- Name: Aditi Shah
- Age: 24
- Current location: Oxford, UK
- Home town: Leicester, UK
- Education: BSc Business Administration
- Current position: Engagement Manager, 2degrees Limited
- Organization description: 2degrees Limited works with large corporations and companies to help them become more environmentally sustainable through cutting energy, waste and water in their supply chains.
- Bio: After graduating with a degree in business administration, Aditi Shah found herself in the non-profit sector, completing internships in San Francisco, India and Kenya before landing a job with 2degrees in Oxford, England.
- Countries I've worked in: India, United States, United Kingdom, Kenya
- Sector / subsectors: Business, Corporate Social Responsibility
- Areas of expertise: Community building, small business support, kitchen management + operations, event management, campaigns, consultancy.
- Country: UK
- Region: Europe
- Sector: Business, Environmental
- Degree subject: Business & commerce
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Who are you and what do you do?
Meet Aditi Shah.
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What's an average week like?
Aditi talks about how to get people excited about sustainability, and getting busy people to want to engage.
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How did you get to where you are now? Tell us about your career trajectory.
Aditi talks to us about her international experience, from helping start social enterprises in India, to working for a food business incubator in San Francisco. Find out how that ignited her love of food systems and feeding people better and more sustainably.
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What were some of the personal and professional challenges you faced working internationally, and interculturally?
From loss of independence to feeling like you know nothing at all, Aditi shares some of her challenges from India.
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What abilties or qualities does it take to succeed in this field? What have you learned over time?
What Aditi thinks the social enterprise sector needs more of, why business and social enterprise are not mutually exclusive, and resisting the urge to market a "sob story."
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How did you get your jobs in this sector? How did you get your foot in the door?
Aditi has worked for four different social enterprises, and didn't get a single one of those jobs through a formal application process. She tells us how.
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What's out there in your field? What are various streams within this sector?
From microfinance to field work, Aditi breaks down the various streams within the social enterprise sector.
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Is there a work-life balance in this sector?
Aditi tells us what motivates her and how she wraps her head around work-life balance, or a lack thereof.
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Do you need a specific degree or background in this field?
You don't have to bring a business degree to the table.
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You mentioned that you've got your jobs through cold emailing, rather than formal applications. Do you have tips when it comes to networking?
Aditi talks about the importance of having a mentor, and how the right email can get your foot in the door - even if you forget to include a subject line!
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Any last bits of advice?
Aditi says you may have to work for a job that doesn't totally fulfill you, but make the most of spare time to build towards building the skills you need to get to your dream job.
