Balikpapan — The engineering world demands precision, resilience, and the ability to make accurate decisions amid dynamic industrial conditions. This is the path taken by Patrik Pulung, a 2017 alumnus of the Electrical Engineering Study Program at Institut Teknologi Kalimantan (ITK), who is now pursuing his career as an Electrical Engineer at PT Rolls-Royce Solutions Indonesia.

In his work, Patrik focuses on the maintenance and commissioning of Power Generator Engines with capacities ranging from 0.5 MW to 3 MW. This role places him in a vital position to ensure that electrical power generation systems operate reliably and optimally, both as main power sources and as emergency backup power systems in the industrial sector.

As an Electrical Engineer, Patrik is involved in troubleshooting, implementing preventive actions, and maintaining system performance to meet operational standards. He is also responsible for maintaining reliability indicators such as Mean Time Before Failure (MTBF) and Mean Time To Repair (MTTR) in accordance with established standards.

According to Patrik, the academic foundation he gained during his studies at ITK played a major role in shaping his technical mindset. The problem-analysis skills developed from the early semesters became one of the key competencies he continues to apply in the workplace.

“Problem-analysis skills have been highly beneficial, even since the early semesters, from writing practical reports manually to completing the final project. From the study program, one of the most relevant fields is Electrical Power System Protection,” he said.

Beyond the classroom, Patrik also gained valuable experience through intercollegiate competitions. In his second year of study, in 2018, he and Danny Anthonyo participated in the Regional East Kalimantan Smart Robot Competition, known as Kompetisi Robot Cerdas (KRC) Polnes. The event became a historic moment as it marked one of the first official robotics competition participations by ITK Electrical Engineering students. In the competition, the ITK team successfully won second place.

That experience became an important milestone in Patrik’s journey as a student. For him, a competition was not merely a platform to achieve recognition, but also a space to build courage, teamwork, and the ability to apply theory to real technical problems.

However, entering the industrial world certainly brought its own challenges. Patrik admitted that he faced difficulties early in his career, particularly in reading technical drawings. This experience taught him that the engineering world requires not only strong academic fundamentals, but also practical skills that are closely aligned with industry needs.

“At the beginning of my career, I struggled several times with reading technical drawings because I was not yet used to it during university. I hope that in the future, the study program and the campus will not only strengthen fundamentals, but also better prepare students with real-world engineering programs during their studies,” he said.

Nevertheless, every challenge became a learning space that shaped his professionalism. One simple yet deeply meaningful moment for Patrik was when his name and signature appeared in the official approval line of a project document. For an engineer, this represents trust and recognition of technical responsibility within a project.

“It may sound simple, but I felt very proud when my signature and name were included in the official approval line of a project document,” he shared.

Through his journey, Patrik advises ITK students to continue developing their capabilities, uphold good ethics, and never give up in building their careers. According to him, becoming an engineer or scientist is not only about mastering knowledge, but also about character and consistency in continuous growth.

“When you graduate and become ITK alumni, be engineers and scientists who speak with good manners, are full of knowledge, and do not easily give up in pursuing your respective fields until you become experts,” he advised.

Patrik Pulung’s story shows that the journey from university life to the industrial world is a long process that requires perseverance, adaptation, and the courage to keep learning. From participating in robotics competitions and facing technical challenges early in his career to earning trust in industrial project documents, Patrik stands as one of ITK’s alumni who continues to carry the spirit of knowledge into meaningful contributions in the professional world.