Embarking on the industrial journey as a freelancer, is an effective way to develop one’s inner potential, especially for Riveria Amanda, an Alumna of the Japanese Literature Study Program at Universitas Dian Nuswantoro (Udinus). River walked her career as a translator and an illustrator character designer.
River was fluent in 3 languages namely, English, Indonesian, and Japanese. As a translator, she would translate songs, articles, and books from Indonesian to English and Japanese or the other way around. For example, she once translated a song by ‘Payung Teduh’ entitled ‘Akad’ into Japanese with ‘Kon’yaku’ as its title..
“Currently, I also dive into the culinary sector as my father asked me to do so. Therefore, I must develop those three abilities simultaneously,” she revealed.
River, an alumna of the 2015 cohort, claimed that her decision to be a freelancer was the result of her inability in enduring corporate life. Afterward, she decided to tie relations with her friends of the same interest and attended various online classes to push her knowledge even further. She said that by doing so, she could avoid the regretful feeling of not being able to pursue her dream.
“Do not be hesitant in developing your passion, but instead, you need to be courageous and consistent in gaining more and more experiences. With those experiences, you will be able to develop creative ideas which may generate profits,” revealed the owner the of @alarusensei Instagram account.
As a freelancer, River encountered many obstacles in her career. She claimed that her main problem was marketing, which according to her, people were still unfamiliar with the creative industry including translators and illustrators. River usually overcomes this marketing problem by following trends such as songs, comics, and video games.
“My monthly turnover is depending on how many customers use my freelancer services. Currently, I could gain at least Rp. 2 million per month,” River uttered.
River, who graduated in 2019, kept utilizing the creative thinking and entrepreneurship she got during her time at Udinus. Udinus currently offers entrepreneurial courses in every study program. Those courses guided River to establish her very own business and hone her creativity.
“Not only that, but the Department of Japanese Literature also offers the native speaker activity allowing students to interact with Japanese natives using foreign languages. Additionally, all the lecturers in the department are very aware of Japanese culture and several other sub-cultures ,” River concluded.
Name :
Riveria Amanda – Alumni Prodi S1 Sastra Jepang Udinus
