"A Bold Move Leads to a Great Opportunity"

A Story of Indra Muliadi, Bangkit 2023 Batch 1 Graduate from Statistics, Universitas Riau

Incredible opportunities often come from our willingness to take bold steps. Indra Muliadi (20) believed in this as he pursued his dream. This young man from Riau was a courageous person, always looking for ways to achieve his goal of becoming a tech talent.

Indra grew up in a palm oil plantation village called Sialang Sakti. He wanted nothing but to be a digital talent whose skills could impact the advancement of Indonesian technology. Furthermore, becoming the source of pride for his family was also something that Indra pursued. Working hard to make his dream come true, this is Indra’s journey in Bangkit 2023 Batch 1!

A High-Performing Student Who Made His Parents Proud

Indra was the first of three children whose father was a palm oil grower, and his mother was a teacher. Having supportive parents made Indra feel lucky, and he was encouraged to pursue higher education. It was a great joy for Indra to make his family proud of his academic achievements and be the role model for his two younger siblings.

Since childhood, Indra knew he was already fond of mathematics and technology. Therefore, he wanted to be an expert in these fields. To achieve this dream, Indra enrolled at Universitas Riau, majoring in Statistics, where mathematics and technology are the heart of this field. Being successfully accepted at his chosen university, he gave his parents proof that he could shine bright academically.

His learning endeavor led him to be awarded Beasiswa Prestasi, a scholarship for high-performing students, granted by the Government of Riau. The aid helped Indra to fund his education from the 3rd semester until he graduated later.

However, Indra realized that being academically outstanding wouldn’t be enough for him to be a future digital talent. He knew that he had to broaden his horizons by acquiring relevant skills demanded by the industry. Then, Indra started to open his door for Bangkit.

Indra’s Enjoyable Time in Bangkit

Seeing one of his seniors participating in Bangkit, Indra was curious about the program. He heard that his seniors experienced a comprehensive way of learning technology, soft skills, and English. It prompted him to research Bangkit and discover that what his seniors said was true. The immersive learning environment and promising career opportunities offered after Bangkit captivated him.

Believing that Bangkit could lead him to great opportunities in the future, Indra signed up for this program. His parents also supported him in his decision. They were sure that Bangkit would assist Indra to grow. Finally, Indra officially became one of the Bangkit 2023 Batch 1 Cohorts focusing on Machine Learning.

“What made my learning experience in Bangkit impressive was the curriculum aligned with industry standards, and the instructors were experts in their respective fields. Moreover, the supportive mentors and peers made my learning process pleasant and collaborative.”

However, during his enjoyable time in Bangkit, Indra faced something that forced him to be resilient. Something he had never thought of before.

The Difficult Time That Shaped Indra’s Resilience

It was a difficult time for Indra’s family when his father suffered radiculopathy (pinched nerve) and spinal tuberculosis. While bustling on campus and Bangkit, Indra made time to accompany his father to the hospital. At first, he was overwhelmed, but the time-management skills acquired from Bangkit helped him to arrange his schedule.

“I still remember when I had to attend Instructor-Led Training (ILT) sessions from the hospitals. I tried my best to progress in Bangkit and be dutiful to my father. As the firstborn, it was my primary responsibility to care for my family.”

However, Indra’s world was falling apart when his father passed away. He was at his lowest but still had to be strong for his mother and younger siblings. All he could do was to be as tough as possible because his life had to keep going on.

Indra admitted that attending an ILT session about adaptability and resilience helped him overcome his hard times. He knew how to survive and live daily while acknowledging his true feelings. So far, this ILT brought Indra’s motivation back to keep pursuing his dream.

The Capstone Project Was Indra’s Favorite Part of Bangkit

Apparently, the capstone project activities cheered Indra up. He was excited to team up with cohorts from across the learning path and work on the final project. With his team, Indra created Prodify, an app that recommended captivating titles and product descriptions to sellers on the marketplace. The sellers just had to upload their product image, and then Prodify would generate the best title and product descriptions.

For Indra, focusing on capstone projects was more stimulating than the usual learning activity. Involving in the final project gave him exposure to the way the professional world works. Collaborating with his peers and learning to create something impactful was invaluable for him. In his opinion, the capstone project depicted the actual situation of the industry.

Being in the Bangkit 2023 Batch 1 for about five months gave Indra many. He acquired Machine Learning-related knowledge to solve daily problems. Furthermore, the soft skills and English training provided by Bangkit also boosted his confidence to be a globally competitive talent. He was more than just ready to launch his first career as he officially became a Bangkit graduate.

“Take the Bold Steps!”

After the Bangkit 2023 Batch 1 graduation certificate was in Indra’s hands, he applied for an intern position at SMART Research Institute, a research center of a company that produces palm oil-based consumer products. Through the Magang Merdeka program, he aimed to be part of the Data Intelligence and Analytics Department because it was relevant to his background, experience, and interest. Eventually, Indra’s outstanding resume got him hired to be a Biometry and Database Intern.

It was challenging for Indra to carry out his responsibilities while working on his bachelor's thesis. However, the growth mindset ingrained in himself hindered Indra from giving up. He believed the courage to take bold steps could lead him to more tremendous success. As part of the Data Intelligence and Analytics department, Indra dedicated himself to using data analytics to work on the company’s project and being involved in a team researching palm oil-related projects.

The concepts, programming logic, and adaptability materials taught in Bangkit helped him to succeed in his job. Although he was used to using the Python programming language at Bangkit, he had no difficulty when he had to switch to the R programming language at work. Indra's success in his career made him want to see many other Bangkit graduates follow in his footsteps.

“I’m reminded of Cristiano Ronaldo’s words. He is a football player who understands the meaning of hard work. He said, ‘A dream isn’t something you see in your sleep but something that keeps you wide awake.’ So, if you’re dreaming of something, wake up and make it happen. Be brave to take bold steps because it will lead you to great opportunities. Start doing it by signing up for Bangkit!”

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