Explore careers in energy: digital resource coming in summer

With climate change at the forefront of many students’ minds, Stanford is creating a digital resource to help students explore careers in energy.

The digital magazine will “tap into all of the different energy sectors and the new ones that are coming up,” said Pamela Paspa, Assistant Dean of Career Education and Associate Director of Career Communities. Sections on topics such as battery technology, wind, water, and oil and gas will help students learn about each sector.

The magazine will allow students to engage with employers, clicking on links for a company tour or a first-person account from a student who has interned there or a graduate who works there – “so students hear from peers and not just people talking at them,” Paspa said. Students will learn about trends in each sector, the companies’ business models, and the skills that employers are looking for.

“We’ll also have sections around how to navigate a company or the energy space if you’re a student with a learning difference,” Paspa said.

Funding for the project comes from an annual grant Stanford receives each year from Shell, a portion of which goes to BEAM for energy-related career education. The goal is to expose students to the wide variety of careers in different energy sectors.

Typically, the grant has funded events. For example, last year there were plans for a roundtable in which over 100 students could engage with employers and alumni who work in energy. It was canceled when the pandemic hit, so the funding was rolled over to this year.

Although the move to an online resource was forced by the pandemic, the digital magazine also represents the way of the future.

“This interactive digital space is a way to provide access to students around the globe and 24/7 access to industry experts’ knowledge,” Paspa said. The format is a good fit for what Paspa calls the “Netflix model” of getting information: “Students want to download information and watch it when they’re available.”

A student worker will be hired to help put the magazine together, likely starting during spring term and working through the summer.

Although the intended audience is students who are interested in the energy fields, all students at all levels will have access to the magazine.

“This goes to all students who are interested in exploring the fields of energy,” Paspa said. “The goal is for students to understand what energy looks like. It’s especially important to look at ways that energy can help with climate change.”

The magazine, which will be online by the end of the summer, is one of many ways BEAM helps students explore different careers. It’s a new way of engaging with students.

“We want them to have an experience that feels accessible, interactive, relevant and timely,” Paspa said.