Ben Walsh

Job title and description:

I am a Technical Consultant for a firm specialising in waste management. At Oakdene Hollins we work with the Government and industries to try to reduce the ever-increasing amount of rubbish going to landfills. We do this by looking at new and old technology along with local, national and European policy. My job is to advise companies and the Government on the best way to reduce waste and help the environment.

What degree did you study?

MSc in Chemistry followed by a PhD in Chemistry from the University of Nottingham.

What are your main duties of work?

The best way to understand what I do is by giving an example. The Government may ask...

"So Ben, people are throwing away perfectly good iPods for the new iPod videos. What can we do with them other than landfill them?"

I would then have to research recycling and reuse schemes in the UK and abroad and write down my findings. This would provide the government with some good advice, hopefully reducing the amount of waste that goes to landfill and reducing the environmental burden.

What are your favourite aspects of the job?

The job provides a real sense of satisfaction. People listen to my views, act on them and hopefully the end result is a positive environmental saving. The job is very diverse - my current assignment has me looking at subjects from air conditioners to tyres, which I knew nothing about before I started. I enjoy learning new things and solving problems. My job requires me to talk to industry leaders and meet people from a range of backgrounds; some may need my help in order to continue trading. My job not only helps the environment but can also save and create jobs.

What kind of salary can a graduate expect to earn in this job?

After the first five years you can earn between £30,000 and £35,000 per year.

How has your degree helped you?

My employer only considers employing people who have a good second degree. I feel that in ten years this is going to be more prevalent as the number of graduates leaving university increases, and employers are looking for people who stand out from the crowd. The reason my employer requires a second degree is that they want to make sure the workforce can quickly adapt to new subject areas. My PhD taught me to quickly absorb, sort and decipher large amounts of information in a variety of subjects. The majority of our work ends up in written reports, so the standard of written English has to be very high, which was helped by doing a PhD in Chemistry.