Deciding what to do after your studies can be hard. All EIT InnoEnergy Master’s programmes allow students to experience two different countries, and many of us already have an international background. This means that many doors are opened along the way. So when making that big decision about your career, there are several questions to consider. Which country do you want to work in? What role best suits your skills and interests? Academia or business? Which companies align with your values? Do you prefer start-ups or more established companies? Or maybe you want to start a business of your own?

During my studies, I had taken courses on several different topics, ranging from technical electrical engineering courses to more high-level sustainable policy courses. I also had experience from internships, which gave me valuable experience working at a start-up, as a consultant and in academia. When I started to look for jobs, I still didn’t know exactly what I wanted to do, but I had some direction to follow based on what I had done. The things I was certain about was that I wanted to work with a big, established company that offered international opportunities, I wanted to work with renewable energy, and I wanted to continue exploring different, professional roles. So when I learned about the concept of ‘trainee programmes’, (also called ‘graduate programmes’ depending on the company in question), I knew this would be ideal next step for me.

I want to tread carefully when I talk about ‘graduate programmes’ or ‘trainee programmes’ because they can mean different things depending on where you work. There is no formal definition for these positions since companies are largely free to tailor their own offer. Nevertheless, such programmes generally target recent graduates with limited professional experience. Many include work rotations where you have the opportunity to take on different roles across the company in order to get an overview of the company’s operations and find out what you enjoy doing along the way. Some companies tailor their programmes towards ending up in accelerated leadership tracks whereas others could be more focused on building subject matter experts within a certain field. The rotations can often involve relocations to different offices, cities, and countries.

 

I considered several different companies and graduate programmes when I was searching for jobs, but in the end, I chose the trainee position where I felt I could make the biggest impact. And the position that I opted for also brought me back to my hometown Oslo, in Norway.

So far, I couldn’t be happier with my choice. In the first month of my trainee position at Statkraft, I had the opportunity to connect with other trainees, attend a meeting with the company’s CEO, perform inspections at a power plant, work with power equipment for renewable energy generation and learn from my experienced expert colleagues. My days at work got busier as I got involved in more projects and I have had the chance  to apply much of what I learned during my studies into this experience.

My next job rotation will present me with new challenges and also take me to a different continent. Climate change knows no borders, and the energy transition needs a global approach so I am fortunate my career can follow suit. It makes me happy to continue working to promote renewable energy generation together with bright minds from all corners of the world here at Statkraft.

If you are in your final year of your studies, or you will soon join an EIT InnoEnergy programme, you will be faced with similar questions that I was. So, I have some tips to help you get started in your job search:

 

1. Take the time to do proper research on the positions and offerings that are out there, and start early. Use LinkedIn, follow companies you are interested in, and search in your browser to find out about interesting companies and their job openings. Also keep an eye out for application deadlines as they seem to get earlier every year!
2. Believe in yourself! Don’t avoid applying because you’re scared of being rejected, or not being qualified enough. Be honest in your application and show why you are motivated, the process of applying is also a learning experience in itself.
3. Use your contacts, reach out to your network (or start building it), and contact alumni to see if they know of an opening which might suit you.
4. Get to know yourself and see how every experience you have had is an opportunity for growth. Not everyone will land their dream job right after their studies but trying something that might be a bit different than what you thought you might do could actually end up leading you into something exciting and fulfilling so keep your mind open!

 

Best of luck to all jobseekers out there!

 

By Maria Isabel Bipop Bang Jensen, EIT InnoEnergy Master School alumna