Three alumni of SBM ITB share their stories of pursuing careers and businesses after graduating from university. Adrian Siregar has worked his way up from the bottom to become Head of the Development Division at the Financial Services Authority (OJK). Meanwhile, Rani F. Bokslag founded PT Akusvara MODal Global (@akusvara) after years as a consultant. Dian Kusumadewi focused on pursuing a career at Shell Indonesia and now holds the position of Venture Capital Mobility Marketing for Shell Indonesia.
The SBM ITB alumni association invited the three to an alumni meeting entitled “Discovery and Careers: Navigating Diverse Career Journeys” in Bandung on Thursday (11/7). They shared their career experiences with SBM ITB students.
Adrian is an alumnus of the Management Study Program, class of 2009. From the start, he focused on pursuing a career in government. Dian, a 2008 Management alumnus, has always worked at Shell Indonesia. Rani, also a 2008 Management graduate, is now an entrepreneur.
After graduating from SBM ITB, Adrian did not immediately start working. He continued to build his network, even during his MBA studies in the US. That was Adrian’s phase of searching for his identity. Eventually, OJK contacted him to focus on institutional development.
While others focused on developing themselves, Adrian admitted that he instead built a network of friends in the engineering department. Adrian’s principle is that he will do it optimally without being adventurous if given trust. This often led to sleepless nights. When offered a job, he didn’t ask about the specifics but focused on the trust given to him.
Most of the positions he filled were newly created, so he didn’t have benchmarks. He emphasized each person’s uniqueness, noting that both generalists and specialists exist.
Meanwhile, Rani admitted that she always wanted to become an entrepreneur. She believes that entrepreneurship offers more flexibility, especially when starting a family. After graduating, Rani applied for many jobs, including management training positions. She worked as a consultant for a year before deciding to leave and start her entrepreneurial journey.
According to Rani, confidence is crucial when starting a business, including choosing the right sector. Entrepreneurship involves managing every aspect of the business from A to Z. Initially starting a fashion business, Rani switched to baby products. She explained that business is a trial-and-error process, focusing on customers to find the right product. The rise in entrepreneurship in 2023 has led to many new brands emerging, increasing competition.
Since graduating, Dian has focused on working at Shell Indonesia. From the start, she wanted to be a career woman. When choosing a college major, she only considered SBM ITB. While studying, Dian focused on finance, though she secretly wished to study marketing.
During her first five years at Shell, Dian was in the sales department, and for the next six years, she was in marketing. She has held six different roles within the company. The challenge she faced was understanding what to expect in each role. Dian has stayed at Shell because she always embraced new challenges.
