After Graduation, one feels a sense of accomplishment, yet at the same time, there are various questions one thinks about. Now what? Am I ready to enter the workforce? Do I have the qualifications to acquire an entry level job? These questions rushed around inside my head as I contemplated my next move. After I moved back home to Tanzania, it was rather difficult to find a suitable job. It was frustrating and infuriating. I came across companies who were either looking for a more qualified candidate or someone with relevant work experience. Opportunities there are targeted towards senior figures in climate science; there is no structured process where a fresh graduate might progress through the ranks and eventually become an asset to industry and the scientific community. The entire experience became very demotivating.
And then… I heard about the CSAG internship. The more I read about CSAG, the more excited and nervous I got. Here, finally, was my chance to prove myself. I felt that my chances of getting the internship were very slim, but I owed it to myself to apply.
When I heard that I got the internship, it was the best feeling in the world. In that moment, I felt like I was finally heading somewhere, I had a sense of renewed purpose, it was the start of something new. I always knew my passion lay in working in the climate science field and without a doubt; every day at CSAG has been a new experience for me. I wake up looking forward to the day, excited to discover what the day has in store for me. Being surrounded by experts in the field is overwhelming yet exhilarating. It brings out in me the passion to learn more, to gather as much knowledge as I can while I still have the chance.
CSAG has provided me with a unique, exciting platform to interact with experts in the field and it has given me the chance to be a part of existing projects. In the past two months, I’ve been able to contribute to a report on Food Security impacted by Climate change in Ethiopia, I’ve worked on evaluating Climate data portals and I’ve helped coordinate the CSAG Winter School sessions. I’ve loved every single moment of it. With that being said, I am looking forward to working on many more projects that would simply expand my understanding on climate system analysis and the decision making pathway.
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