Alumni Profile: Gamada Agung
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Degree: Bachelor of Engineering (Mechanical & Manufacturing - Honours) 1999 Current Position: Commercial Analyst with ExxonMobil in the Gas & Power Marketing unit, Jakarta The level of responsibility and buzz of negotiating commercial contracts between large firms, as well as the chance to travel, keeps Gamada Agung interested and enjoying his role in the Gas and Fuel industry. |
Before supplying gas to a client a commercial agreement needs to be developed between the two companies - which is where my current fole fits in. I am involved in both the initial development of the agreements and in client management during the contract.
I really enjoy working in the commercial side of a large multinational company. I like the fact that I need a broad knowledge of the company and its goals so that I can make effective commercial decisions. I love the high level of responsibility in my role as we negotiate very large, expensive contracts with other large firms. I also have the opportunity to travel; last year I went to Korea to negotiate LNG (Liquefied Natural Gas) agreements and Hong Kong for training with the ExxonMobil Asia Pacific Division.
I certainly use my Engineering skills in this role. I still require some level of technical knowledge when negotiating contracts in terms of pipe sizes but the broader, analytical skills are what I use most. Having these skills is extremely important when performing both operation and budgetary calculations - it was my studies in engineering which refined these skills.
After graduating I was originally employed with Freeport McMoran Indonesia as a Planning and Maintenance Engineer - a gold and copper mining company in Papua. I was responsible for the schedule and plan of maintenance works to enable smooth operation and 98% equipment availability at all times.
In 2003 I decided to gain some commercial qualifications and completed my Master of Industrial Management at the Catholic University of Leuven, Belgium followed by an MBA at Vlerick Leuven Ghent Management School. I returned to Indonesia and found work with ExxonMobil in October 2005.
I was initially interested in studies in economics and business, however, I really enjoyed maths, physics and logical thinking at school. I wanted to continue to study those subjects in a practical and applied way at University so I initially enrolled in foundation studies and then came to the University of Melbourne. I liked the idea of Engineering as I knew that I could specialise technically but also that it gave me a very strong analytical background - which I could then transfer to any field. This is essentially what I have done.
I loved studying at Melbourne Uni - especially the campus. It is so close to the centre of the city but at the same time it feels really secluded - a really great place to learn and study.
The Bachelor of Engineering is a really tough but good course. It makes you work hard but you really appreciate this once you get out into the workforce. Most of the lecturing staff are world experts in their field which is really inspirational.
I think it is really important for students to focus on what they want to do as early as possible - start thinking about the direction you want to take and what it takes to achieve it. You can of course have lots of fun in the mean time but it is really important to stay focused on long-term goals.
When you first leave uni, I think it is important to make contacts through alumni or friends is one of the most important things about getting into the job market.
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