Higher Executive Officer at the Ministry of Education and Research

– What are the most important aspects of your job?

– As an employee at the ministry, the most important tasks are to manage cases for the Government, implement decisions, and follow up political priorities. For my work day, this means following up Government policies in higher education, research and international cooperation. I work with everything from bilateral and multilateral cooperation to handling issues about education in Norway.

– What do you like best about your job?

– I like having a job at the intersection between my subject and politics. I work in the Office for International Cooperation and getting to work in international relations and using the knowledge from my studies is really rewarding. What I love the most about it is that there is always something new to learn, and the working environment is also really good. I have been here for almost a year now and have never had a boring day.

– How is the education from the Faculty of Humanities relevant in this job?

–Since I work with international cooperation, there are many theoretical disciplines that have contributed to my understanding of the multilateral system and Norway’s foreign policy. The study techniques and experience with writing and analysing have proved particularly useful. I think many people don’t expect a background in humanities to be a good fit for working for the State. But often the skills are just as useful as professional knowledge when looking for your first job. You learn a lot on the job.

– What is the best advice you can give new students who are thinking about job opportunities after completing their studies?

– Use your time well! It is a unique time with unique conditions that I guarantee you will miss. It’s easy to stress about the future, but if you work steadily, there’s also loads of time to enjoy yourself, and things will work out.

There are so many things that can make you an attractive employee. As a humanities student, you need to create a profile in a way that shows employers what you can contribute. It’s not as straightforward as for other more vocationally focussed studies.

At MITRA, you get a semester of supervised professional training during your master’s, which was invaluable for me. I would recommend that everyone do supervised professional training or an exchange as part of their studies. Ideally both! I was also active as a volunteer alongside my studies. This benefitted me both socially and professionally and can be really fun.

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