UNAIR NEWS – The college years offer a golden chance for skill development, providing students with opportunities to explore paths leading to their dream careers. For Muhammad Hamka Syahrial, a student of English Language and Literature at the Faculty of Humanities (FIB) of Universitas Airlangga (UNAIR), this opportunity came in the form of the GoPay Student Apprenticeship. He stood out among more than 900 other applicants to secure a spot in the program.
Hamka is currently working as a marketing intern staff at GoPay. He has been part of this program since October 2023 until the end of January. Furthermore, the GoPay Student Apprenticeship aims to introduce Gen-Z to GoPay Indonesia as one of the secure, convenient, and fast fintech services.
During the program, the Indonesian Language and Literature student expressed his excitement at the chance to gain in-depth knowledge about business flow, the marketing journey, and social media marketing. He also appreciated additional perks, including networking opportunities with students from various state universities in Indonesia and a stipend.
Hamka studied social media marketing strategy. He underwent training in marketing and business processes, laying a solid foundation for his future career. Each month, Hamka actively participated in project-based learning and self-development training.
“We need to fill in the pitch deck and consult the draft with the mentor or team buddy. After that, we create content on the personal platform and receive the next pitch deck for content analysis, including engagement, time rate, interaction, etc,” he said.
Participating in interdisciplinary internship programs comes with its difficulties. Hamka frequently encountered challenges, such as communicating with mentors and executing social media marketing projects.
“The challenges are plentiful, with one of the most common being communication with mentors due to their busy schedules. This sometimes requires us to finalize things before submitting them for a single check by the mentor. Additionally, executing a social media marketing strategy is not easy; there are many factors to consider, including the objective, final message, and engagement of the content,” he told UNAIR NEWS.
Through this program, Hamka aspired to develop his character and impart his knowledge to other UNAIR students interested in venturing into the marketing sector. He also encouraged fellow students not to hesitate in sharing their perspectives.
“My message to those who have a keen interest in startups or aspire to pursue a career in the digital business, especially in the digital marketing field, is to actively try and participate in internship programs like this. Here, you can experience the process firsthand,” he said.
Internship preparation
Hamka finds this program highly valuable for students seeking portfolio experience and additional income. “I believe that this program is very important, especially for students looking for extra money. It provides an opportunity to expand your network and build your portfolio. Moreover, top performers might even be recruited directly through speed hiring,” he highlighted.
The program opens every four months, and technical registration information is available on the Instagram accounts @mahasiswahebat and @GoPayindonesia. Students interested in this program should produce a curriculum vitae and answer numerous questions on the application form. Furthermore, individuals that pass the test will be sent further information via email.
Author: Aidatul Fitriyah
Editor: Khefti Al Mawalia
