Arya Yudhistira (21), a student from the Management program at the UGM Faculty of Economics and Business (FEB UGM), has been accepted for internships at four companies through the 2024 Kampus Merdeka’s Certified Independent Internship and Studies (MSIB) program.
This 2021 cohort student was accepted by four companies: PT Huawei, Detik.com, PT Astra International, and XL Axiata. Yudhistira achieved this after applying for multiple company positions through the MSIB program.
Yudhistira admitted that he had experienced rejections from other companies before.
“At that time, I applied for 22 positions through MSIB. I experienced some rejections until finally being accepted by four companies,” he explained on Thursday (May 30).
While contacted during his certified internship program with Kampus Merdeka, he explained that this year’s MSIB program runs from Feb. 24 to Jun. 30. At first, Detik.com and PT Huawei accepted him.
After considering various factors, he accepted PT Huawei’s offer in Medan, North Sumatra. Despite accepting Huawei’s offer, he continued receiving internship offers from PT XL Axiata and PT Astra International.
“Shortly after deciding to intern at Huawei, I received calls from XL and Astra,” he recalled.
Yudhistira chose Huawei because it is a multinational and global company operating in the largest ICT sector in Indonesia. He admitted that he was surprised to be accepted.
“I felt mixed emotions because I was unsure about being accepted by such a large company when I first applied. Additionally, being placed in the Sumatra region made me hesitant about accepting the offer,” he elaborated.
Yudhistira had the opportunity to work as an assistant project controller at Huawei. He was placed in the Indosat Ooredoo Hutchison Wireless Project, where he was responsible for implementing antenna removal projects and the inbound return of materials to the Indosat warehouse for the entire Sumatra region.
“I work end-to-end, starting from pre-implementation, implementation, and closing,” he explained.
Through this internship program, Yudhistira mentioned that he successfully implemented theories learned during his studies, especially project management knowledge from the Operations and Innovation Management course. He felt that the internship experience complemented the project management knowledge he had acquired during his studies.
Working in a new environment was challenging and required adaptation. However, he felt highly motivated because hewas in a supportive work atmosphere that encouraged his development.
Even the seniors at Huawei did not differentiate between interns and regular employees. Yudhistira gained valuable experiences and soft skills that would benefit his future career after graduation.
“This was my first experience being placed in the Sumatra region, working in Medan, and directly interacting with partners from Sumatra with different characteristics and handling methods,” he explained.
Yudhistira also shared tips for getting accepted into the MSIB program. One key aspect is properly mapping out the company’s positions; preparing a CV and portfolio that align with the applied positions is crucial.
“Equally important, make sure to maximize every opportunity during user interviews and always stay updated through the groups of the companies you apply to,” he advised.
Reportage: FEB UGM/Kurnia Ekaptiningrum