Tanja, Head of Political Department, Danish Forest Association

What do you do?

I work to advance the policy interests of Danish forest owners – in Denmark and at EU level. I also provide legal advice to Danish Forest Association members in specific cases, ranging from forestry and nature legislation matters to compensation calculations in expropriation cases.

Even though I have known since my school years that I wanted to work with forestry, I had a student job at an engineering company (Hoffmann) both before and during my studies. I worked with everything from administrative functions in the tendering department to quality assurance in building projects. While it was not directly relevant to my studies, it gave me insight into daily working life.

During the last three years of my studies, I was actively involved in student politics in the study board and senate. This is what aroused my interest in advancing political interests.

During my study years, I was very active in the study environment surrounding the degree programme and served as a student counsellor and helped organise the annual forestry festival throughout this period. During the last three years of my studies, I was actively involved in student politics in the study board and senate. This is what aroused my interest in advancing political interests. I was therefore lucky to get in touch with the Danish Forest Association in connection with my thesis, where I conducted a member survey on access to forests and the contract environment in the forestry sector.

There were two job vacancies in the Political Department at the Danish Forest Association shortly before I completed my study programme, and the day after I had defended my thesis I was offered a job. I have been in no doubt from the outset that I found my calling, and got the opportunity to work with something I am passionate about. I have worked for the Danish Forest Association since 2001. During the first nine years, I worked as a political consultant, including as head of the secretariat for PEFC Denmark until 2014, where I was responsible for developing the Danish PEFC forest certification scheme and the dissemination of forest and traceability certification in Denmark.

I took over the position of head of the Political Department in 2010, and was also responsible for communication for a time.

I have used many competences from my degree in Forest and Nature Management in my job. I have benefited from my broad profile in relation to economics, politics, law, planning and sustainable forestry. I also believe it was my broad profile and active participation in student politics, combined with good chemistry, that led to me being appointed.

I also believe it was my broad profile and active participation in student politics, combined with good chemistry, that led to me being appointed.

I believe that a solid professional foundation is absolutely essential in work to advance political interests, where quick, harsh communication – and emotions – can easily overshadow the political agenda. I have drawn on the legal subjects in relation to advising members, as well as when submitting consultation responses and negotiating framework conditions for forest owners.

If it is hard to get a relevant student job, I would recommend trying to combine the studies with internships, e.g. in connection with projects.

I have valued the network I built up during my studies, and have greatly benefited from it in my working life. So my advice to prospective students is: Get involved broadly in both the social and academic spheres during your studies.

Student jobs can ease the transition to working life by giving an understanding of how the often theoretical study content can be translated and applied in practice. If it is hard to get a relevant student job, I would recommend trying to combine the studies with internships, e.g. in connection with projects.

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