Elizabeth Tia 2024 Discovery Program Trainee – ABB Electrification Smart Buildings
“There is nothing to regret about learning, be brave and be open-minded”
In January 2024, Elizabeth Tia Putri, or often called Tia, began her employment with ABB as a trainee in the Discovery Program. She earned the highest honor—summa cum laude—for her Environmental Engineering degree from the University of Indonesia. The Ministry of Education, Culture, Research, and Technology of the Republic of Indonesia awarded her an IISMA (Indonesian International Student Mobility Awards) scholarship for a one-semester study abroad program, of which she got accepted into Universiti Teknologi Malaysia, one of the top prestigious engineering schools in the world, after being chosen from a pool of over 10,000 applications.
By appearance, Tia may come across as a quiet person, but don’t let the cover fool you. Her demeanor allows her to observe and think through things from multiple perspectives, including quickly comprehending all the learnings. This trait makes her a highly reliable colleague among her peers.
ABB is her first company after graduating. After 3 months at the company, Tia is experiencing a surge of excitement, not only because she gets extensive opportunities to be working on cutting-edge technology but also alongside all the professionals in the work-ing environment that values collaboration and inclusivity.
“ABB offers opportunities to work in various roles, and I’m grateful for being part of the team, who are not only supportive but also very fun to work with.”
When asked about the reasons that excite her most about engineering, Tia shared that it all started with environmental science, which has been her interest since high school. This led her to pursue environmental engineering.
“As I grew older, my interest in sustainability increased. I began to work on economic feasibility of climate change and energy projects. This experience introduced me to the importance of electricity in sustainability. What excites me the most is that we can contribute to environmental conservation through energy efficiency in electrical products.”
Like anything in life, Tia also faces difficulties, therefore the days at ABB aren't always sunshine and flowers. "Having a background in engineering, I found it difficult at first to understand corporate management, traverse the working structure, and keep up with the rhythm—all of which were quite overwhelming at once. However, there's one thing I never forget: there's nothing to regret about learning, and it's important to be brave and open-minded.”
Tia believes that learning new things can be both fun and challenging at the same time, but she finds herself grounded by her motto to remain humble and always strive for improvement. “Learning will never be just challenging; it will always be exciting and thrilling. My key to catching up with everyone else was by staying curious, researching the information and being brave enough to ask more experienced colleagues for help.”
For Tia, life is not all about engineering and creating impact through environmental sustainability. She develops hobbies to create balance through art performances like acting, dancing, and singing. In her first year of college, she participated in a theater performance.
"Being part of theater performance allows me to connect with diverse individuals and express myself through a variety of characters." said Tia
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For every female engineer in this world, Tia encourages “Just because you are a woman, you are not less capable in the engineering world. We are individuals capable of problem solving and look pretty doing it. You have great potential to create changes in every industry. Always dream and start learning every day because, as Jennifer Aniston once said, "There are no regrets in life, just lessons."
Therefore, Tia is committed to succeeding in her position, embracing new challenges, leaving her mark on the engineering community, and demonstrating that a person's gender needs not be a barrier to success in the cutting-edge fields of technology and innovation.
At ABB, you're not just starting a job; you're beginning a journey of personal and professional development and growth. Our culture is founded on strong values, where every person is appreciated and empowered to reach their full potential. We believe continuous development empowers people to make a difference. Our Learn, Connect, Grow framework and supportive culture enables everyone at ABB to pursue their personal goals and aspirations.
At ABB, we care about our people and their stories. We create safe, fair, equitable and inclusive working environments in which our people can succeed and develop, regardless of gender, ethnicity, sexual orientation or cultural, religious or social background. Diverse teams make us stronger. ABB is also committed to a high standard of integrityin everything we do.
