What’s your name? What did you study? When did you graduate?

I’m Rebecca Evans. I studied a Bachelor of Science at the University of Western Australia (UWA), majoring in Neuroscience and Zoology, of all things. I then completed a Masters in Environmental Science, specialising in Environmental Management, graduating in 2015.

Where did you grow up?

I was born in Singapore and moved to Australia before starting school. I completed school and university in Western Australia, and I still call Perth home (although Canberra is warming up to me). Since graduating I have worked numerous jobs – as an animal welfare officer at a local animal shelter, research officer for a State government department, and a post-graduate industry mentor at my university.

What are your areas of responsibility in your current rotation?

I am currently in my second rotation in the Auctions and Contracts Section. It was a busy start with Auction 7 taking place during my first week. I was involved in the 5-day turn-around of all auction registration applications – the third step in the Auction process which commits participants to the delivery terms of their contracts. My main area of responsibility has been to review and analyse the processes used to track and evaluate our clients’ aggregation portfolios and the emerging contract behaviours.

Can you describe a typical workday?

Attending meetings, making phone calls and having coffee dates – a typical workday for me. The nature of my work in this rotation has been half talking to colleagues and clients, half writing reports. My other responsibility as an exec team member of the agency’s Social Club means I’m responsible for organising and setting up charity events; I find my work in the Social Club helps break up my day from the usual grind and gets me up on my feet, something the agency is very supportive of!

Suppose a student was considering CER’s Graduate Program. What would you advise them to study? Are there any soft skills that would be beneficial for them to develop? Should they pursue any sort of work experience?

The CER is made up of people from all different degrees and backgrounds. We have everyone from engineers through to people who have degrees in international studies – as long as you’re passionate about renewables, and are innovative! If I were to recommend courses to take, it would be Economics, Environmental Science, Climate Studies, or something in geospatial analytics. That said, the agency cares a lot about the experiences you have learnt along the way, so I can’t stress enough the power of work experience and volunteering.

What do you love most about your job? What kind of task do you enjoy doing the most?

I love the people, the culture and the sense of inclusion. It’s so great to see such a diverse set of people working together towards a common purpose, and being supported by the agency. I also enjoy being given the opportunity to test, review and resolve issues the agency has begun to face – these projects are a great way to challenge your skills, learn and receive feedback, and to get to know your colleagues across the agency!

What’s the biggest limitation of your job?

The biggest limitation for me is not having an economic bone in my body – something I hadn’t seen as valuable to have while working at the Regulator, but now realise. That said, there are always opportunities to learn more about how the market works, both within and outside of the agency.

What would your career be if you weren’t doing what you’re doing now?

I would most likely be in Perth, working in my last role as a research officer for a state government commission. While this was a rewarding job, I’ve always had a passion for conservation and clean energy, so this has definitely been a step in the right direction for me.

Which three pieces of advice would you give to a current university student?

• Don’t underestimate the power of work experience and volunteering. I would encourage all new applicants to go out there and get involved, whether it is related to the job or not. There is always something to learn in any activity you pursue, so make sure you grab these opportunities where you can.
• Use job interviews to your advantage. In my last job, my manager gave me a piece of advice that I will carry with me to my next role – don’t be scared of interviews. Actually, do interviews for jobs you may not necessarily want, to give you the exposure you need. Use them to your advantage so that when a position comes up you’re dying to get, you’ll be prepared for anything they throw at you!
• Get involved in the agency. Don’t be a staff member who sits at their desk 9-5. Join an agency club, attend learn-to programs, have your say in how the agency progresses. These sorts of activities are just as important as your work and will open you up to new ideas and prospects.

Where are they now?

The last few years have been an absolute whirlwind. Like most, COVID-19 has had a big impact on my life, both good and bad. But before I get into that, here’s a bit about what I got up to after the graduate program.

At the start of 2019, I joined the NGER Safeguard Mechanism section at the Clean Energy Regulator (CER) where I’ve worked for coming up to 3 years. My first year at Safeguard was filled with immense opportunities. The highlights were:

• organising and co-hosting 3 workshops in Sydney, Melbourne and Perth to over 170 clients to discuss legislative amendments
• co-hosting a webinar with a representative from the Department of Industry, Science, Energy and Resources to a further 60 clients
• attending the 6th Australasian Emissions Reduction Summit in Melbourne where I had the opportunity to listen to domestic and international leaders such as Frank Bainimarama, the Prime Minister of Fiji, discuss climate change impacts and solutions to achieve net-zero emissions.

At the start of 2020, I had a new job – motherhood. I moved back to Perth and commenced 1-year of maternity leave. As you would expect, 2020 was a bumpy ride, not helped by the likes of lockdowns and restrictions in place. 

That said, I was in an incredibly fortunate position to be able to go back into my role at the CER at the end of my leave period and work entirely remotely in WA, something that was unheard of in the agency pre-COVID. I’ve been in this position coming up to a year, and the setup has been fantastic. There are and will continue to be some barriers (like the 3-hour time difference and lack of coffee dates), but remote-work life has not impeded my opportunities or my inclusivity in the team.

In a few weeks’ time, I am moving on to work at a state-level government department in climate change policy to use what I’ve learnt from my time at the CER to help WA reach its commitment of net zero emissions by 2050.