🎓What I have studied:
Bachelor’s degree in Environmental Management
Master’s degree in Energy and Transport Management
💻 My job: Project Manager R&D at Energienetze Steiermark GmbH in Graz, Austria
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“Have the courage to break new ground – you grow through challenges, not in your comfort zone.”
During her studies, Carmen Reiter discovered her passion for interdisciplinary thinking and combining theory and practice. She works on translating innovative projects from theory into practice, thereby implementing concrete solutions for the energy transition.
About me
If I hadn’t studied environmental management, I would have become a pilot – preferably of a rescue helicopter.
I spent my semester abroad in: Newcastle, Great Britain.
In my free time, I am involved in/interested in: I am active as a local branch manager for mountain rescue, love mountaineering and am generally very active – preferably in the mountains. I am particularly enthusiastic about climbing, ski touring and cycling, as these activities allow me to perfectly combine nature, sporting challenges and community.
After classes, I often spent my time doing sports with fellow students – we went climbing or cycling or just enjoyed being active outdoors. Another option was to talk to Martina on the phone to discuss and solve complex tasks and challenging problems in electrical engineering.
My favourite place on campus: Definitely the common area – that’s where we philosophised, laughed and, after some exams, had heated discussions about questions and answers.
How I celebrated my graduation: With my fellow students – we toasted with good food and celebrated our time together in style.
Tell us what your job is without telling us what your job is: I combine innovation with practical application – and ensure that future projects are actually implemented.
About my studies
What you are guaranteed to learn during your studies: How closely energy, transport and the environment are linked – and that sustainable solutions require interdisciplinary thinking.
The best course was: Thermodynamics – it gave me a solid basic technical understanding. Mr Theißing presented the material in a very interesting way and explained it so clearly that it was easy to follow.
I struggled with this course: Measurement and Control Technology – challenging at the time, but now commonplace, as I had a lot to do with it in the smart metering project.
What I took away from my studies for my job: Analytical thinking, structured working and the ability to communicate complex topics in an understandable way.
My tip for students
Use the time to try things out – whether abroad, in projects or internships. Have the courage to break new ground – you grow through challenges, not in your comfort zone.
About my job
I manage research and development projects in the energy sector, focusing on the control of flexibilities in the energy system. In doing so, I ensure that projects are successfully implemented in practice, taking into account lessons learned. I came to this job after working on the smart meter rollout and the project to replace ripple control, which focused on the control of street lighting, boilers and electric heating, among other things. After these experiences, I wanted to take on new challenges and now concentrate on projects related to flexibility management.
What I particularly like about my job is the close cooperation with European partner companies, the diversity of the topics and the good feeling of actively contributing to the energy transition. On the other hand, I am less enthusiastic about long decision-making processes when they block good ideas.
Organisational skills, technical understanding, strong communication skills and a good sense of context are crucial for this job. My highlights so far include the successful completion of the smart meter rollout and the implementation of the “replacement of ripple control” project. In the future, I would like to turn my current projects into successful implementation projects and further develop practical solutions that will specifically advance the energy transition.