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Developing a Career in Energy | Stanford Energy Club

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Developing a Career in Energy

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Andre Peterhans

10 May 2014 | Blog, News

By Paricha Duangtaweesub
Co-hosted by SEC and YPE Bay Area, speaker panel Developing a Career in Energy drew a diverse group of Stanford affiliates
and local energy enthusiasts to Stanford campus to learn about the practical guidelines, key insights about the industry.
Volunteering their time on the panel are: Chris Knudsen, VP Platform Engineering at Silver Spring Networks; Shouvik Banerjee,
Director, Product Business Development at Solar City; and Jayme Marquez, Installations Applications Engineer at Bloom
Energy. The discussion is moderated by Elizabeth (Lizzie) Caldwell, Interconnection Coordinator at Bloom Energy.
Many observations became very clear from the combined experiences of the panelists; the energy industry is a dynamic and
growing industry where rarely anyone is an expert and where you are expected to learn rather than know. Despite their diverse
background, they are connected in their drive to make a positive impact through their jobs, which the energy industry has
allowed them to do.
New to the energy field? Below is a short summary curated from questions asked during the panel discussion.

autonomous

vehicles Barnett Shale Batteries

CARS Chevron climate change
CO2 emissions DOA efficiency EIA

emissions energy energy

Energy
storage EPA fracking
independence

fracwater frac w ater fukushima

greenhouse gas emissions grid
liquefied natural gas Marcellus Shale

methane
nhale gas

natural gas

NRDC nuclear personal

Why the energy industry?

mobility photoelectrochemistry photonics

photovoltaics production resource
seismicity shale gas slac solar cells

Interdisciplinary Industry

stanford sustainability

Compared to 20 years ago, the energy industry today is a rapidly, changing and growing industry with influence in science,
engineering, finance, business, policy, and even design. There are many opportunities in the energy industry that suits your
interest and you will get to wear a lot of hats on the job, especially in the startup world.

Transportation USGS
wastewater

w astew ater disposal

Making a positive Impact

What hasnt changed much, though, is that your work will have a positive impact on the world. In his line of work, Shouvik
Banerjee is making money and helping fight climate change at the same time at other jobs in the energy sector, you will work
on projects that have similar bottom line.

How has college education prepare you for the industry, both in academic career
and extra-curricular?
Curiosity is key

http://energyclub.stanford.edu/developing-a-career-in-energy/

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3/9/2014

Developing a Career in Energy | Stanford Energy Club

In the energy industry, the curiosity to learn is a powerful indicator of potential for growth and success. Because technology
constantly changes, you are not expected to graduate or transition into the industry with a complete set of working knowledge
regardless of you specialty. To prepare yourself and to show your curiosity, you have to find your passion. Chris Knudsen
suggests choosing the academic background in college that you enjoy and getting engaged through internships and professional
societies.
Pay attention the Foundational Knowledge
Technology may change from day-to-day but what stays constant is the fundamental knowledge that you learn in your
foundational classes mathematics, physics, chemistry, for example. This basic set of knowledge will help you understand key
concepts in new technologies and, better yet, make it easier for you to learn from your peers once in the industry.
Team experiences
Playing a team sport like soccer or performing in an acapella group means you can work in harmony with people in high-stress
environments. Can you keep your spirits high and be enjoyable to work with on a bad day? This is an extremely important issue
to the teams morale because, at the end of the day, your work revolves not around the cutting edge science but around
collaborating with people. Moreover, having worked alongside chemical engineers and geologists, Jayme reminds us that you
never really know when the next great idea will come from and that teamwork is especially important in multidisciplinary teams.
Liberal arts background
Shouviks background in liberal arts (he graduated with dual BS degree, computer science and history) gave him an
appreciation that things can change over time and an understanding of how he can be a driver of that change. Combined with
your curiosity and foundational knowledge, a liberal arts mindset can help you see identify many opportunities in the energy
space to make a radical change.
Stay informed (Read GTM)
While you are not expected to be up-to-date on every new developments in your field, it is a good idea to read regularly so you
understand big-picture concepts as well as growing trends. Professional journals (e.g. IEE spectrum), annual reports, energy
outlooks (from Energy Information Administration, for example) are good for technical developments while WSJ and the
Atlantic can give you an outsider perspective on energy issues. Most importantly though, do you even read Greentechmedia
(GTM)?

What is the most rewarding aspect of your job?

Understanding the value of what youve done in physical, tangible numbers trees saved, CO2 reduced, energy reduced.
Moreover the payback is on a much shorter-term, almost immediate compared to pure research or academia. At the end of
the day, knowing your work as part of a bigger puzzle with a rewarding end-goal of sustainability is itself a positive feedback
that keeps you coming back.

If I come from a non-energy background, with non-conventional experiences, how

can I market myself and my interests in the energy sector?
Tell a Good Story
There is a reason a narrative that led to where you are today. Now turn that story into a compelling narrative to show the
employers who you are and why you are interested in energy. A diversity of experiences in different fields is a good sign that
you know what you like and perhaps more importantly what you do not like, a fact that some people overlook. Additionally,
Lizzie Caldwell suggests not viewing your experiences as hindrance, because, more likely than not, you will meet recruiters
who have stumbled into the energy industry from other sectors, exactly in your position today.

Last words
At the end of the day, finding a job in the energy industry is about understanding your own narrative and your source of
motivation. While the panelists offered great insights for the enthusiasts out there, some may say that high-stress environment,
interdisciplinary work, and emphasis on team collaboration are applicable to almost any industry out there today.
What makes the energy industry different in that regard is the opportunity to innovate that will be presented to you on a daily
basis to be curious and to use your knowledge to find impactful solutions for issues that concern everyone on this planet.
Questions or comments about the information above? Contact the author, Paricha Duangtaweesub, at paricha@stanford.edu or
via LinkedIn.
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