendance management systems and expense reimbursement systems.
In addition, they have the role of taking in what kind of opinions are expressed within the company in all situations, including the introduction, operation, and maintenance of in-house systems. Sometimes they are contacted by other employees, and sometimes they need to make decisions in light of how the system is being used. If necessary, they must propose the introduction of a system to management, which includes the preparation of proposals.

Management of Internal Infrastructure

Internal infrastructure refers to IT equipment used within the company, such as PCs, servers, smartphones, and tablets. Also, parts that employees do not directly see, such as network equipment, are also a type of in-house infrastructure. Other types of in-house infrastructure may include the infrastructure used to run the in-house systems mentioned above.
Basically, you must monitor and assist these infrastructures to ensure that they are working properly. For example, if a computer needs to be upgraded, you need to guide the company on the procedure. Also, if an employee asks about a computer that is not working properly, you must find the cause of the problem and explain how to fix it.
Another role is to be in charge of inventory of computers and smart phones. These are expensive assets and should be properly managed in an asset management ledger. This role is responsible for creating the ledger and verifying that the actual items are in the possession of the employee. If the inventory results indicate that the company will not be able to handle an increase in the number of employees, then the role should also be responsible for ordering computers and other equipment.

Help Desk

Helpdesk staff provide support for systems, computers, smartphones, and other devices used within the company. Employees may have some issues with these, and the in-house SE provides general support. In other words, the role is like an "in-house IT anything and everything shop.
For example, if an employee does not know how to install an application used for business, the in-house SE will explain the procedure. Even if they do not use the software themselves for their own work, they must provide support if they receive an inquiry. Also, if they contact us to say that their computer is running slowly, we will check the computer and give them instructions on how to delete unnecessary files, etc.
Please note that not all inquiries can be solved by in-house SEs by themselves. Some inquiries are difficult to resolve, so they contact the distributor or other parties on behalf of the employee. As a help desk, they also serve as a point of contact with external parties.

Difference from SE (system engineer)

The difference between an in-house SE and a general SE (system engineer) is whom they work for. In-house SEs provide general IT services to internal users, while SEs basically provide system development and operation to external users. You may judge whether the person to whom you provide work changes frequently or not.
In addition, in-house SEs are responsible for general IT operations within the company, whereas SEs have their own specialties. For example, databases, networks, operations, and IT consulting. Think of the difference as whether broad knowledge or highly specialized knowledge is required.
 

Some people may not have a clear picture of what characteristics and skills are required of an in-house SE. There is a wide range of useful ones, but here are some that are worth mentioning.

Skills as a systems engineer

Experience as a systems engineer is helpful, as you will be responsible for a wide range of systems and infrastructure. Specifically, the following experience will be useful in an in-house SE

• System design and development
• System operation and maintenance
• Network design and construction and management
• Database implementation and utilization
• Building systems in the public cloud

Because systems engineering is a broad role, the experience will vary from person to person. However, it is safe to assume that many of those experiences will be useful once you become an in-house SE. You will often play the role of a "jack-of-all-trades," and having a wide range of skills and experience will make you more flexible and adaptable.

Programming Skills

If you have programming experience as a programmer in the past, this may also be useful as an in-house SE. For example, a basic background in programming will make it easier to communicate with system development vendors. You will also be able to handle simple configuration changes on your own.
There is a wide variety of programming languages used in the company, so it is difficult to say which experience will be useful. However, the following programming languages are used in many situations.

• Java
• C++
• C#
• VBA
• PHP

If you have some knowledge of these programming languages, you will have a wider range of opportunities to work as an in-house SE.

In-house system development experience

As an engineer, if you have experience in developing in-house systems, you can make the most of your experience as an in-house SE. Basically, we only manage systems that are used internally, so it is desirable to have experience related to this. For example, as an in-house SE, experience in the development of the following systems would be helpful
 

• Attendance management system
• Performance management system
• Education tools
• Expense reimbursement tools
• Asset management tools
• VBA, etc. used by each department
   

Experience with these will help you as an in-house SE to operate the system. It will also make it easier to talk with vendors when you start to implement new systems.

Good communication skills and good personality

Good communication skills and good people skills are required. Since you will be the point of contact for internal IT, if you cannot communicate properly, you will not be able to solve problems and other issues smoothly. It is also important to consider that you will be required to be personable so that you can be asked to communicate with others.
It is also important to consider that among your communication skills, listening skills will be important. When receiving inquiries within the company, you must be able to elicit the necessary information in a polite manner. In some cases, the person making the inquiry is not familiar with IT, so the skill to obtain information without using technical terms as much as possible is required.
Communication skills can be improved by actually working as an in-house SE. However, you should be aware that without certain skills, you will not be able to communicate appropriately, so the knowledge and experience explained above will be necessary.

Help Desk Experience

If you have experience working on a help desk as an engineer, that experience will also come in handy as an in-house SE. Since this role is to answer various questions that arise within the company, the skill of "understanding the other side's problem and giving an answer" is very important.
First, you can use your experience as a help desk in terms of "eliciting the other side's problems," which I mentioned above. Having conversed with numerous people, you will have an idea of how to respond to them. You will be accustomed to changing the level of conversation and explanation.
You can also use your experience and skills in "finding answers to inquiries quickly" as an in-house SE. In many cases, the way to deal with a problem has already been decided in advance, so you just need to be able to find and explain it quickly. This is a surprisingly difficult task without experience, so if you have such experience at a help desk, you can make use of it as an in-house SE.
 

When applying for an internal SE position, you must write a motivation for applying. You must write your motivation based on your suitability for the position. Specifically, you should be aware of the following perspectives

Show why you are the company

There are many companies looking for internal SEs, so you should show why you are applying to this company among them. Clarify why you want to work as an in-house SE for that company and not for another company. For example, you may have the following reasons for applying

• I want to support the company's IT because I have a passion for the products they handle.
• The company is known to have implemented systems that you have experience with, and you want to make use of that experience.
• You are attracted to the company's way of thinking and working, and would like to join and contribute to the company.

Here, it is good to have a perspective not only as an in-house SE, but also as a general job-hunting or job-transfer activity. If you think of your reasons on the premise that you are an in-house SE, your reasons will inevitably be one-sided. As shown in the example, it is important to think from a broad perspective, including your interest in the company's products or corporate philosophy as a candidate reason.

Clarify why you want to become an in-house SE

Make it clear why you want to become an in-house SE among engineers. In an interview, you may be asked why you want to become an in-house SE. It is important to consider your reasons based on the differences from system engineers explained at the beginning of this section. For example, the following reasons would be good reasons to apply for the position.

• Because I have experienced many systems and think I can work flexibly as an in-house SE
• Because I am a good communicator and would like to choose a job that emphasizes conversation.
• Because I want to choose a job that focuses on maintenance and upkeep, rather than construction and development.
• Because I want to belong to a specific company and contribute to its internal work style.

These are just examples, but you should clarify your reasons from the perspective of your skills as an engineer and your soft skills such as communication. It is not possible to say which reason is the correct one, so it is fine if you can provide a reason with your own rationale.

However, one point to keep in mind at this time is that you should avoid giving a negative impression. For example, "Because regular engineers work a lot of overtime and it is physically demanding," may be taken as a condescending comment that the work of an in-house SE is easy. It could also be judged that you are choosing an easier job because of the increased physical burden. Since the impression changes depending on how you express yourself, you must think carefully about the reasons for including negative elements in your message.

Based on whether your past experience can be utilized as an in-house SE

Consider whether your past experience can be utilized as an in-house SE. Since experience as an engineer is mainly considered important, please evaluate whether you have any of the experiences described in "Characteristics and Skills Needed for In-House SE". If applicable, it is a good idea to write your motivation based on the assumption that you can apply them as an in-house SE.

Note that many people will have multiple in-house skills and experiences that are applicable. In this case, it is important to prioritize them and include them in your motivation. Think about this depending on what characteristics the company you are applying to has. For example, if the company is operating large-scale systems, then consider a motivation that is in line with that, and if new technologies are being introduced, such as the promotion of DX, then consider a motivation that is based on that.

However, it is not generally disclosed what kind of IT environment is available at a company. Therefore, when considering your motive for applying for a job, you will inevitably have to make some predictions. Some companies disclose their internal initiatives on their websites, but if you cannot find such information, try to refer to skills utilized by companies in the same industry or of the same size.

The motivation for applying for an internal SE position is important to the company's staff. The following is an explanation of the four points they are checking.

Communication Skills

Communication skills are especially important. Although communication skills are also evaluated in the interview process, whether you are proactive in communication is also evaluated from the reason for applying. If your communication skills are poor or passive, you may be dropped at the document screening stage.

Companies seeking in-house SEs want to "secure new talent and ensure the smooth operation of IT within the company. To achieve this, it is essential to have not only engineering skills but also skills to communicate smoothly with other employees. In-house SEs who cannot communicate are rather likely to be a hindrance to business operations, and therefore, are less likely to be hired. In other words, a motivation that highlights your communication skills will likely get the attention of hiring managers.

Management Skills

It is important to be able to capture management skills from your motivation. Some small and medium-sized companies, in particular, hire in-house SEs and want them to "play a central role in internal IT management. Therefore, it is important not only to have skills as an engineer, but also to be able to manage others.

In particular, since it takes time to train people who can manage, they are looking for people who have as many skills as possible. Conversely, even if there is nothing wrong with your motivation from an engineering standpoint, if there is no appealing point in your management skills, you may not be considered positively.

In-house SEs have many opportunities to respond to inquiries from within the company, but there may be times when vendor control is required, such as when a new system is being introduced. In such situations, management skills are also important, as it is crucial to be able to manage projects and risks.

Physical fitness and health

Consider that physical fitness and health are also points that are checked. Many companies have a small number of in-house SEs, and their workload tends to increase when there is a concentration of inquiries. Since they are looking for people who can cope with such situations when they occur, physical strength and health are also important points to be considered.

For example, it is a good idea to include in your motivation for applying for a position the experience you have gained by participating in and overcoming large-scale projects. Generally speaking, large-scale projects are often troublesome and burdensome, so by including this in your motivation, you can show that you are a person with strong physical and mental strength.

It is also a good idea to include the health aspect in your motivation during the interview. For example, you can tell them that you "devote an hour to walking every day and lead a regular lifestyle. This kind of activity is not limited to internal SE job applicants, but it has great value as a way to show off your health aspect. Other aspects of motivation that hiring managers also evaluate in terms of whether you can relieve stress on your own are

Ambition

In some cases, in-house SEs only have access to limited skills, but it is important to be able to maintain ambition under such circumstances. This is a rapidly changing industry, and if you are not ambitious, even as an in-house SE, you may be left behind in the world. They are expected to collect and learn as much new information as possible and apply it to the company's IT as needed.

Of course, in-house SEs focus on the IT used within the company, so they do not need to be as ambitious as the average SE. However, without ambition to gain new skills, there is a risk that the company's internal systems and other systems will become obsolete. Therefore, extreme ambition is not required, but we do evaluate whether you have some ambition and show it.

Motivation for applying for an internal SE position varies depending on whether or not you have previous experience. In the following, we will show you what kind of motivation you should present in each case, using specific sentences.

If you have experience as an in-house SE

If you have experience as an in-house SE, you can categorize your motivation as either emphasizing your technical skills or your communication and management skills.

If you focus on technical skills

I am currently working as an in-house SE for a logistics company, focusing on the infrastructure of various systems. I am responsible not only for ensuring the stable operation of existing systems, but also for providing interface design support when new systems are introduced. In addition, in recent years, as the operation of systems utilizing the cloud has been increasing, I have come to handle services such as AWS. My experience in handling many infrastructures, including large-scale systems, and my mastery of cloud computing and other trendy technologies will enable me to ensure the stable operation of internal systems. I also believe that this will contribute to the expansion of your company's business.

Points of Preparation

• Convey your past experience clearly.
• Focus on areas in which you are confident among the technologies you possess.
• Show how you can contribute in terms of technology.

If you focus on communication and management

I have been an in-house SE for seven years and am responsible for the operation and maintenance of our company's systems. Most recently, I was engaged in a project to improve security in each of the company's systems in light of the recent information leakage troubles. Since there are many systems in operation within the company, I was the leader of the project, which included not only the information system department but also the business staff. This time, I learned through a press release that your company was going to enhance the security of all internal systems, and I decided to apply because I thought I could make use of my experience as a leader and manager of a security project. As a leader, I would like to actively communicate and organize about 10 members while making efforts to improve the company's internal security.

Points of Preparation

• Include any projects you have managed.
• Touch on leadership or equivalent experience.
• Explain what kind of projects/systems you can manage after changing jobs.

If you have no in-house SE experience

If you were an engineer at a SIer or other company, or if you had IT experience other than engineering, such as in general affairs, the following applies.

If you had experience as an engineer

Currently, as an IT vendor, we receive orders for the development of all systems, with a focus on databases. Nowadays, databases are essential for any system, and I have participated in the development of a wide range of systems. In each project, we strive to fully understand the background of the request and the purpose of the system, and to provide databases that respond quickly. Although the focus is on databases, the position is related to systems in general, and my strength is my broad knowledge as an engineer. I would like to utilize the wide range of systems knowledge I have developed as an engineer to deal with all the internal systems that already exist in the company. I would also like to make use of my experience in refurbishing these systems and propose improvements to the convenience of each system.

Points of Preparation

• Demonstrate your technical skills as an engineer.
• Explain how your technical skills will be useful as an in-house SE
• Mention skills that are more likely to be required of in-house SEs than regular SEs, such as the ability to make proposals.

If you have IT experience outside of engineering, such as in general affairs

Although I am currently in the General Affairs Department, I operate IT systems and respond to questions from employees as a person in charge of controlling the company. Although I did not originally join the company as an IT specialist, I taught myself programming and infrastructure because I was pressed to respond, and I am now able to respond to the minimum required level. In addition, since I am not an engineer but a member of the general affairs department, I have a deep understanding of our employees and am proactively proposing what kind of system implementation is needed within the company. I am applying for this position because I would like to introduce a new system at your company from a general affairs perspective, and to realize reforms in the way we work, based on my experience in improving productivity by deploying a new system within the company.

Points of Preparation

• Clarify why you want to become an in-house SE.
• Include any experience you have had in engineering (IT).
• Explain the knowledge you have gained from your past projects in general affairs, etc.

In-house SEs, unlike ordinary SEs, are engineers who belong to a specific company and handle only the systems within that company. In addition to systems, they also manage and support a wide range of IT assets, such as computers and smartphones. Depending on how they work, the position is often akin to an "in-house IT anything and everything" position.

However, because it is such a position, the motivation for applying for an in-house SE position must be considered from a different perspective than that of a typical SE. For example, you need to show that you have a broad range of technical knowledge and that you have good communication skills with other employees. In this article, we have also included some examples of motivations for applying for a job, so you can consider those first. In addition, if you use a recruitment agent, you can get advice on your motivation, and we recommend that you register with them for assistance.