Final Placement Report
Internship at Norsk Solar
Michelle Etemesi
S3716910
Placement Provider: Øyvind Vesterdal Placement Supervisor: Ludvig Bellehumeur University Supervisor: Sonia Mascarell Date: 14th January 2021
Table of Contents
1. Introduction ... 3
2. Searching for a work placement ... 3
3. During the placement period ... 5
4. Reflections ... 9
1. Introduction
In order to complete the master’s program in International Relations and International Organizations, it was important to complete a 7-week full-time placement in order to get some work experience in the field of that is related to the degree program.
Searching for a work placement in 2020 was particularly challenging and daunting due to the uncertainty of available internships due to Covid-19. In the beginning of the year, those that had already begun their internships abroad were advised to come back and begin from working from home. The university also provided research placements as an alternative for those who were unable to get a placement with an organisation. I was fortunate enough to receive and complete my placement in a Norwegian solar company called Norsk Solar. The placement took place over a period of 12 weeks from September to December 2020.
While doing this placement, I learned a lot about the solar and renewable industry, improved my research skills and encountered challenges that I learned to overcome. This report will provide details pertaining to my placement experience at Norsk Solar, including the application and onboarding process. It will contain descriptions of the daily activities I undertook, lessons that I learned during the placement as well as my own personal reflections.
2. Searching for a work placement
My search for a placement begun during spring as I had hoped to do my placement over the summer period. This was because I had wanted to complete my placement before starting my thesis in earnest in the second semester. We were advised that trying to balance doing a placement and thesis at the same time, though possible, would be incredibly difficult. In the beginning of my search, I had hoped to find something in Groningen, but widened my search to anywhere in the Netherlands and abroad. However, due to various Covid-19 restrictions, countries had shut their borders and people were advised to work from home which made looking for a placement much more difficult. Some organisations were not looking to hire interns due to the lack of physical presence they would have in the duration of the placement and the ongoing uncertainty. Given the situation, I tried to keep my options for the types of
placements open and keep my interests broad. I endeavoured to be as optimistic as possible and sent job applications to various organisations. After inquiring with my placement adviser and attending the placement workshop held by the university, the criteria for placements was broadened and could be as simple as being an international institution or an organisation that had some form of international outreach. I was interested in finding a placement that was in the Netherlands, given the Covid-19 situation, however, I still applied internationally for roles that offered the possibility of an online placement.
As summer approached, it was looking less likely that I would be able to complete my placement before the following semester began and became slightly apprehensive that I would be able to get a job offer. During this time, I had also contacted my university placement supervisor, Sonia Mascarell, for alternative options in case I was not able to get a placement. The university had also managed to provide alternative research placements for those who struggled to find placements, in order to complete their program. Although I felt that the research placement was more appropriate for those that were seeking experience in academia, I kept my options open as it was still a worthwhile experience.
I sent an open application to a company called Norsk Solar, which is a solar company that builds and manages solar panels for medium to large organisations around the world. The company itself is based in Norway but has clients around the world. Norsk Solar develops, builds, finances, owns, and operates solar power plants globally, with a focus on emerging markets. They currently have operations in six countries across four continents. Their clientele consists of commercial and industrial sized companies that require large amounts of electricity for their operations.
At the time of application, I had very little knowledge about the solar industry, but I was very interested in learning more about it. I believed that by getting a placement at the company, I would be able to gain understanding about the renewable industry. Given that the world is trending towards renewable and sustainable energy, it is a growing industry with a lot of potential and I was very interested in learning more about it.
I was invited for a phone interview with the CEO of Norsk Solar, Øyvind Vesterdal, but as it was an open application and I knew very little about organisational structure, I was given the opportunity to share what interested me and also how the internship may be applicable to my MA program. I mentioned my enthusiasm to learn about everything within the organisation
and although I have had previous work experience in the financial sector, I was interested in a role that may be more suitable towards international relations. Given the travel advisories against travelling to other countries by the government and the university, I requested that the placement be done remotely. Øyvind was able to oblige as Norsk Solar already had employees working in different parts of the world and were flexible in terms of workplace location. I had also requested to work part-time, three days a week, eight hours a day. The placement period was from September to December and therefore, required time to work on my thesis for the remainder of the week. Although not ideal, I felt that it was necessary.
Øyvind informed me that I was successful in my interview and could begin my internship in Norsk Solar as a project intern in the Business Development team from September. My role would be to support the sales representatives by gathering information for potential clients around the world. I was excited for the opportunity and slightly apprehensive, as I did not know whether I had the applicable skills to perform the role.
The week before I officially began my placement, I had an introductory video call with Ludvig Belleheumer, who would be my placement supervisor, and the rest of the team I was going to be working with. The introduction consisted of giving me some information about the company, the locations they are currently active, what they expected me to contribute to the team and what I would be working with. They gave me more insight about how the company worked so that I would have an idea before I officially started. The call was beneficial in terms of getting accustomed to the people I would be working with for the duration of my placement.
3. During the placement period
On my first official day of work, I had a video call with my team which consisted of an in-depth introductory session where I got to learn the company structure, and the types of clients that the company looks for. I learned more about the Business Development team and the role they played within the company, such as finding prospective clients, which would be part of my role. As I had to sign a non-disclosure agreement stating that I would not discuss the details of the tasks that I would perform. However, I will give an overview that will provide some understanding about what I had to do.
Initially I was tasked with researching and preparing a data profile report for two countries that would help the company assess potential investment opportunities. I was given a template to work with, and a sample country profile that had already been completed, to direct me on the type of information I would be expected to produce. I was also provided with a document that listed the various sites that the team had used in the past to gather the information. The tasks seemed relatively straightforward and they gave me the tools I required to work on the reports by myself. As I was working part time, the date for my deliverables was very important and we agreed that we would see how much I could do to begin with and familiarise myself with the data they required, so that I would be comfortable enough to do future market reports.
Although the tasks required me to work independently, I was also able to ask for help whenever I needed it. Before beginning on my tasks, I had to set myself up on the email and communication platforms that the company used. Although it was not a complex process, I spent a larger part of the first day familiarising myself with the platforms as I was also my own IT department.
When I first began working on the reports, I found that though the work itself was straightforward and I had been given the tools to do it, it could often be challenging to find verified information. I found that I was working slower than I had anticipated, however I was able to deliver the work on time. I received feedback through a call on the work I had done on my final working day of the week from Ludvig. I received guidance on what information I may have missed or needed to include which I found very helpful. We also discussed potential tasks that could be done for the following weeks. Since I was accustomed to doing the reports, I was able to independently work through a given list of countries, with various degrees of urgency and learned what to prioritise with guidance from members of the team. I was also able to independently determine the target amount of reports I would be responsible for delivering at the end of each working week.
The first week was a steep learning curve in terms of familiarising myself with the types of information a solar company would be interested in, learning new terminology and looking for specific types of information. I encountered challenges with government websites that did not provide information that I needed as well as learning to look for information in different languages. Although I had written a number of research papers before, it was different having
to write a report on a country profile, however, a similarity included making sure that all information collected was referenced.
I would have a minimum of two video calls a week with the Business Development team. My week often began with a Monday morning meeting to discuss my deliverables for the week which would often be with the Business Development team. We would discuss the tasks that I was planning to do for that week as well as any additional requests that the team may have. I would also have a second call on the final day of my week with Ludvig to go through what I had completed and get some feedback from the work that he had reviewed. Although there were occasions where I would have more than two calls a week, I mostly used the communication platforms to keep in touch with the Business Development team for anything that required their immediate attention. It was fairly easy to communicate with the team. However, during the course of my placement, Norsk Solar was affected by lockdown restrictions in Norway and everyone had to work from home. The meetings were then mainly between me and Ludvig. The meetings were not only to discuss work related items but were also a well-being check-in given the circumstance with Covid-19.
I found that I became more proficient in my tasks as I did more country data reports, I was consequently able to increase the amount I completed each week and prioritised those that were deemed to me more critical. There were circumstances where potential clients had already been approached and information was required on the country that they were in. Basic information included the tax system, government bond rates and the price of electricity. This was important as the sales team would be able to know what to expect when approaching a client and what the investment client was like.
I occasionally received ad hoc job requests from the Business Development team that usually required urgent attention as they were related to work that was already underway; this could include editing a contract or doing an analysis and separate report on a particular company or regulator. I was also asked to attend an online seminar that discussed the impact of Covid-19 on the energy sector in developing and emerging markets. The seminar was hosted by the International Energy Agency and had panellists from ASEAN, UNDP, OECD and Inter-American Development Bank. This was of particular interest to Norsk Solar not only for planning purposes, but also as a forecast of how the industry is expected to perform. I learned
relevant to the company for example, how economic growth affects the renewable industry as well as renewable energy policies that were introduced or changed. I found it very interesting and could see why it was relevant to companies such as Norsk Solar when planning on which countries to invest in the future. It was especially interesting to see how Covid-19 has affected the renewables industry in different parts of the world.
The ad-hoc requests would often take precedence over my normal daily tasks as they would need to be completed before I completed my working week. As I became more comfortable with the expectations, I was able to fulfil these requests. However, I also found that as I only had a three-day work week, it was not always possible to do what was expected on time.
By the fourth week into my placement, I was tasked with doing a more detailed country report that involved collecting more information about a specific country. The report was to include economic developments, the political situation, how the energy sector was set up, the renewable industry and the ease of setting up a business in that country. This document was important when the company was considering investing in that particular country, in order to be fully aware of current affairs. The report would also be used to show potential investors that research that had been completed and Norsk Solar were prepared. It took much longer to do this type of report as more research and analysis was required in putting it together. I found that I used the skills I learned from my MA program a lot more when preparing this type of report because it required putting data together in a way that was relevant to the company.
Halfway through my placement, I found that I had reached a level where I could work with little support and was working fairly independently. Ludvig felt that it would also be a good opportunity to increase my tasks and work on something slightly different. The tasks were expected to take slightly longer than normal and would likely keep me occupied for the duration of my placement in Norsk Solar. It was still important that I was able to finish them before I completed my placement.
For one of the tasks, I created an Excel spreadsheet which acted as a quick reference guide for all the countries for which I had created a country data reports. This made it easy to look up the information quickly, while the report could be used for more detailed information.
The other final project that I was given was an in-depth report on a country where Norsk Solar was already negotiating a contract. There were details required about setting up the company and how the tax system worked that needed to be included. It was the biggest report that I had done to date while at Norsk Solar and took the the final three weeks of my placement to
complete. I received a lot of support from the Business Development team on writing the report and they were able to provide me with guidance and feedback on aspects I was not so familiar with.
During my final week, I had requested to change my working days due to a university deadline. This meant I completed by placement on the 18th December instead of the 14th as was originally planned. I was able to complete my final report as well as incorporate the comments that had been made, such that the team at Norsk Solar could use it when discussing their business plans. I ended my placement with one final call from Ludvig where I was able to give some feedback on what it was like to work at Norsk Solar and the general experience that I had. He was also able to give me feedback of what I have managed to contribute to the organisation during my time there. I received an email the week after from the Norsk Solar team thanking me for the work I had done while I was there.
4. Reflections
I am doing the general track of international relations and international organisations and at first, I did not think there would be much of a connection between my MA program and the placement other than it being international. However, I found that the research skills that I learned during my degree were incredibly useful and applicable, especially when I was putting together the reports and needed to verify information and look for sources that were trustworthy. My research skills were also important when I had to analyse and synthesise the data when working on the broader reports that required information that would affect how the organisation approached a client or wanted to enter a specific country. Having knowledge on current affairs is very important in the renewable industry, and that in itself is also part of being an international relations student.
I found the introductory meeting before I began working incredibly helpful. Especially given that I knew so little about the industry and the company, it was a good crash-course in understanding the business. It was also good to see the team I would be working with and gave me a chance to mentally prepare for the following week where I would officially be starting the placement. It was quite welcoming and made working remotely a bit less daunting.
I appreciated the flexibility that the people at Norsk Solar had to accommodate me, for example, allowing me to choose the days I wanted to work each week, while also being open to changing them if required. It was also because of this flexibility that I was able to successfully complete my placement remotely.
I enjoyed the video call feedback sessions because I found them to be a useful learning experience to see how I am contributing, as well as what needs more work and where I can improve. I have written a number of research papers for my master’s program, but it was different learning how to write a report for a professional company. Though research is involved in both aspects, the formats were quite different.
I learned that it is very important to set expectations of what could be done so that a job could be done well instead of quickly in order to avoid any disappointment. There was a project that I was given to do that I had completed in the time I was given, but it was not done to a satisfactory level in the end. I learned that it was important for me to state what I was capable of doing in the time I had, since I was not working full time such that I am able to manage expectations. Through this I also learned the importance of time management when working on tasks that needed to be prioritised.
There were challenges with doing an online placement, and I would assume this would be the same for anyone working online, which was the inability to have informal quick discussions. Although there were communication apps and email available, the feedback could occasionally be latent. It is not as simple as approaching someone’s desk to ask a question. I had voiced this with Sonia during our mid-term placement review and she suggested focussing on the positive aspects, as it was Covid-19, most people are going through something similar, but it is something we can learn from as well.
Since my work required me to be independent, I did not have much as much interaction with other members of the team as I had expected, especially once I was more proficient in doing my work. I also missed the ability to learn about what others in the company were doing, although I may have occasionally worked with one other person out of the team, it was very limited. However, this is likely due to being online while most people worked in the offices. There was an element of being part of a team that was missing, though the work that I did eventually went on to help the team, it was a bit different when working remotely.
I found it especially challenging doing my thesis concurrently as that took the rest of the week that I was not working. This gave me little time to take a break and recharge for the beginning of my placement week. I could feel a lack of motivation and drive halfway through the placement period, which was not due to the placement itself, but also the challenge of working on the thesis. This was something that I was warned about before I began the placement, however it was unavoidable given the circumstances.
I was able to achieve my learning objectives of improving my research and reporting skills, especially since I got feedback from the Business Development team. I learned how to use my research skills for a paper that was not academic.
I had the objective to be able to work independently and without supervision which I was able to accomplish. The tasks I had required me to work independently and working remotely may have contributed.
I had wanted to have the experience of working in a team. On the one hand, I was part of a team and we did interact throughout my placement period. On the other hand, it was probably not the same experience as being physically present in an office.
I gained a better understanding of how a company within the renewables industry operated. I made sure to try to learn as much as possible as the placement was a good opportunity for that. I had wanted to learn how to analyse data that could assist in finding potential clients. I definitely learned how to analyse data; however, I did not get as far as to locate potential clients. Although that was more due to the lack of time than the willingness to learn, I was given an overview of how to find potential clients however, given the length of the internship. I was not able to fulfil that objective.
I enjoyed learning about the renewables industry and have gained more interest in the field. Although I am still unsure as to which capacity I would be working in, I would like to continue my professional career in a renewable related organisation.
I made good connections in the company that I could contact in future and I would enjoy working in the field again. I have found that there is so much potential in the renewable industry.
5. Conclusion
It was challenging in the beginning to plan and look for a placement due to Covid-19, however, this allowed me to keep my options open to new possibilities. I had never considered a career within the renewables industry before, but after I completed this placement, it is an area that greatly interests me. There were challenges faced due to the restrictions of Covid-19 which possibly affected the way a placement would have originally happened; however, I improved my skills on working independently and I managed to achieve my objectives that I set when I set my placement plan. I appreciated the time I spent at Norsk Solar where I not only learned about the renewables industry, but I also gained new connections and professional contacts.
