His career started in 1968, when he graduated with a degree in mechanical engineering from the Bandung Institute of Technology (ITB). That same year he was offered a job as a salesman by his uncle William Soeryadjaya, the founder of Astra International, which he had started in 1957. Rachmat became employee number 15 at Astra. In the early days he drove to meetings on a scooter and often slept in the office. As Astra grew, Rachmat’s responsibilities grew along with it.