Commentator

– What are the most important aspects of your job?

– “I work in the Comment Department at Aftenposten, which means that I write comments both under my own name and for the newspaper. In addition, I make a podcast called Poprådet. My most important work task is to make sure that there is something to read on pages 2 and 3 of the newspaper. Blank pages in a newspaper don’t look good. Ideally, there should be something wise, convincing and well-formulated there. Sometimes we succeed.”

– What do you like best about your job?

– “You’ve asked the wrong question, as Kåre Willoch used to say, because what is there not to like about my job? I love going to work every day. Smart colleagues, lots of laughter, seriousness and a chance to reach many people with my opinions. Beat that if you can, as they used to say.”

– In what ways are the studies offered by the Faculty of Humanities relevant to your job?

– “I studied Chinese, and I still get to use it. For example, to read Chinese newspapers and official documents, or to interview people.In 2021, I interviewed someone who had worked as a prison guard in the detention camp in Xinjiang. It was both very interesting and shocking.
Otherwise, I have an intermediate level subject (!) in philosophy, where one learns to think critically. It is useful both at work and in other areas of life.”

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

–“One possibility is to study for a long time, but the Norwegian State Educational Loan Fund will eventually come knocking and want their money back. When this happens, you simply have to have an income. This happened to me. I started writing comment articles for the Dag og Tid newspaper to pay back my loan. Before I knew it, I was working as a full-time journalist and got a permanent job, a house with a garden and a Volvo. In other words, I would highly recommend having a shortage of money. Otherwise, my best advice is not to panic. Michel Houellebecq writes in his book Soumission that humanistic studies can only be used to educate people to educate other people in humanistic studies. This is an exaggeration. Many of us have managed to find our way into working life despite our Faculty of Humanities background.”

More Career Interviews