How did you get your current job?
I got the job following a normal recruitment process with application and interview.
I started looking for jobs about a month before I submitted my master’s thesis, and searching for a ‘proper’ job was a completely new experience for me.
In order to chart my competences, and to improve my application writing skills, I did the Career Services’ job seeker course and made use of the CV and application check. This was a big help to me, and I would strongly recommend that other new graduates take advantage of these offers.
Altogether, I applied for a handful of positions in municipal and regional planning, and was invited to a number of interviews. I was offered the job in Vestby municipality within a month of graduating.
Why do you think they chose you for the job?
I noticed as a general rule in the job application processes that human geographers have competences that are in demand in the job market.
My position is a temporary position for eighteen months, and I am covering for another human geographer who also studied at the University of Oslo. I therefore believe that the employer’s knowledge of the education and competences we possess played a significant role in the recruitment process.
The work experience I gained in parallel with my studies, and my involvement in voluntary projects relevant to my studies, were also important determining factors in getting the job.
I therefore believe that my work experience as a seminar leader and disputation assistant at the Department of Sociology and Human Geography, as well as my involvement in a European project for young planners, was crucial to securing the job.
In general, I think that while good grades can help get you an interview, it is your personal qualities and your commitment that determine whether you get offered a job or not.
What are your main duties?
The planning department’s main tasks are to process and implement private and municipal plans for land use in accordance with the Planning and Building Act.
As we are a small department, I am involved in all parts of the planning process. This means I