Tyge, Administrative Officer in the Danish Competition and Consumer Authority

What do you do?

As an administrative officer in the Danish Competition and Consumer Authority which is a government agency under the Ministry of Industry, Business and Financial Affairs, we work with work with the utilities sector in my department – specifically the water sector, which is a monopoly sector.

my colleagues and I are seeking to introduce an artificial competitive pressure, so consumers get good, cheap water.

This means there is a risk as consumers that we end up paying too much for our drinking water. To ensure this does not happen, my colleagues and I are seeking to introduce an artificial competitive pressure, so consumers get good, cheap water. This is done in part using a financial (benchmarking) model. I am project manager for the group working on developing this model. In addition to being a project manager, I am working on developing new legislation in this area. This involves helping to transfer the agreements made by politicians into actual legislation.

Frankly, it is essentially a matter of chance how I have ended up working in my particular area. During my studies, I held various student jobs, all in the financial sector. But towards the end of my studies, I stumbled upon a job with the Danish Competition and Consumer Authority, with a job description that matched a course I had completed on the programme and which seemed exciting.

When I started my studies, I had no clear plan for where I would end up. I did not know what I wanted to work with, I just thought the degree programme looked exciting.

Given that it was also within the utilities sector, which I find interesting, I decided to apply for the job. Following my studies, I was employed full time in the same place. I have since held two other jobs as a consultant in private companies. I got these based on the experience I had gained in my first jobs. It was important to me to try out something different, so I took the chance when it arose and changed job.

I have now returned to my first workplace – albeit in a different position. Even though I am back where I started, my intervening jobs have given me good experience and a broader perspective that I am pleased to have. My career path has been largely ‘random’. When I started my studies, I had no clear plan for where I would end up. I did not know what I wanted to work with, I just thought the degree programme looked exciting. I think my lack of a plan has left me open to trying new things when the chance arose. It has also sent me in different job directions during my studies.

I was sometimes worried at the time that I had too little direction. I now see it as a strength in my work, where I often draw on knowledge I have acquired through courses and jobs that are not directly relevant to my job. I was active in the student environment during my studies, and went on an exchange to USA for one semester. I believe both have helped shape me as a person and given me insight that I benefit from today. They also helped make my studies great fun!

I got my first (and current) job because of a specific course on economic benchmarking that I had done during my studies, which is not offered very broadly.

I got my first (and current) job because of a specific course on economic benchmarking that I had done during my studies, which is not offered very broadly.

I am now project manager for the group that works with this particular benchmarking model. So I draw on the specific knowledge I gained on this course every day. The fact that we acquire these competences in my degree programme means that I work with several people with the same background as me.

That you do not have to have a clear direction during your studies, and that a student job gives you valuable insight into how your life as an economist will be after you have graduated.

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