My application journey has given me a chance to learn more about my passion and capabilities

Yashika Agarwalla, Global Shapers 2017

Hello from Philadelphia (USA)!

I am a Water Engineer with the Arcadis Philly office. The Global Shapers program comes at an opportune time as I’m about to celebrate my first work anniversary with Arcadis.  First few weeks into the Global Shapers program and I can already say this will be a career defining experience. My virtual group consists of Arcadians placed in seven different time zones from California to Hongkong.

‘Every success has a trail of failures behind it’ – Before starting with the Arcadis Philly office, I had applied to three different Arcadis positions at different times; unfortunately, and fortunately, I was not to the right fit the first two times. In addition to Arcadis’ reputation and wonderful company culture, desire to be a part of Global Shapers kept me motivated.

With the reputation of selecting the 100 most talented and dynamic young professionals from Arcadis offices globally, I knew Global Shapers was going to be competitive. Being a recent graduate (or young professional), the theme for this generation – ‘Sustainability for Impact’ which encompasses Sustainability and Digitalization, are subjects I’m very passionate about. The application challenge for this year entailed creating a ‘One-Pager’ or a ’50 second video’ on combining sustainable and digital trends to create value for clients. My inspiration for the application video was a blend of my Indian roots along with education and experience in America. Along with giving me a better understanding of two diametrically opposite cultures, this journey has helped me grasp woes of less developed nations – rather areas where sustainability and digitalization can create major positive impacts.

Thanks to the great community participation on the Global Shapers Yammer group for making the application process super fun. Waking up to the “Congratulations; You’re in!” email from the Global Shapers Organizing Team was every bit worth the effort.

Here’s my message to future Global Shapers enthusiasts – Think about what makes you passionate, embrace your qualities and don’t be hesitant to talk about your ideas. Regardless of the selection, my application journey has given me a chance to introspect and learn more about my passion and capabilities. Good luck!

Yashika’s application

 

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