Name: Safiullah Olfaty
Profession/Industry: Civil Engineer
Current U.S. Position and Company Name: Project Engineer, Amalgamated Sugar Company
Education: Masters in Civil Engineering (Earthquake Engineering), Fukuoka City, Japan, 2017, Bachelor’s in Civil Engineering (Soil mechanics), Kabul, Afghanistan, 2011 and was studying for his PhD in Environmental Engineering in Japan before moving to the United States
Country of Origin: Afghanistan
First Job in the U.S.: Walmart, Stocking
Story Author: Global Talent, Career Advisor Zahraa Naser, Communications and Events Intern Leah Engle
Safiullah Olfaty’s story is one of remarkable success and determination. He began his professional career as a civil engineer in Afghanistan. However, after the collapse of the government in 2021, he and his family were forced to flee to Japan where he had the opportunity to pursue his PhD education. Shortly after that, Safiullah and his family were relocated to the Twin Falls, Idaho region. Upon arriving to the United States, he realized that it was not going to be easy to find a job that met his level of education and professionalism. The obligation of caring for his family led him to secure a night shift job stocking shelves at Walmart. Safiullah’s optimistic personality allowed him to acknowledge that “it wasn’t a great start”, but Walmart “was a good experience to get to know the people and culture and interact with them”.
After recognizing the differences in work culture between his home country and the United States; specifically, regarding resume building and communication styles, Safiullah became a highly motivated Global Talent job seeker. He was surprised at how quickly he was able to find a job after receiving resume building training and workshops from the Global Talent team. Now, Safiullah is a Project Engineer for Amalgamated Sugar Company, where he continues to learn, grow, be his authentic self, and lead as the sole civil engineer in this factory.
The greatest aspect of Safiullah’s story is his inspiring determination and the encouragement that he shares with all those around him. He is beyond grateful for the support that he has found through the Global Talent team. What he loves most about this organization is the power behind the name Global Talent, because he knows that “you’re (Global Talent team) accepting me as a talent and for who I am”.
To all the current and future job seekers, Safiullah challenges you to remember that you are not alone and to remember that “if someone has achieved it, then it’s achievable”. Safiullah is an inspiration of the confidence that we should all have in our talents and our ability to write our own success stories. Lastly, Safiullah encourages all to have a growth mindset like his saying “I will not stop until I achieve what I set my mind to do. You haven’t reached your capacity yet and can always do more.”
