Tiril works on housing policy in the Kommunal- og distriktsdepartementet

What is your job description?

I work in the section for housing policy (Seksjon for boligpolitikk) wich is in the housing and building department (Bolig- og bygningsavdelingen), in Kommunal- og distriktsdepartementet. The section is responsible for the overall housing policy, including the government's social housing policy and following developments in the housing and construction market. My responsibilities as a first consultant include assessing and giving input on how the housing policy should be developed, assessing and recommending housing policy tools, provide accurate factual groundwork for political decision making, and preparing meetings and travels, as well as helping with speeches and presentations for the political leadership. Within this I mainly work with development of the rental market, and the social aspect of the government`s housing policies.

What is the most exciting thing about your job?

The most exciting thing about my job is that I get the opportunity to work with highly current topics every day. The work is largely a combination of specific tasks with short deadlines and more strategic work with a long-term perspective. This makes every day at work different! I also get to work with highly competent and skilled people who I learn much from. It is also very interesting to work in the intersection between politics, the bureaucracy and society. The bureaucracy are rumored to be very slow working, but my experience is that things move very fast, and you have to be ready for a change of plans at any given point.
 

How do you use your educational background at work?

As an employee in Kommunal- og distriktsdepartementet working with political development with a nationwide reach, I often have to think about the connections between local, regional, national and also international scale. My studies in human geography and what I have learned about geographical scale is of great help in my work. Moreover, I have to consider the impact politics and society have on each other and identify connections between political tools and the implication these can have for individuals, businesses, municipalities, other public agencies, the economy overall, and overreaching political goals. This can be very comprehensive and complicated, and as a human geographer I get to utilize knowledge from many sub-disciplines, such as political geography, economic geography, and urban geography.

What is a typical day at work?
A typical day at work consists of meetings, with both colleagues and external people, and independent work. Independent work usually entail case management, writing notes for the political leadership (notater), writing and assessing r-notes (r-notater), writing sheets (flak) and following political processes. An important part of a day at work also includes great colleagues and a relaxed work environment. The threshold for asking questions or just stopping by a colleague`s office for a chat is very low.
 

How did you get the job?
I wrote my master thesis on innovation in the housing sector. This was very relevant for the job I have today and is also one of the reasons why I was called in for a job interview. Besides this, I had no particularly relevant work experience for this position. However, as a student I had several part time jobs and volunteer positions. This gave me experience and skills that I think made me an interesting candidate for this job.
 

What are your best tips to students who are looking for your type of job?

One of my best tips is to write your thesis on something that you also could see yourself working on in the future. It can be hard to stand out as a candidate amongst hundreds of applicants. Writing a thesis on a relevant subject for a job gives you profound expertise on that subject and can make you a more attractive candidate.

The ministries often announce positions for fresh graduates, so I would recommend keeping your eyes out for that. Many employers also offer a notification system for when new positions are published, so I would definitely recommend signing up for that. Last, but not least, I would recommend students to say yes to as many opportunities as they can. All experiences can be useful when applying for a job. The important thing is to put into words how you can use that experience in the job you`re applying to.