Organizational Advisor

What do you work as?

I am an organizational advisor at Spire, an environmental and development youth organization. It is a job that consists of many different tasks, but I have two main ones: Facilitating for volunteer activity in the organization, and coordinating an exchange collaboration we have with a partner organization in Malawi. For the exchange project there are two participants from each country that spend six months in Malawi with our partners there, and then spend six months with Spire in Norway afterwards. That is what I do mainly.

How did you get your current job?

A friend and classmate of mine who had worked in Spire previously told me that there was a job posting out for a position in the organization and that she thought this would be a job that I would enjoy. I knew of the organization beforehand, as I had done some volunteer work in other similar organizations, so I applied for the position, went on a job interview, and got the job.

What do you think were the most important reasons why you got the job?

I definitely think my combined background in development studies and social anthropology was very important, especially since I am working with an exchange project and working in close collaboration with our partners in Malawi. I have also been on exchange myself, to Bolivia, through the department of social anthropology, and I also think that was an important part of why I got the job. Having gone on exchange myself makes it easier to understand the situations of the exchange participants I work with. In addition, I have also done volunteer work in other organizations, and that prior experience probably mattered quite a bit.

What are your main tasks in the workplace?

Facilitating for volunteer activity in the organization consists of many different tasks; assisting volunteers with their projects, visiting local branches of the organization, holding stands, organizing cabin trips and fall seminars, recruiting new members, and generally making sure that the organizational stuff runs smoothly. It¡¯s all about making Spire into an organization that is fun to spend your free time on. To make it into somewhere you can be social and have fun, while also being a place you can learn a lot and have an actual influence on politics.

When it comes to the exchange program, I have meetings with our partners in Malawi, I plan the program and handle the practicalities for the stay in Norway, and I report to Norec (The Norwegian Agency for Exchange Cooperation), who is funding the exchange project.

What are you working on right now?

I do a lot of different things, but right now I am spending most of my time on planning a fall seminar and a cabin trip, as well as visa applications for the Malawian participants in the exchange project.

What do you think is the best part of your job?

The best part of the job is that I get to work directly with the things I am passionate about, and that I get to use the knowledge from my education in a practical context. In addition, it is very motivating to work with so many passionate and knowledgeable people, both the volunteers in the organization and my colleagues at the office.

What is the most challenging?

Spire is a volunteer organization and is therefore dependent on getting new volunteers and members. Since there are so many other great organizations you could also be a member of I think the biggest challenge is to attract new volunteers. During the pandemic it has been especially hard to find volunteers, which is something that we have felt quite clearly, but luckily, we see that it is starting to get easier again.

How do you use your education from UiO in your work?

Through my education I have gained a solid background for working with the themes we focus on in Spire: Climate and nature, International trade, food security and sustainable city development. In addition, I keep the critical perspectives on aid and development from my studies in the back of my mind when working with the exchange project and our partner in Malawi. For example, being conscious of power structures. The cultural understanding from anthropology is also something I use a lot, among other things to understand and relate to different work cultures. Experience from my master¡¯s project, of working independently, and being flexible and adaptable, have also been very useful in my work.    

What kind of activities did you engage in during your studies that prepared you for working life?

I volunteered in other organizations that also worked toward a more just and sustainable world, and that has definitely given me a lot of useful experience. By having different positions within the organizations I learned a lot about how organizations function, how to run an economy and so on. I have also worked with international students at the University of Oslo during the summer, and that has also helped prepare me for the job I have now.

What is your best tip for students who want to be attractive on the job market?

I think it is very valuable to have other things to show to than just grades. This probably varies according to what kind of job you¡¯re after, but I think it is important to remember that you can get a lot of good experience and knowledge outside of your studies.

I also think it is very important to do something that you¡¯re motivated for, whether that is volunteering in an organization, being part of a student union, or having a job. It is not just important in the sense that you get relevant experience, but also because you get to know a lot of people and make new friends while doing something you like.   

When I first started my master¡¯s, I worried unnecessarily early about what I would work with when I was finished, so I just want to say to you new students that it is going to be okay. Lower your shoulders, and remember how valuable the experience and knowledge you already have is.