Muhammad Dadisatyo is a seasoned human resource professional who has worked for MUFG Bank, PricewaterhouseCoopers, and other companies in his native country of Indonesia. After gaining nine years of experience, he enrolled in the full-time M.S. in Human Capital Management (HCM) program at the Columbia University School of Professional Studies.
“Despite the campus being thousands of miles away from my home country,” he says, “I wanted to have a real-time experience in the vibrant New York City and engage with new and diverse people on campus.” He told us about his experience at Columbia and how the experience is helping him to reach his goals.
Edited excerpts are below.
Why did you choose Columbia’s M.S. in HCM program?
I wanted to take on more strategic roles in human capital management. Columbia’s Human Capital Management program did a very good job of enhancing my strategic thinking and expanding my perspective on end-to-end human capital management touchpoints. The coursework strengthened my problem-solving capability to be more overarching and comprehensive. Pursuing an advanced degree, working in a multicultural environment, and expanding my network at Columbia were the steps I took to ultimately prepare myself for a more managerial and strategic role in the future. As of September 2022, I’m proud to say that I accepted the role of talent acquisition and business partner manager at Aplikasi Super, the most funded social commerce platform in Indonesia ($106M+ raised)! I believe that the program helped me to advance in my career.
What was your favorite course?
My favorite course was Employment Law and Labor Policies taught by Professor Lee Miller. The decisions of human capital professionals have many implications, including legal ones. However, those legal risks are not something that human capital professionals are typically aware of; it can be a blind spot for us. In Employment Law and Labor Policies, we learned how to take into account the various laws that impact businesses and their employees. For example, when we want to have a more balanced composition of the employee population (age, gender, ethnicity, religion, etc.), we don’t do it in a way that discriminates against other groups of people. We learned how to approach diversity in hiring in a purposeful and holistic way; the first step is to ensure that we have a diverse talent pool and then select candidates with the best talents and most alignment with relevant competencies for each position.
Tell us about your internship at the Career Design Lab (CDL).
From fall 2021 to summer 2022, I was a career curriculum and professional development intern for the Career Design Lab, which provides career coaching services to Columbia SPS students and alumni. As an intern, I helped to plan and manage a networking fair involving twelve professional associations and nearly fifty HCM students, serving as the primary liaison among the associations, students, and CDL. I designed the event to build proximity between HCM students and professionals and to provide students with industry insights and tips for navigating their careers.
Being an intern at CDL was my first time working in the United States—it’s truly a global environment! Completing this internship alongside people of multicultural backgrounds was an amazing experience. I was impressed by how respectful each individual is to each other’s perspectives. Everyone completely validated each other’s concerns and thoughts and worked together to accommodate each other’s interests and achieve win-win solutions. I felt empowered because CDL gave me a considerable number of learning opportunities.
What advice would you give future international students coming to New York City and Columbia?
Align the insights you get in the class with what you will do upon graduation and learn as much as you can from industry players. Also, connect and network with your lecturers outside of class, and learn more about their industry experiences.
What is the one thing you will miss about New York City post-graduation?
I created many memorable experiences just by being in New York City. New York City parks are exceptional; I like to reflect on my life and being in a park helps to set the mood. My favorite park is Madison Square Park because there is Eataly nearby. I would buy the cheap but delicious chocolate ice cream there and then do some people-watching in the park.
How do you plan to make an impact in Indonesia?
When I return to Indonesia, I would like to contribute to and expand the country’s human capital development so that the people in my country can collectively be a more skillful and talented workforce; this can ultimately help to raise the overall quality of life. I also plan to initiate talent management and people development initiatives where I can offer my enhanced skills, capabilities, and knowledge.
