Q&A
Jacobs Go!: Jessica D'Entremont’s Story
Connecting and growing with international opportunities
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As part of our Boldly Moving Forward Strategy, we’re focused on intentionally building deep, trusting relationships for our people and nurturing our inclusive culture, including in how we approach wellbeing.
Wellbeing is foundational to everything we’re able to do and accomplish. We continually evaluate our wellbeing programs and benefits to best support our people – and we’re sharing stories of how these programs and tools are helping each of us individually be at our best, so we’re able to do more – together.
In this feature, we connected with Jessica D'Entremont, one of our transportation engineers, about her experience with our Jacobs Go! program in Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia.
Featured benefit:
Jacobs Go! – an employee program aimed at facilitating inter-regional and international six-month career opportunities. This early career program encourages connectivity across our business – enhancing our employee experience, providing professional and personal development opportunities and expanding global networks.
Tell us about your Jacobs Go! journey.
Reflecting on my time on the Jacobs Go! Program, I feel incredibly grateful for the experience. I spent about six months in Kuala Lumpur (KL) from July 2023 onwards as a roads and transport engineer. This role was similar to my transportation engineer role in Denver, Colorado in the U.S., where I’m based.
The Jacobs KL office was very welcoming. I never imagined in my wildest dreams that I would be living in Malaysia, so far away from all my friends and family. I am grateful for my coworkers and new friends I have made since being here – I can see why Malaysians are known for being very generous people!
This office also really knows how to party! The Jacobs Women’s Network in Malaysia successfully organized an annual dinner with the theme, The Great Gatsby. We also had a Christmas and Year End Celebration last year, where the entire team came together, ate delicious food, played a funny duck game and sang karaoke.
This experience will always be memorable and part of my life as my longtime boyfriend proposed to me when he visited me in Malaysia – a cherry on top of an amazing year.
What did you like the most about the experience?
With Malaysia being a multicultural country, I loved having the opportunity to learn about the Malay culture and other prominent cultures in the area, such as Chinese and Indian.
I spent several weekends exploring the city both with new friends and on my own. I visited Buddhist and Hindu temples and mosques, wore a saree (a garment worn by South Asian women) to a Malaysian-Indian wedding and celebrated Deepavali, the Indian festival of lights, at a colleague’s home.
A true highlight, however, was the street market food. I even tried durian, a delicious fruit known for its strong aroma – and surprisingly enjoyed it!
How did you manage the time-zone difference?
I worked as a Jacobs’ Global Integrated Delivery (GID) engineer on our U.S. projects. Being in KL, I was facing a 13–16-hour time difference from the U.S., which meant working at odd hours. However, I was offered a flexible remote working option to solve this.
What did you learn?
Living in a Southeast Asian country has shown me the importance of slowing down from the hustle and bustle of everyday life to pause and reflect on the more meaningful aspects of life.
The other piece is about diverse cultures and seeing the dynamics between them. It highlighted the shared values and the distinctions from the cultural norms in the U.S. For instance, I learned about communication styles – direct and indirect, mannerisms, languages, approaches to work-life balance, greater emphasis on values like family, faith and religion, and respect for hierarchy – all unique to Malaysia.
What do you want others to know?
Jacobs Go! is a life-changing experience! You will be able to explore the world while still building your resume and making new friends along the way. If you are truly looking for a cultural experience with a fun group of talented people, I highly suggest Jacobs Go!
“Jacobs Go! is a life-changing experience! You will be able to explore the world while still building your resume and making new friends along the way. ”
Jessica D'Entremont
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Batu Caves, famously known for its 272 colorful stairs and beautiful Hindu temple. It is also home to the biggest Lord Murugan statue in the world.
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Thean Hou Temple, one of the largest and oldest Buddhist temples in Southeast Asia.
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View Putra Mosque in Putrajaya.
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Wearing a saree at a wedding.
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Rangoli decoration at a colleague's house to celebrate Deepavali.
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Durian street market.
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Newly engaged in Malaysia.
Wellbeing at Jacobs
At Jacobs, the wellbeing of our people is fundamental to our success. When we’re each able to be well, our collective power is limitless.
A world where you can is only achievable when we’re each functioning at our highest abilities. We can’t be our true selves, get our work done, and develop and grow unless our ideal states of being are sustained. We embed wellbeing into all, so we’re able to deliver on our purpose – today and into the future.
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