Jack Stewart - Land & Consents Graduate

First, tell us a bit about yourself! What programme did you join at SSE and where are you based?

My name is Jack, I am 26 years old, and I am from Dundee. In September 2021 I joined SSE Renewables as a Consents Advisor Graduate based in Glasgow.

What did you study at university?

I started my undergraduate degree in Law at the University of Glasgow in 2014 and graduated in 2018. I returned to the University of Glasgow in 2019 to complete a MSc in Economic Development.

Which sectors did you consider applying to for your graduate role? What made you choose SSE and the area you are now working in?

I was interested in a wide variety of sectors and roles when applying for graduate positions. The most important thing for me was to be in a role where I would feel good about the work I was doing and where the work would have a positive real-world impact. This role excited me because it is in an industry which I believe to be very important where the work we are doing is helping to address possibly the most important crisis faced by humanity in the 21st century.

How did you find the recruitment process?  Do you have any advice for students considering applying for the SSE Graduate Programmes? 

The recruitment process was lengthy and challenging. I found the recorded video interview to be particularly difficult, where the lack of another person on the other end of the conversation made speaking feel very unnatural. I would advise people applying for programmes and placements at SSE to keep going even when they feel the requirements are demanding or that something has not gone well. I find that you usually have done better than you may have expected and the reward of a job at SSE is well worth the effort that it takes to get through the process.  

Tell us a bit about your current role?

As a Consents Advisor, I work on the consent team for different SSE projects. Consents plays a crucial role in project development because if a project is unable to achieve consented status, it cannot be constructed. I have learned about many different things that I had little knowledge of before starting this role, such as the way wind energy impacts and interacts with the environment. I also have loved how the role has given me the opportunity to travel to SSE sites and attend events around the country.

Are you working towards a professional qualification?

I hope to soon start working towards accreditation as an Environmentalist with IEMA.