This year, too, around 100 students of IT, technology, engineering, social science and economics will have an opportunity to spend an exciting summer with DNV.
Simen Loe Heggen is one of those who had a summer job here in 2021. He was one of eight participants in DNV’s summer project on the topic of ‘Floating wind 2040: How is it successful and what is DNV’s role?’.
“The summer consisted of six very busy weeks of intensive report writing, plus a lot of learning and fun. During the summer, we talked to several heads of industry as well as numerous experts in Norway and abroad about various aspects of floating offshore wind,” he explains.
For Heggen, who is studying for a master’s degree in renewable energy at the Norwegian University of Life Sciences (NMBU), the summer job was also a springboard for his career, because he is now writing his master’s thesis at DNV.
He tells us that having a mentor in DNV is very important for his master’s thesis.
“Among other things, DNV will provide some of the data used and a mentor, which is of invaluable help. In my view, collaborating with DNV also gives the thesis an extra dimension. After all, I know that what I’m analysing is something that someone is actually wondering about,” says Heggen, who recently signed a permanent employment contract and will join DNV in August 2022.
HIRED: Tara Jahangiry is an approval engineer in DNV’s Piping Systems and Alternative Fuels Section. Photo: Schibsted Partnerstudio
WRITING A MASTER’S THESIS: Simen Loe Heggen is currently writing his master’s thesis at DNV. After that, he will become a permanent employee. Photo: Schibsted Partnerstudio
The summer job became a permanent one
Tara Jahangiry has also had a summer job with DNV. Like Heggen, she chose to continue working for the company afterwards and is currently an approval engineer in DNV.
“I wanted to work for a large, international company with a head office in Oslo. At the same time, it was important to me that there were also opportunities to work abroad and develop my career. DNV ticks all the boxes for this,” says Jahangiry.
She believes that many summer trainees’ view of DNV as a company they would like to work for in the future is linked to the impression they get during the summer.
“I felt well taken care of as a summer trainee from day one. Among other things, I was assigned my own mentor and, not least, gained insight into a lot of exciting work,” says Jahangiry.
Heggen agrees with her.
“The employees even took time to talk to us students during their own holidays. They were very willing to share their knowledge,” he says.
STAYED WITH DNV: Simen Loe Heggen and Tara Jahangiry in DNV’s premises. Photo: Schibsted Partnerstudio
No regrets
DNV has also met their expectations as permanent employees.
“For instance, I’ve been on an excursion to Poland and attended various courses on LNG, hydrogen, tankers, etc. There’s no doubt that DNV has some of the world’s best expertise in my field, and I can learn as much as I want to every day,” says Jahangiry enthusiastically, and adds:
“If you want to, it’s easy to move around the organization and we have a support system with good procedures for this. In addition, we have several career paths that meet the wishes of technologists, specialists and managers, for example. You can have worked as anything from an engineer to HR staff during your career in DNV, and you can become a vice president without having personnel responsibilities,” she says.
It is clear that these two are also proud to work for the company.
“On the whole, everyone has something at home that is DNV certified, such as a fire extinguisher. That alone is very exciting,” says Heggen.
Green workplace
Jahangiry also points out DNV’s strong focus on the environment. For example, she and her colleagues are helping to prepare guidelines on the use of hydrogen as a ship fuel. They delivered similar rules for ammonia a short while ago.
“An incredible amount of exciting work is taking place in DNV. In all our work, however, it is more important that what we do is safe, environmentally friendly and sustainable than that it is done quickly and cheaply. The entire company is built up around a philosophy that focuses on the environment, which is very important to me personally,” says Jahangiry.
“And there is no doubt that DNV is using its voice to put the spotlight on important topics, such as the energy society of the future through the Energy Transition Outlook and Pathway to Net Zero Emissions,” adds Heggen.
The green focus also has a positive effect on the working day in other ways.
“We have boxes for used clothes and clothes swap days, we can rent electric cars cheaply, and charge our electric cars for free. In addition, a shuttle bus takes us to work to and from Sandvika and Skøyen so that employees can use public transport,” says Jahangiry.
EXCITING WORKPLACE: As a DNV employee, you have exciting opportunities to safeguard life, property and the environment. Photo: DNV
Diverse and sociable
Both Heggen and Jahangiry point to both diversity and the sociable environment when talking about why they chose to stay in DNV.
“We have 115 different nationalities, 38 per cent of new employees in 2020 were female, and 40 per cent of our management groups are women. In addition, there is room for many different skills and personalities. In my section, we have a chef and a Youtuber. I used to sell HR solutions before I joined DNV as an engineer,” explains Jahangiry.
She also points to the good environment and that she has made a lot of good friends through her job.
“You get to know your colleagues, not least because DNV has different groups for all possible interests. I’m a member of a network for people who want to get better at giving speeches and presentations, a band, the kayak group, and the art club,” says Jahangiry.
She is also the head of CONNECT, DNV’s internal ‘line association’ that arranges social and professional events for all those in DNV.
“We offer everything from lectures on DNV’s career opportunities to afterwork events and a weekly morning swim from the jetty just outside here,” she says.
Tara and Simen’s eight tips for those applying for a summer job:
Apply early, the heads of sections recruit continuously.
Try to make clear your enthusiasm and motivation for the job you are applying for.
Read the job advert carefully and make sure to respond to the requests.
Be interested in society, read the news, especially relating to a topic or industry that you may also want to work in. If you can prove that you are following what is happening, that can be a big plus.
Say a bit about yourself as a private individual and what you do when you are not studying.
Ask for help from your career advisor at your place of study.
Apply for many jobs. That is often a learning process for creating a good application and CV.
Remember that you can often contribute more than you think.