In today’s increasingly competitive era, having strong academic abilities is no longer enough. Fresh graduates must have a combination of hard and soft skills to support their career journey.
Annisia Dwi Baehaki, Country Human Resource Lead at Hewlett-Packard (HP) and a 2008 Management program graduate at FEB UGM, shared several career tips for upcoming FEB UGM graduates. She emphasised the importance of building a strong character before starting a professional career. According to her, building character is far more critical than technical skills alone, as character will be tested when working with others. Graduates should be able to recognise their personal strengths, remain open to new opportunities, continue learning, and not close themselves off to change.
Annisia reminded the graduating students not to worry too much if their first job does not fully align with their field of study. The first job can be seen as part of the learning process, not the final destination.
‘Your first job does not always have to be your final destination. The most important thing is to remain open to continuous learning, adaptability, building a strong character, maintaining curiosity, and establishing good relationships with others,’ he said at the ‘Alumni Sharing: Many Roads, One Start’ event at the FEB UGM Alumni Corner on Monday (25/08).
FEB UGM organised the Alumni Sharing event through the Career and Student Development Unit (CSDU) FEB UGM to equip graduating students with the necessary skills to enter the workforce by sharing experiences from alums.
Another perspective was shared by Eugenia Sekar Kinasih (Economics 2017), a Manager at PT Bank Mandiri. Eugenia recounted her experience entering the workforce during an unstable period, the Covid-19 era. During her studies, she focused on Development Economics and initially aimed to work in a related field. However, she only managed to work briefly as a short-term consultant on a related project, as job opportunities were scarce at the time. Facing the unstable job market, Eugenia set aside her idealism of working in a perfectly aligned field and instead prioritized stability. Thus, after several applications, she was accepted into the Officer Development Program (ODP) at PT Bank Mandiri in 2022.
Although her role was not directly related to her academic background, she found that many of her skills remained relevant. Data analysis skills, problem-solving abilities, logical thinking, and teamwork proved helpful despite not having a linear career path. Reflecting on her journey, she advised graduates not to dismiss the skills they gained in college simply because they work in a different field, as those skills may still prove valuable.
Meanwhile, Lutfi Anggriawan (Management 2006), Assistant Vice President at BRI BO Yogyakarta, also shared his perspective on discovering the right career path. He stressed the importance of having passion and clear career goals as a foundation. Beyond that, it is essential to continuously hone technical and non-technical skills, expand professional networks, and build a strong personal brand through CVs and LinkedIn profiles. Furthermore, guidance from mentors in the same industry can also play a key role in understanding workplace culture.
Through this Alumni Sharing event, prospective graduates are expected to broaden their perspectives and become better prepared to enter the professional world. In this way, FEB UGM supports students in developing their knowledge and talents, while also helping bridge the transition from campus life to the workforce.
Report by: Najwah Ariella Puteri
Editor: Kurnia Ekaptiningrum
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