Solomiia, Carbon Certification Manager in United Eco Solutions

I work as a carbon certification manager and project developer for a reforestation project in the Congo Basin. 

It's a broad role that combines report writing, fieldwork, team recruitment, leakage and risk assessments, groundwork for expansion, and carbon projections for Gold Standard certification – in short, everything needed to develop a project on the ground in rural DR Congo.  We work closely with communities in Mai-Ndombe to ensure that plantation stays on track, data collection is carried out correctly (although it often it's), monitoring strategies are prepared, and Gold Standard requirements for the reforestation project are met. To my surprise, this role is very closely related to what I studied at SLU, particularly conflict resolution, stakeholder engagement, and community work).

My first job after graduation was as a project developer for bioenergy with carbon capture and storage projects (another carbon removal method), which gave me a head start when I applied for this job on LinkedIn.

Have a relevant job or internship alongside your studies so that you can better understand the job market and what is required for your future career. SLU is great but very theoretical, so additional practical experience will be very valuable. Don't wait for the future to happen - be proactive.