[su-re.co life] My 'Ikigai' as research assistant after 5 years with su-re.co

Hello everyone! This is Cynthia from Think-team!

When I wrote this blog, I just read an article saying that Indonesia passed Brazil and India as a country with the highest death toll of Covid-19 on July 12th 2021.

I hope you and your loved ones are doing well.

This time, I would like to share a fun being a research assistant at su-re.co. This year marked my fifth year working at such a unique company as my colleague Maya shared here, it could a college, a place to learn (Working at su-re.co pt 13: Workplace or College?).

For me, why I still love the work here with other gift-makers?

The answer brought back to my early days at su-re.co. One day I happened to have a conversation when our CEO, Tak, while we were walking through a pedestrian of Jakarta to a meeting venue. It was not clear how our conversation started, but it was a switch for me to find a reason why I can keep working at su-re.co. I think I asked him how he can maintain his interest in the field he works in (because I read his profile with 20 years' experience). Tak asked me, "Do you know ikigai?." I answered having no clue about this concept, what I know was this concept is to maintain a long life. 😅

Well, ikigai actually means "the purpose of life" to make a life of a human being to be more meaningful. There are four questions to be answered for me as purpose why I am still attached with su-re.co:

1) What you love

2) What you are good at

3) What the world needs

4) What you can be paid for

First, what you love. When I searched for a company that matched my interest, I looked at the topic they worked on. My interest is about the environment and sustainability, so I thought su-re.co's activities will align with my interest. That said, I was involved in various projects since Day 1, from the behind-the-desk projects until field-work projects that allowed me to meet different stakeholders, from farmers to policymakers to bring insightful perspectives as a (junior) researcher. I learned sustainability and climate change problems in the real case, learning how to provide recommendations or solutions as what the world (project) needs.

Plus, I enjoy all the projects which we are paid for (that is one of the reasons we work, isn't it?). As some people may say no fund no fun ;) Speaking of what I am good at, I would say my writing skill gets improved from the exposure to writing reports and publications while working as part of the research team. And, I am still up for more challenges ahead because working here is a continuous learning process.

Overall, the works done by this company are so unique which still attracts me to date and they still become my 'ikigai' (the purpose to continuously work with su-re.co).

Thanks for reading my blog! See you at the next one!