This is my experience which I want to share with you. I graduated in chemical engineering from Institute of Technology Bandung, Indonesia in 1983. Not long after the graduation, I was hired as a project engineer in Jakarta at a private company run by Soy Martua Pardede. His background is an Economist. He was trying to expand his business into a chemical manufacturing company. Apparently he hired me for that purpose. They were preparing a site plan for building a phthalic anhydride plant at Gresik, East Java. The company later on is called PT Petrowidada, a joint venture with PT Petrokimia Gresik and Daewoo Corporation (Korea).
Only a few months I worked there when I decided to quit, trying to join a more established company. I sent over 100 application letters across the country mostly to chemical plants. Meanwhile, I came across an advertisment from a newspaper of job vacations at a gas plant and a petrochemical plant. I submitted my applications to these two companies, i.e. PT Badak NGL an LNG (Liquefied Natural Gas) manufacturing company and PT Petrokimia Gresik (petrochemical complex). Both accepted my application. I decided to join PT Badak NGL simply because of shorter probation period (3 months only). I started my career in PT Badak NGL as a Process Engineer in 1984. I joined in the second batch of fresh engineer recruitment program by PT Badak at that time. Total there were 23 young engineers hired together with me. We were put in a special training program called Basic LNG Plant Management Training.
