Internship student interviews:
Plant Sciences
Ingrid Nordhagen - Felleskjøpet Agri
Where did you do your internship?
Felleskjøpet Agri
What study program were you in?
Bachelor's in Plant Sciences
How long did the internship last?
10 weeks
How did you get in contact with the company?
By direct contact.
What did you learn in the internship?
Internshipet mitt la mye fokus på hvordan såfrø/såkornproduksjon gjennomføres i Felleskjøpet Agri. Arbeidet besto av å se på faktorer som påvirker produksjonen og tilgangen av egnede sorter og arter av god kvalitet, med spissing mot beredskapslagring. Herunder kontraktsavl og estimering av marked og behov, hvilke organer som er på plass og hvordan forvaltes ressursene, samt hvilke organer som forvalter ordningen.
In my internship the focus was largely on seed production in Felleskjøpet Agri. My work consisted of looking at factors that impact production and accessibility of suitable varieties of good quality, with emphasis on emergency storage. I for example looked at contract production and estimation of market and demand, as well as which governing bodies exist and how resources are managed.
Do you have any advice for students that are considering doing an internship?
An internship is a good opportunity to try out working life and it provides opportunities for network building.
Ola Sigurd Øygard Dale - NIBIO
Where did you do your internship?
Norwegian Institute of Bioeconomy Research (NIBIO)
What study program were you in?
Master's in Plant Sciences
How long did the internship last?
Three months, where I worked two days a week
What did you learn in the internship?
I became familiar with the institution and got insight into the life as a researcher on plant diseases. I also got insight into many of NIBIO's projects. I learnt more about how to grow and isolate fungi, as well as how to distinguish different species using morphological methods and microscope. I will write my master's thesis in cooperation with NIBIO on the fungal plant pathogen Neonectria ditissima that causes canker in apple trees, so I got to spend some of my time in the internship doing preparatory work and simple experiments related to the thesis.
Do you have any advice for students that are considering doing an internship?
In an internship you can learn things that you don't learn in your studies. You get practical experience and you can get useful contacts for when you are going out into working life after your studies.
Anniken Fure Stensrud - NORSØK
Where did you do your internship?
Norwegian Centre for Organic Agriculture (NORSØK)
What study program were you in?
Master's in Plant Sciences
How long did the internship last?
One semester
How did you get in contact with the company?
I worked for them.
What did you learn in the internship?
I had different tasks in several research projects. I was mostly involved in the projects Hakket bedre øko, FIMO - Seaweed fibre for increased soil organic matter, and Soileffects. I read up on the organization and financing of the different projects. I did a literature review to learn the theory and background for the projects. Through involvement in project meetings I gained insight into experiment design, and through practical work I learnt how data is collected, handled, and analyzed, and also how results are presented.
The practical routine work, like weeding, harvesting, and sample handling, gave me a larger understanding of the time spent on each activity and how accurate you need to be to prevent errors in experiments. I gained a larger understanding of how much planning, knowledge, funds, cooperation, and work are needed to conduct a research project. I got great support from my supervisors and colleagues in the projects, and I learnt a lot during my internship in NORSØK.
Do you have any advice for students that are considering doing an internship?
I recommend all students to do an internship in a company. You learn a lot and it can also lead to job opportunities in the company. I warmly recommend applying for an internship in NORSØK, which is my current employer.
Iva Andrasevic - NIBIO
Where did you do your internship?
Norwegian Institute of Bioeconomy Research (NIBIO)
What study program were you in?
Master's in Plant Sciences
How long did the internship last?
One semester
How did you get in contact with the company?
Through my master's thesis mentor.
What did you learn in the internship?
I gained knowledge in laboratory and greenhouse work relevant for my master thesis; vector construction using Gateway cloning, bacterial culture, Agrobacterium-mediated transient expression, DNA and RNA isolation, PCR and protein analysis.
Do you have any advice for students that are considering doing an internship?
I would highly recommend doing it. It is a great way to get some relevant working experience and also learn a lot. I would suggest contacting a company/professor or attending a career day/master thesis event at NMBU. There are lots of opportunities there.
Oline Stubsjøen - NLR Innlandet
Where did you do your internship?
Norwegian Agricultural Extension Service (NLR) Innlandet
What study program were you in?
Master's in Plant Sciences
How long did the internship last?
One semester
How did you get in contact with the company?
I worked in NLR Innlandet and saw internship as a great opportunity to learn about parts of the company that I am not normally involved in as an employee.
What did you learn in the internship?
I focused on consulting as a discipline and organic agriculture. I learnt a lot about practical consulting and what is important to focus on in talks with clients. During the internship I was involved in several consulting visits to producers within organic agriculture. I learnt a lot from seeing how the consultants work and how you incorporate knowledge about organic agriculture into talks with producers.
Do you have any advice for students that are considering doing an internship?
Do it! It is an excellent opportunity to immerse yourself in a specific field or gain insight into a company you are curious about. It might also lead to job opportunities after you finish your studies, and you can take a break from the classroom to experience something new. Highly recommended!
Vilde Gadderud - Graminor
Photo: Marthe Høie
Where did you do your internship?
Graminor AS
What study program were you in?
Bachelor's in Plant Sciences
How long did the internship last?
The internship was spread over 2 months.
How did you get in contact with the company?
I had worked at Graminor in the summer the previous year. We also visited the company in the introduction course in the first year of bachelor's.
What did you learn in the internship?
I learnt a lot that helped me in later courses at NMBU. If I had known this, I probably would have done an internship a lot earlier in my studies.
Do you have any advice for students that are considering doing an internship?
Building a professional network is the most important thing you can do increase your chances of getting a job soon after your studies. Internship is a great opportunity to get a foot in the door at a company you wish to work at later.
Mari Talgø Syvertsen - Nofima
Where did you do your internship?
Nofima
What study program were you in?
Master's in Plant Sciences
How long did the internship last?
One semester
How did you get in contact with the company?
I worked in the reception of Nofima during my bachelor's and master's studies, and I asked someone in the Food and Health department if I could do an internship with them. I wanted to work with biotechnology in plants, so I was looking for a project where I could do lab work involving plants.
What did you learn in the internship?
I learnt a lot of new methods in the lab, I learnt how it is to work in a research project, how you handle the samples in the lab, and the analysis of sample data and their use in research articles.
Do you have any advice for students that are considering doing an internship?
Start your search for an internship early! Don't be afraid to contact different companies and sending some emails around. An internship is a great opportunity to get to know potential employers. It also looks good on your CV since it shows that you have relevant work experience outside university and that you take initiative.
Another tip is to take notes of what you do each day during the internship. After one semester of internship it is easy to forget what you did and when. Good notes makes it much easier to write the reflection report!