Working with renewable energy

Job title: Senior Specialist, Ørsted, Offshore, Strategic Environment & Permitting, since 1 September 2014

MSc in Aquatic Science & Technology, DTU, 2014

Thesis: Submergence tolerance in wheat: Does wheat stand a chance under water?

BSc in biology, KU, 2011 

What do you do at Ørsted?

I work as a Senior Specialist in the department Strategic Environment & Permitting. My department works with offshore wind at Ørsted and have in June 2020 just reached an amazing milestone with turbine number 1,500 installed. Offshore wind has become a really big industry with a lot of political focus.

I find it very motivating to work with renewable energy in an industry which is developing so fast. My department supports our colleagues in different markets across the globe - Europe, Asia Pacific and USA - in obtaining permits from the authorities to build and operate wind farms. The permit will have a number of conditions that we need to comply to and many of them will be regarding environmental impacts and monitoring: Will the construction and operation of the wind farm harm the environment? We provide information to the authorities on potential impacts for instance on fishery or on marine mammals and how such an impact might be reduced, for instance by mitigating noise during the noisy foundation installation. My focus area is underwater noise and marine mammals, as well as wider biodiversity and sustainability topics.

What qualifications from your MSc Programme do you value in your work?

I get to use the whole sweep of knowledge I have of the marine environment and how to manage it. So basically, everything I have done so far during my study and student jobs, I can apply in this job.

I started off being more of a generalist than a specialist. When I hired consultants to do surveys and reports for us, I had to be able to understand and evaluate their survey on e.g. fish, benthos, bird or marine mammal monitoring. I keep learning and have to read large reports and literature, for instance about underwater noise, which was not part of my studies. Over the years, my profile has, however, become more and more specialized.

What is the most significant difference between being a student and an employee?

The biggest difference is that you are applying your knowledge to something that affects more than just yourself. That gives a whole new motivation. As a student, you most often do something contributing only to your own development, but now, what I do have impacts beyond me. It is further a different way to learn applying your knowledge into a real context and realizing, that some things might be right in academia, but not in reality.

How did you get the job at Ørsted?

I applied for the Graduate programme, which is a special two-year programme for recent university graduates some large companies are running. The programme involved working in three different departments the first two years to expand ones knowledge and network within the organisation before returning to the first department again. We were 2,500 applicants and 25 of us got in.

What advice would you give coming graduates looking for their first job?

Get a relevant student job! I e.g. worked at the Natural History Museum of Denmark, which gave me good communication skills and communication is essential in many positions. I have a lot of contact with a lot of different people in this job—from general stakeholders to authorities and colleagues in other departments. Communication skills are key. I would also recommend taking advantage during your studies of the chance to practice your communication skills in group work, presentations and so forth.

Another thing that was appreciated in my application was that I more or less designed my own degree taking courses from different universities and countries. So don’t just do what is expected of you, but do what fits you and your ambitions. I also did a large volunteer project while doing my thesis, which showed that I could handle more than one large projects at a time.

English is a must in an international company. Obviously, preparing really well for the job interview is essential. Proper preparation can give you that extra five percent edge and boost your confidence. I had never worked with offshore wind before, but I read up on the company, their visions, the structure, the work the department is involved in, how they do their work and what kind of different assignments they have.