Isabelle Edwards
Current Employer/Organisation Name
BloombergNEF
What have you been doing since leaving Exeter, and what are you doing now?
I have spent six years working within climate change, natural resources, and now power market research. I currently focus on wind power markets at BloombergNEF, which is a provider of primary research on clean energy, advanced transport, digital industry, innovative materials, and commodities within Bloomberg LP. My role combines writing research reports, quantitative analysis and coding, and client-facing responsibilities.
Why did you choose this career? And what do you enjoy most about your work?
I was after a role that would enable me to build up skills in data analytics with a sustainability-related topic. Joining a leading data provider was a no-brainer! The professional development opportunities have been endless, and my team is at the forefront of clean energy research, and they inspire me every day!
Please tell us if you were a member of any societies, groups or sports clubs?
I was casually involved in a few sports societies and an avid gym-goer. I would spend most of my time outside of university at my part-time job at the Abode Hotel and Michael Caines’ restaurant. This allowed me to develop skills in event management and customer service while studying for my degree.
What did you enjoy most about your programme and what was the biggest highlight?
I combined my academic focus in economics and politics with modules on the environment and climate change. I truly felt that our professors wanted us to go out and change the world. Now, many of my classmates from these modules also work in sustainability-related fields, and we both remain in touch and have helped each other secure new roles in the sector.
What did you enjoy most about studying here?
Debating the big topics in economics, politics and climate change in our module tutorials was definitely a highlight! They would often get a bit heated and passionate, and it was great to challenge common ideas in our society in a safe environment.
Why did you choose to study at Exeter?
I was motivated by the University’s strong academics and career prospects. I also loved the campus environment.
What skills and experiences have been most useful for your career?
The process of both writing essays and debating ideas really encourages critical thinking and independent analysis. This has helped shape the way I perceive trends in markets, while being able to think long term, see the big picture and approach an idea from many different angles.
What advice would you give to a current student who wishes to pursue your career?
Don’t think that you aren’t qualified to do a job because you don’t have the traditional academic profile to meet the role. You can make up for this with skills, passion, hard work and short-term work experience. Don’t underestimate the role of each job you’ll do in getting you to your dream job. I did many low-paid internships while working a second job in the early days after university, but that got me to where I am today!
What are your plans for the future?
I see myself staying in the renewable energy business long term – it’s an ever changing industry, with costs continuously coming down, so I’m excited to see what the future holds! Someday, I’d like to relocate to an emerging market, likely in Africa.
