(Inspirational Story) SURABAYA - For Muhammad Afrizal Hanafi, a student at the S1 Accounting Study Program at the Faculty of Economics and Business Universitas Airlangga (FEB Airlangga University), 2021 from Gresik, lectures are not just about understanding the numbers and financial statements. FEB UNAIR becomes a forum that shapes it into a person who is adaptive, responsible, and ready to face the challenges of the professional world.
The competitive and supportive FEB environment encourages him to be active outside the classroom. He joined as a Community Development Staff at BEM FEB and contributed to various social programs, such as Bina Abdi Desa, Movement of one hundred packs, and cared Semeru. From this activity, Afrizal realized that economics and accounting he learned had a real impact on the welfare of the community.
Implementing economics in community service
As Head of Economics Development in the Bina Abdi Desa program, Afrizal also designed marketing strategies for village MSMEs, providing economic education, and witnessed firsthand how their knowledge could be a means of empowerment. This program was carried out in 2022 in Lengor Hamlet, Lamongan Regency - the region with the majority of the population working as fishermen of shrimp ponds. Although the sea products in the area are abundant, people have not used it optimally to produce high -value selling products.
Seeing this potential, Afrizal and his team initiated innovation of processed products in the form of shrimp shredded shredded. This product not only increases the economic value of local seafood products, but also continues to be marketed today by residents of Lengor Hamlet.
Increase competitiveness through internship and certification
During his studies at Universitas Airlangga, Afrizal had the opportunity to take part in an apprenticeship program at PT Petrokimia Gresik through the Merdeka Campus (MBKM) Batch 7 program and the Talenta Generation (Magenta) apprenticeship - which he lived twice. Interestingly, before graduation, he again received an internship offer from PT Pegadaian through the Magenta pathway, and had undergone direct interviews with the Directors of a private company in Gresik.
One of the most memorable experiences for Afrizal is when it is trusted to be an internal accounting at PT Petrokimia Gresik. There, he is a member of the Cost Accounting and Budgeting Division, operates the SAP system, managing financial data, and understanding the budgeting flow in large companies. He also succeeded in completing his final internship project entitled "Evaluation of the Number of Requester per Department on the Department of Budget Department of PT Petrokimia Gresik." This experience strengthens his belief in a career in finance and accounting.
Besides being active in social activities and internships, Afrizal also continues to develop competencies through various certification. He achieved Brevet A&B certification and E-SPT Brevet A&B integrated from the Indonesian Accountants Association (IAI) of the East Java region. From DPKKA Universitas Airlangga, he obtained a professional digital marketing certification recognized by BNSP. Meanwhile, through LPK FEB Unair, he completed training and obtaining certification in the field of Human Resource Staff Management (BNSP Certified), Risk Management, and E-Commerce.
Various certifications strongly support their professional development. Brevet and e-SPT certification strengthens competencies in the field of taxation and electronic reporting. Human resource certification adds insight in HR management, while certification in the field of digital marketing and e-commerce expands the ability of digital marketing strategies. The risk management certification provides it with skills in preparing a risk register and identifying operational risks in the organizational environment.
Key to Success: Priority Scale and Time Management
At FEB Unair, Afrizal utilizes various cross -disciplinary programs to develop themselves, including self -management training that helps him prepare for the world of work. He shared tips with new students who wanted to travel similar to, namely the importance of setting priority scale - with academics as the main - and actively participating in joint learning forums outside the classroom.
With good time management and clear priority, he managed to participate in various activities without preying the study, even won the title of Cum Laude when graduating.
Through this inspirational journey, Muhammad Afrizal Hanafi proves that success in college is not only determined by academic achievements, but also by active involvement in the organization, the development of additional skills, and the courage to get out of the comfort zone. Adaptive spirit, a sense of responsibility, and its commitment to continue learning become an important capital for Afrizal in treading the professional world. He is a real example that students who are able to balance the theory, practice, and self -development will appear as a high competitive figure in the modern era.
In the future, Afrizal hopes to continue to contribute not only to the business and finance world, but also to the wider community through innovation, dedication, and spirit of change that he has brought since the college period.
Author: Shafira Fathiya (E-Radio Feb Unair)