Undergraduate Journey [VI]: A Taste of that Career Grind 😤💯
B.Sc Mechanical Engineering ITB: A review of my 6th semester
Didn’t buy running shoes but I still chased that bag 😎 Though the “bag” is still far from being able to live off from, I can still say I earned 7 figures monthly (in IDR ofc hehehe). Seriously though, I have gained so much value from having the on-hands practice in both the internships stated below and even though it was for sure one of the more unfamiliar experiences so far, it was also the period where I felt challenged the most, so cheers to getting closer and closer to joining the rat race.
Classes taken in Semester 6:
Engineering Capstone Project I ; Energy Conversion Systems ; Control Systems I ; Mechatronics I ; Industrial Metrology ; Thermal Engineering ; Engineering Business & Management
Since what is ITB without some misery — for this semester’s pure agony, introducing MS3220 Thermal Engineering, also known as Thermodynamics II. To understand the pure atrocity of this class for reference, more than half of the upper cohort repeated this course, but thank the Heavens, the curve, and all that is holy, that I passed. Honestly, the reflection and game-plan I decided from the results of the last semester mentioned in my last post was definitely worth it, as I got a higher score in this horrid class than in my other previous energy-heavy classes.
Highlight #1: Internship at Pertamina
Upon completion of this semester, as part of my undergraduate curriculum, we were required to spend 1–2 months gaining real-life working experience from a relevant industry company with supervision from one of our professors. Alongside my close friend Adji, we joined PT. Pertamina Hulu Rokan as Facility Engineers at the IODSC in Riau, Indonesia. The report that I completed was titled “Residual Threshold Recommendation for Predictive Maintenance in Smart Condition Monitoring of Microturbine Generator”, which allowed me to improve my skills in asset optimization, onshore O&G operations, and predictive maintenance.
Just as I’ve always been vocal for my distaste of anything fluid, heat, or thermo related — oil and gas hasn’t always been at the top of my list for dream jobs. However, since my father has survived this industry for 25+ years, it would be cowardice to not at least try; you can’t grow without getting outside of your comfort zone once in a while. Thankfully after enduring this training period, it’s safe to say that I was scared for nothing. With plenty of opportunities for innovation regarding the transition towards alternative energy (+ considering the absolute FINANCIAL BAG they give out hehe), I can see myself following in the steps of my father.
Pertamina Hulu Rokan (PHR) is a subsidiary of Pertamina, Indonesia’s state-owned oil and gas company. They are responsible for managing the Rokan Block, as one of Indonesia’s largest oil and gas fields located in Riau province, which includes exploration, drilling, production, and distribution of oil and gas products. The Rokan Block alone accounts for 26% of Indonesia’s national oil production, and Pertamina’s management of the block has been crucial in ensuring the country’s energy security.
Highlight #2: Internship at Tripatra Engineers & Constructors
After completing my time at Pertamina, since I still had a couple months before departure (hint), I decided to go all-in with chasing after as many different experiences, which is why I decided to jump from the previous O&G field, to the construction industry, by joining Tripatra Engineers & Constructors. The report that I completed was titled “Designing a Business Development Strategy: Integrating Tripatra’s Business Process Towards Expansion into the Green Energy Sector” — purposely chosen outside my major as I wanted to learn beyond what was taught on campus. By taking on a more “consulting” role, I was able to learn plenty about the current green energy landscape and its direction in the upcoming years along with applying technical knowledge through client case study reports from PLN, Pertamina, and Medco.
This experience is far different from my last since this was way more corporate-high-rise-full-on-grind lifestyle of consultants and investment bankers, compared to the field-heavy-sun-tanning-macho work from PHR. I was also able to learn so much from the BCG members during my time there. The building itself is beautiful and complete with sports facilities to the vast canteen to the offices filled with billiards and foosball tables, and the team members were welcoming, even to an afternoon lunch out. Also it’s in Bintaro, which IMO has a higher QoL than dense Jakarta.
TRIPATRA is one of the most experienced and diversified engineering, procurement, and construction (EPC), and project management companies in Indonesia. Established in 1973, Tripatra offers 50 years of proven track records in delivering the best EPC solutions for energy, O&G, petrochemical, infrastructure, and telecommunication sectors in Indonesia and overseas. They design, build, manage, and maintain infrastructure for global clients, offering a comprehensive and tailored service that answers to the ever-changing demands of their industry.
Highlight #3: Teaching Assistant for Machine Element Design I
Machine Element Design has always been one of my favorite classes as the use of some reverse engineering of equations that some PhDs decided as best — the safety factor, performance, lifetime, movement and so much more could be found. For this reason, with three other colleagues, we were selected to be the class assistants for this 2023 K03 class with Pak Kariem (AKA the best class). My biggest endeavor in this role would have to be grading one of the midterm exam questions for ~200 students, though it was a great way to review the material learnt before, as well as getting some extra pocket money and meals hehe. Also happy to share that I’ll be joining this laboratory for my final thesis in a couple months, under the guidance of Pak Kariem 😁
