New Beginnings with Hershey
The A-Game team had to chance to interview Harshika (Hershey) Chadha in honor of Women’s History month this past spring.
As a New Delhi native, Hershey had a chance to talk about her journey from leaving her home country to finding her footing throughout college and now in the professional world.
In addition to the interview, we had a chance to get to know Hershey on a more personal level.
1). What is your favorite book of all time? Why?
I’m not much of a reader, but the books that catch my attention are typically self-help books. I strongly believe that reading is a great habit and I’ve been actively trying to incorporate more time for reading in my schedule. If I had to choose one book, it would definitely be “The Secret”. I loved learning about the concept of the “law of attraction” and it really helped me in changing the way I think.
2). Who has been the biggest mentor in your career?
I’ve been grateful to have multiple mentors throughout my career journey. I’m thankful to all the powerful women around me that lead by example. This includes my mother, my aunts, my professors, other SJSU alumni, and some of my current co-workers. One thing my mentors have in common is their belief in uplifting others through their journey and I hope to pay it forward. I would highly recommend everyone to try and seek mentorship (official or unofficial). My mentors have helped in shaping me into the person I am and fostering not just my professional, but also personal growth.
3). Where do you draw inspiration from?
Working out and journaling really provides me a sense of inspiration and much-needed calmness. These two things give me the opportunity to spend time with myself and explore more about myself. I love organization and journaling gives me the ability to introspect and organize my own thoughts.
4). What’s next for Hershey?
In my opinion, the purpose of life is to enjoy the journey and not just reach an endpoint. I’m still exploring myself while making the most of each and every opportunity that comes my way. With COVID-19 impacting everything and everyone, I do have a sense of uncertainty about my future, but I do see myself seeking business opportunities and maybe even continuing my education journey in the field of business and technology. I’m currently settling into my new role at EY, but also keeping an eye out for new challenges that can help me in becoming an even better version of myself.
5). How have you adjusted to the WFH onboarding process?
When I accepted my job offer last summer, I had no idea that I would have to start my career virtually. I was super excited about traveling for training and work since my role is very client-centric. Working from home definitely has its pros and cons. I enjoy having the flexibility and saving hours I would spend sitting in traffic. On the contrary, I dislike how much harder it is to build meaningful connections and learn everything virtually. For anyone in a similar situation as me, I would highly schedule 1:1 video calls with your team members to get to know them better and not being afraid to ask questions when needed!
6). What are some cool things you have been working on post-college?
Post-college I was hoping to travel the world, but thanks to COVID, I decided to dedicate more time towards figuring out things that I’m REALLY passionate about. I interned as an investment analyst and pushed myself out of my comfort zone. I also participated in IBM Call for Code on a pretty innovative project to help international students during COVID. The recent and exciting project has been the start of my new wellness page where I get to create my own content and share my wellness journey. You can follow healthify_with_hershey on Instagram to learn more about me me and this new journey of mine! :)
7). Ultimately what brings out your A-Game?
Constantly stepping outside my comfort zone and learning how much of an impact every action, word, and thought can make! My goal is to continue learning and growing myself and hopefully help others through my experiences and knowledge. Now I really try to be mindful of how my choices as an individual can impact others around me.
To learn more about Hershey, tune in to our latest episode on both Spotify & Itunes.
Spotify: https://open.spotify.com/episode/1mEVHjKpdcW25AVSE666yO
Itunes: https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/a-game-talks-w-hershey/id1493751794?i=1000469983804
