05 October 2023
After graduating from the mining major, Irfan Hayatudin briefly worked as an accounting assistant at a palm oil company. It wasn't the job he wanted, but Irfan stuck with it. He did it because he didn't want to disappoint his parents. They had struggled to put their child through college, only to see him graduate and remain unemployed. So even though it wasn't what he had hoped for, working was a non-negotiable option.
After seven months of working outside his field, news came from the head of the Mining Engineering program at Halmahera Polytechnic. A lecturer from his alma mater told him that a nickel smelter on Obi Island was opening a management trainee program.
Irfan didn't miss the opportunity. In November 2015, he participated in the three-month management trainee selection process at PT Megah Surya Pertiwi (MSP). Out of 500 participants, 200 were deemed successful and given the opportunity to spend three months training in China.
The opportunity to study in China broadened Irfan's horizons in the smelting industry. He was proud to have gained a wealth of knowledge during his training program there. "It was an unforgettable experience to set foot in China and learn about the smelting technology used there," he said.
Three months passed, and Irfan returned home to fulfill a two-year commitment to work at MSP as a Control Room Staff. His duties included monitoring all the operating equipment and controlling the temperature and pressure of each unit in use.
Working in a company with limited time off, Irfan often filled his free time by being active on social media. His TikTok account now has 202,000 followers, and much of his content has gone viral, seen by millions of people. Yes, social media became a space to fill his "loneliness" of working in the smelting industry with a roster system, far away from his family and even his girlfriend!
Thanks to his popularity on social media, Irfan was selected as one of the participants in the Extra Miles Day organized by the Corporate Communications Department. Now he no longer feels lonely as he has made many acquaintances from different departments and even other business units. He is proud to have had the opportunity to visit all of Harita Nickel's operations, from upstream to downstream. He shared this experience on social media, packaged in his characteristic humorous yet positive style.
Reflecting on his life's journey, Irfan paused on the words of a much admired figure. It was Steve Jobs, the founder of Apple, who once said, "You can't connect the dots looking forward; you can only connect them looking backward."
"Every point we pass through in life, even if it's not pleasant, is not without reason. The key is to keep striving to be better by learning and working hard, and to have a positive outlook on whatever destiny God gives us," he concluded.
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