How did you get the job?
After graduating, I applied for many jobs - including a position as a Higher Executive Officer at the Norwegian Institute of Bioeconomy Reserach. I remember that the job description seemed very exciting, and the tasks were within my area of ??interest. At first, they offered me a temporary position. After six months, I was hired for a permanent position.
What do you think were the most important factors for being offered the job?
I had part-time jobs throughout the studies. Although, the work I had was not always relevant to economics, however, I think it's important to have real life work experience.
I also believe it helped me in the application process that I wrote my master's thesis at SSB (Statistics Norway).
What are your tasks in your current job?
We work with, among other tasks, the Total Calculation (Agricultural Accounts). This is prepared annually and is a part of the material provided by the Budget Committee for Agriculture (BFJ) to the agricultural dealers.
I also work on various investigative projects and with operational audits in agriculture.
How is the knowledge you acquired through studying economics relevant to your current job?
My education has been very useful as much of my job consists of processing numbers and analyzing financial results. The basic understanding of economics weighs heavily.
Do you have any career advice for students?
You are competing with many others, so my best tip is to be active. Do not only send applications and expect to be asked for an interview. Give your employer a call using the contact details provided on the application and show that you are interested. Prepare some good questions and let them know why you, rather than someone else, should be given an interview.
(The interview was originally conducted in Norwegian, and is translated to English).