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Kerli Metsoja

from newsagency worker to Sustainability Graduate
I help track and report emissions from energy-producing assets
Industry
Energy, gas and oil
Company
Iberdrola Australia
Job Level
Entry

Ask me about

  • Changing degrees when I realised my passion for sustainability
  • How I decided what area of sustainability I wanted to work in
  • What it's like being in a graduate program

About me

I vividly remember being in grade 4 and the teacher wheeling out the classroom TV and putting on An Inconvenient Truth starring Al Gore. That 118-minute documentary ignited a spark in me for helping the environment. Growing up I considered many careers – chef, paramedic, graphic designer – but none felt quite right. Clearly, I hadn’t yet figured out that I could turn my passion (the spark) for the environment into a career.

I graduated from Redlynch State College in 2015 and took a gap year to work and plan my future. Eventually, I started a Bachelor of Psychological Science at JCU in Cairns. I got halfway through the degree when one day I woke up and had the sudden realisation that I needed to make a career out of helping the planet. Overnight, that spark turned into a full-blown fire. Almost immediately I enrolled into an environmental degree at UQ and started my move to Brisbane. During my studies, I learnt that I was a big-picture thinker. I asked myself: What is one of the biggest contributors to climate change? How can I help fix it? These questions led me to the energy industry! Today, I’m in a graduate program at Iberdrola Australia, exploring a career in emissions reporting and reduction.

About my role

  • Confident
  • Independent
  • Innovative
  • Perfectionist
  • Resourceful

A Sustainability Graduate can wear many hats, and that’s because the field of sustainability/ESG (Environmental, Social, and Governance) is so broad. They can help with the nitty gritty tracking and consolidation of company emissions, or they can help the development team plan new renewable energy projects that have the least impact on the surrounding environment. They can also help write and design the company’s annual sustainability report, or they can instigate initiatives that make the company operate more sustainably. There are truly so many things to do and every day is exciting, new, and fun!

Education

  • High School Certificate
  • Bachelor of Environmental Management (Hons) majoring in Sustainable Development

Subjects

  • Art
  • Biology
  • Chemistry
  • English
  • Food and Technology
  • Geography
  • History
  • Mathematical Methods (Maths B)

Awards

  • 5-time receipient of the Dean's Commendation for Academic Excellence (UQ)

Hobbies

  • Bike riding
  • Cooking
  • Reading
  • Seeing family and friends
  • Travel

Pets

  • 1 Dog
  • 2 Cat

15 year old me!!

“Be open minded and seize every opportunity. Trust that you'll end up exactly where you need to be.”

My career journey

Curious to know how I got here? Here’s a snapshot of my career pathway.
  1. Enrolled in degree at UQ
  2. Learnt I was a big-picture thinker
  3. Graduated uni
  4. Got a job in the energy industry
  5. Discovered I enjoy emissions reporting

My typical day

My employer

Iberdrola Australia has a 20-year history leading Australia's energy transition, blending local expertise with the global leadership of Iberdrola Group in renewables and network operations. We have a team of over 300 employees in Australia, and over 42,000 globally - the company operates in Europe, the United States, Brazil, Mexico and Australia. Iberdrola is a leader in clean energy and is one of the world’s largest electricity utilities. Iberdrola is dedicated to fostering positive social impacts, ensuring that our projects provide genuine social value an set the standard for innovation social practices.