Ep 8: US: Writing Essays That Win with Gari Soedarjo’s Esaiku — Indos Across Borders

Welcome to another episode of Indos Across Borders, the podcast where we uncover the personal journeys of Indonesians building their lives abroad. Today, we sat down with Gari Soedarjo, Founder of Esaiku and a virtual assistant for a US-based startup. Gari shares his inspiring journey, from navigating university life in the US, to winning a green card lottery, to founding Esaiku while working in Silicon Valley. His story is about resilience, determination, and his passion for helping others achieve their dreams.

In this episode, we discussed:

How Gari was inspired by his Father and Brother, who studied in the US, to pursue his own dreams abroad
His journey as a university student in the US and how he adapted to a new culture
Why he called himself "the lucky kid", the story of him winning the green card lottery
Landing his first job in Silicon Valley while developing his own project, Esaiku
The founding story of Esaiku and its mission to help Indonesians achieve their academic goals
Returning to Indonesia and continuing to grow Esaiku as a platform for aspiring students
His practical tips for writing standout admission essays and advice for Indonesians dreaming of studying abroad

Schedule a free 1-on-1 advice call with Gari: calendly.com/garicalendar/esaiku-get-free-advice

(00:00) - Intro

(03:00) - Cerita awal pindah ke Amerika

(06:43) - US green card lottery

(13:47) - Kembali ke Amrik untuk kedua kalinya

(17:17) - Impresi pertama tentang Amerika

(26:35) - Rutinitas Gari di Amerika

(30:15) - Pekerjaan Gari di Silicon Valley dan bagaimana orang Amerika menilai Gari

(37:32) - Pengalaman tersulit Gari selama tinggal di Amerika

(42:06) - 'Inverse culture shock'; transisi ketika harus kembali ke Indonesia

(48:02) - Esaiku, alasan Gari membangun bisnis ini

(52:47) - Review esai gratis bersama Gari

(54:02) - Kesalahan terbesar ketika menulis esai

(58:42) - Tips membuat esai terbaik dan ChatGPT

(01:01:37) - Yang perlu disiapkan untuk menulis esai

(01:05:37) - Saran tambahan