Senior communication advisor at Utviklings- og kompetanseetaten, Oslo municipality

Name: Eirin Heddeland
Study program: Globalisation and Sustainable Development

Can you do another exchange, another internship or another student position – do it!

What do you work with?
I am a communication advisor in an department in Oslo municipality. Here I make sure we are working strategically so that we provide the best service for the inhabitants of our city. In addition Oslo is one of the best capitals in the world on sustainability. My department make sure we have car-sharing solutions, systems for swapping office supplies between departments, and many other similar initiatives. 

What is the best part of your job?
That I work for a better capital, both for the services we offer the inhabitants but also the footprint we leave. Oslo municipality is one of the largest employer in the eastern part of Norway, so we have a great opportunity to make a difference. 

How did you get this job?
My leader actually told me he picked me for the job interview because of my exciting CV. I have taken every opportunity to live abroad and to do different internships, especially through my masters. So this actually made me a better fit for this job. 

How do you apply the knowledge and skills from your studies in your current job?
I get to work with the municipalities policies, so making sure the politicians visions comes true. In addition I get to work with communicating sustainability. Both in introducing new initiatives, but also making sure the ones in charge of introducing new measures have made a good communication strategy. 

Your best job and career tips for current students:
Can you do another exchange, another internship or another student position – do it! It will help you later in life. Enjoy studying and learning new things, and do not fear doing something different. My internship was working with hard to recycle waste in London. Everything that makes you stand out helps you later in life. And have fun. I miss studying! 

Advisor/Data Analyst at the Norwegian Directorate of Health

Name: Michael Ogbe
Study program: Globalisation and Sustainable Development

I greatly benefit from the methodological and analytical skills I developed while working on my master’s and PhD degree.

As an international student, I strongly recommend others in the same situation to learn Norwegian as soon as possible. That will off course mean that you have to step out of your comfort zone for a while, but it is truly worth it.

With a background in geography, it might not seem immediately relevant to work as a data analyst at the Norwegian Directorate of Health. However, I have taken several courses in health geography, which focus on how diseases spreads and moves from one geographical location to another. This is highly relevant to the job I have now. Additionally, I greatly benefit from the methodological and analytical skills I developed while working on my master’s and PhD degree. This allows me to apply both general and subject-specific knowledge from my education.
Beyond that, I have a strong interest in IT and have taken several courses that I also utilize in my work. In addition, I teach various subjects in the geography program at NTNU and work as an external examiner.

When it comes to student life, I recommend taking the opportunity to engage in exciting activities alongside your studies. Personally, I participated in the student festival ISFiT, which was both an enriching learning experience and a lot of fun.

Solution Consultant in Tietoevry

Name: Valeria Ferreira
Study program: Globalisation and Sustainable Development

Follow your curiosity and inspiration!

I work on a project focused on AI use in the public sector. My tasks involves a lot of coordination and communication with both colleagues and clients. I plan tasks and activities, organize meetings, workshops, or interviews. As a bridge between developers, product managers, and designers, I help ensure that the work is completed according to plan.

What was your path to this job after your studies?

I completed a master’s degree in Globalization and Sustainable Development and then started a PhD in Social Anthropology. I wanted to take a break from academia and try working in the industry, so I applied for a job as a project manager at Tietoevry—and got it.

How do you use the skills from your studies in your job?

My job involves a lot of coordination and communication, and my team is very multicultural. Having studied something that prepares you for an international environment is very helpful. I am also quite engaged in ethical questions related to AI use, so I contribute to developing AI governance frameworks internally and keep up with EU regulations. Additionally, we work extensively with GDPR and similar issues, so many of the skills I gained during my studies are useful.

What are your best career tips for current students?

Follow your curiosity and inspiration!

Project Manager in the International Development Norway

Name: Caroline Tissot
Study program: Globalisation and Sustainable Development

Be strategic, but choose something you like and feel motivated to engage with!

What are you working with?

IDN works  with business-oriented projects contributing to sustainable local economic development in various countries (mostly CEE). Together with local partners in the countries we are working with, we run the whole project lifecycle, from idea phase, design, management, expert tasks and reporting/closing. 

What is the best part of your job?

The possibility to learn about different fields while bringing my social sciences background to more traditional contexts. I have been engaged with IDN from August 2015, and since then I have worked with projects related to gender issues, migration, sustainability (circular economy, eco-villages, green transportation), inclusion of disadvantged groups , to mention some. Hence while working with development projects here, I changed my perception of 'either'/'or': I realized it is possible to work with what I have studied for so long and feel identified with at the same time I contribute to bring a positive impact to the societies involved. 

How did you get the job after your studies?

IDN was the place where I did my Globalisation internship, and I have been working here since then. The internship I found through NTNU Bridge.

In what way do you use your expertise from your studies in your job?

In every possible way! The courses I have taken are very useful when it comes to knowledge background and to aplying a social science lens to what I do. But most of all, the global and transnational perspective I've acquired with the diversity of the program (and of my class) and the skills (especially research, academic writing, cultural and knowledge management) are present in my daily routine at work. 

Your best job- and career advice to our students? 

Be strategic when choosing your internship place and your thesis'  topic, but more important than that, choose something you like and feel motivated to engage with. I believe that when we are so young, more important than have a(ny) job, is to take time to discover our talents and what moves us. And the Globalisation program provides a great structure for that: there are such a variety of courses, of professors with different profiles, an engaged staff and, more than that, your classmates. Trondheim has an unique volunteering environment (UKA, Isfit, ESN and plenty of other organisations), so be out there and engage yourself (all employers value volunteer work a lot!) - remember the importance of networking. These are all 'tools' you can use to learn more about yourself and explore different possibilities. Above all, always have an open mind, be humble, and don't forget to have fun :)

Communications Intern in the Extractive Industries Transparency Initiative

Name: Synøve Almås
Study program: Globalisation and Sustainable Development

Out of 25 employees, we are 4 Norwegians and the rest are from all over the world. That makes this job very interesting, with so many different perspectives coming together to make the world a better place.

What are you working with?

The EITI is an anti-corruption body that works to improve the governance of the oil, gas and mining sectors. I work in the communications department and my work days are very varied. I spend a lot of time writing news pieces, blogs, and other publications. Social media is also part of my job tasks. Other minor tasks like updating our webpage and answering emails is also part of it. In addition, I have been fortunate to work with policy issues in the Middle East and North African countries that implement the EITI Standard.

What is the best part of your job?

The best part is the international environment that I work in. Out of 25 employees, we are 4 Norwegians and the rest are from all over the world. That makes this job very interesting, with so many different perspectives coming together to make the world a better place. It also makes up a very good social environment.

How did you get the job after your studies?

I wrote my master thesis on the EITI, which gave me a great advantage when applying for a job here. They happened to have an internship available right when I finished university, and voila! Here I am. It also helped that I had done an internship abroad whilst studying, giving me experience both in policy work and in an international environment.

In what way do you use your expertise from your studies in your job? 

The work we do is related to globalisation in all aspects. The policy issues that the EITI deal with include migration, environment, gender and local communities. It is about giving power back to citizens instead of large global corporates and governments. I recognise a lot of the issues from my master studies. Right now, I’m working on a brief on the extractives and gender, and I actually used one able to use the curriculum from one of the courses I took! It’s also good to be fluent in English, which is the working language of the EITI.

Your best job- and career advice to our students?

Make your education relevant for a career! I was lucky, and wrote my master thesis on an organisation based in Oslo who offer internships. Be a bit strategic when choosing courses and topics, and you’ll land your first job. That means the hardest part is done, and you can move on to other positions later on, but it’s that first experience that is hard to get. It’s always good to keep the longer term in mind. I would also advice to get experience beyond your studies, be it volunteer positions or a part-time job.