Hi everyone, my name is Johannes Mähler, Global Shapers Generation 2014. Last year I decided to settle over from Germany to the Netherlands. I would like to tell you how I made this step within our company. I want to also encourage you to use those great opportunities that Arcadis can offer, if you are playing with the thought of working and living abroad.
Meanwhile I am based in Amsterdam (The Netherlands), enjoying the city with its traditional houses located near the water canals. The Dutch culture is very outspoken and friendly.
I am working as a building and construction engineer in the field of Technical Due Diligence. This exciting work deals with advising owners or potential investors on the technical condition of their real estate, so they can consider whether to buy or not buy the property. For me as a starting engineer the field offers a lot to learn about technical aspects of building, the real estate markets and provides insights through the eye of our clients mainly of the financial institutions sector. As a plus, I get to see new sites and buildings all over the country almost weekly. On the market, Arcadis especially sticks out amongst other competitors through their broad collaboration within the European Arcadis community. We are even able to serve an increasing amount of large building portfolios containing buildings spread all over Europe. Therefore we often connect our teams from the Netherlands with those of UK, France, Germany, Italy, Poland, Spain, and more.
But what’s beneficial for our clients, finally also turned out to help me make my move to the Netherlands. The international work (which is to a major part in English). Working in that field already in Germany for two years (since 2014), I got in contact with the Dutch team and told them about my plans to move to the Netherlands. It was great to hear, that the team there was welcoming and supported my idea. It was agreed quite quickly from both the German and the Dutch team and so in September 2016 I finally moved to my new home in Amsterdam.
Being part of the Global Shapers Generation 2014 made me even more confident about going abroad and working with Arcadis. From the contacts and connections I made, I knew I could expect to receive help and a first contact during the beginning of my new situation. Especially here in the Netherlands, there are various colleagues who welcomed me and made it easier to connect with the new work environment. The same experience I had with the Imagineers Program, which I joined in 2016. Whether you are looking out for a lunch buddy, meet up after work, or even have a difficult question of administrative matters within the different organization in the new country. It is good to know that there are people that can help you find yourself in that new situation.
Being a Global Shaper can boost your opportunities within our global company. For me that came true by recently moving and working with a new team in the Netherlands.
-Johannes Mähler
Global Shaper: Generation 2014
