The Faculty of Pharmacy Universitas Gadjah Mada held a reunion event “Sharing Heart to Heart Alumni PSPA 2019 and 2020: Looking for Job Opportunities in a Pandemic Era”. The event was held on Saturday (10/7) through the Zoom Meeting Room. Approximately 170 participants attended the event. Along with the event, mentoring for KPI and tracer study filling was also conducted to increase the KPI survey and the 2021 Tracer Study.
The alumni shared their experiences and knowledge gained during their work in the pharmaceutical industry. First to share was Candra Adianto, S.Farm, Qualification Officer at Dexa Medica (Member of Dexa Group). He told his experience right from his graduation until the recruitment process. Many hit quarter-life crisis after graduation, and it hindered them from moving forward. However, he said, we could overcome it by setting boundaries for ourselves, appreciating ourselves, stopping comparing with others, having a good communication with our closest circle, and building positive relationships. If we pass this obstacle, then the easier our future career path will be. Had he a rocky road in the pharmaceutical world, he suggested that we must prepare and study basic materials related to GMP or GMP before applying for a job. On top of that, we have to fully recognize ourselves and have confidence in our path.
Next in line was dissemination on how to fill KPI and Tracer Study by Directorate of Partnerships, Alumni, and Global Initiatives. The survey is aimed at alumni who graduated at least one year earlier. It is carried out to evaluate the improvement of the learning process and education system at UGM and develop and advance UGM. Alumni enthusiastically welcomed this as there was an increasing number of response rate.
Following the dissemination, Apt. Annisa Tri Rachma, S. Farm, who works in a hospital, shared her experience. Similar to Chandra, she highlighted that we must first understand what we want before securing a specific job.
“We must know our interest because our work will be in a long period, not just a short time”, she said.
No need to worry, she emphasized. At work, we would hone our skills, especially our hard skills. Better to tell honest to the recruiter as it will affect your performance later. Suppose that you had no working experience in RS, just say so to the recruiter.
“Making a mistake is not a shame, so nothing to be afraid of. On top of that, we must learn from the experience to be even better,” she summed up.
The last presentation was scholarship information by alumni of the Faculty of Pharmacy who are studying abroad. Pursuing further study does not mean staying in line with clinical only. Still, many chances are open such as researchers and product development specialists.
The event was not only a medium for PSPA alumni reunion, but also a medium to share experiences on how to pursue a career in the midst of a pandemic. It was hoped that alumni could keep in touch and share information related to jobs and others.
[Alumni Relations/Article:Winona]