Hannah cites using big data as perhaps the most crucial skill she learned while studying at VU Amsterdam: “The Research Master’s in Societal Resilience [now Social Sciences for a Digital Society] takes a multi-disciplinary and multi-methodological approach – utilising big data to understand and address societal issues. That’s the most valuable skill I've developed to date, and I use it in my work a lot. While data science is not the main work I do at PwC, I still use the critical thinking and scrutiny of different sustainability frameworks that I learned when studying big data.”

Data meets sustainability

From the outside, climate change and data might not appear to be directly linked as fields of study. But for Hannah, there was a clear connection: “While I only started my ESG consulting career in September 2022, I was working a lot with data – even during in my Bachelor's programme in Behavioural Sciences. This led me to my internship with the Dutch Red Cross: I was a member of their data initiative team, tasked with solving complex problems relating to natural hazards. And that's also how I became really interested in sustainability and climate change. The many opportunities that I’ve gained through my Research Master’s were what led me to find what I love and what I currently do. Something I want to keep doing in the future!”

Finding what you love

Being able to make a difference is what motivates Hannah, and it’s part of her advice to others: “It’s important that you find what you love to do, and discover a way to make a difference in the world. That could mean joining networks or associations that you’re interested in (like the VU Green Office, in my case). Or it could mean following an internship. I’d definitely recommend getting to know which options are available to you.”

Client collaboration

As well as handling data and understanding sustainability frameworks, Hannah’s current job is a lot about working with people. “If there’s any such thing as a typical work day, it would involve close collaboration with my clients,” Hannah explains. “I’d start by going through the deliverables that I have to produce for a client we’re working with. Then I’d have a check-in with the client team to talk about the progress of our project: sharing successes, discussing delays, and assessing how well we’re reaching the goals they want to achieve. All these involve collaborating with the most intelligent people, handling different levels of data, and learning about various sustainability frameworks to help our clients. No day is the same!”

Hannah finds working at a consultancy fulfilling, even if working on climate-related issues is sometimes challenging: “Everyone is always so eager to learn and humble towards positive change. Learning and humility are definitely two things I value.”