Sometimes, the most important decision you have to make comes down to a conversation. So how do you get that right?
As a Technical Service Engineer at Asia Pacific Rayon (APR), Dian Kartika has to confidently communicate complex technical information about APR solutions to clients from diverse backgrounds, both in Indonesia and overseas.
From viscose production processes to troubleshooting for clients on APR’s products and services, “I am the link between clients and APR’s technical operations team,” she says. “I coordinate with the related departments to understand their operations. I even make client visits to assess how our technology can be customised to meet their business needs.”
Dian recognizes that her confidence, resilience and professional growth is made possible thanks to a great support network: her family, and an encouraging community in our Riau Complex in Kerinci, where APR is located, and where Dian is based.
“As a working mother, I am able to receive support from APR in several aspects,” she says. Like many employees at the Riau Complex, she receives housing for herself and her two sons, nestled within a safe neighbourhood and with access to top-tier education and healthcare facilities, as well as transportation services for commuting to and from work, or school. These benefits are especially helpful to Dian, as her husband is stationed in Jakarta.
Regularly, Dian joins the Toastmasters Club (also hosted by APR) to further sharpen her communication skills that are key to her success, as well as ultimately, APR’s. “We prepare speeches, respond to impromptu questions, give each other feedback,” she says. “I need to understand the workflow of each department so I can provide and communicate the best solutions to our clients.”
Dian’s journey to working at APR began when she was still an Engineering student in Diponegoro University in Semarang, Central Java, and was one of the only five accepted for a Graduate Trainee program. “I discovered that enhancing quality of life through sustainably manufactured products was what I wanted to do,” she shares.
She remains active with her colleagues who were also in the Graduate Trainee community, and loves the camaraderie with other working women in the community. “Since day one, we’ve been supporting each other through thick and thin.
“I am able to feel stable and secure, as I pursue my career aspirations while nurturing my family,” says Dian. It’s all thanks to APR for providing a safe environment where we could learn and grow together.”
Dian’s story reflects APR’s APR2030 vision to promote inclusive prosperity and gender equality throughout APR value chains, to eliminate barriers that potentially prevent the pursuit of goals, regardless of gender.
