Engineering and the Built Environment
How did you obtain your current position? Natalia Dambe bit.ly/3dwu43o
Current position: Geographical Information Systems (GIS) Project Planner at Enertrag South Africa
Past positions: GIS Research Assistant at Childsafe Organisation
Qualifications: 2018 Master of Philosophy in Engineering specialising in Geomatics at UCT 2016 Bachelor of Science Honours in Geographical Information Systems at UCT 2014 Bachelor of Science in Geomatics at UCT
I obtained my position at Enertrag South Africa (a renewable energy company) during the completion of my masters degree at the University of Cape Town. Enertrag South Africa advertised a position in the company’s Geomatics department in September 2018. I searched for the company online to understand their vision and what they stand for, and [from this] I knew I wanted to join the Enertrag team, so I applied and a month later they invited me for a phone interview. The interview went well and I was invited for the second in-person interview, followed by a practical interview in December 2018 where I was given a technical task to complete. Later, I was offered the position, and I reported for work in February 2019.
What do your day-to-day responsibilities look like? My day-to-day responsibilities are mainly carrying out prefeasibility analysis studies to identify potential renewable energy site projects, carrying out feasibility studies, mapping Site Development Plans for existing projects in South Africa, and maintaining and managing our spatial database.
What value do your qualifications
add to your work?
My qualification in Geomatics, specifically GIS and Remote Sensing add direct value to my day-to-day work. I apply the same functional, teamwork and management skills that I acquired at the university to my current work. For instance, I use the same GIS and database software tools that I learned during my studies to carry out my daily tasks, and I apply the same concepts such as projections, spatial data analysis and general professionalism that I acquired at the university in my daily work. My qualification created a good foundation in transitioning into my current role as a GIS Project Planner.
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