Nuclear power, wave power, wind power and nuclear waste management are all very interesting subjects and something that all of us Swedish trainees would like to explore further. Therefore we went on a small study tour within Sweden. The trip was not organized by the trainee program but something we organized by ourselves.

The first day we went to Ringhals nuclear power plant. The first stop was at the information center where we were allowed to hold a uranium pellet. Secondly we visited the reactor hall at Ringhals 1, which is a reactor of a model called boiling water reactor.

Early in the morning of the second day we travelled by car to Lysekil to visit Seabased, which is company that are researching and developing wave power. At Seabased we were given a lot of information and saw some of the plants that later would be placed into the sea. I did not know that much about wave power before so it was interesting to learn about the basics.

After a quick lunch we continued our journey to Brålanda where we visited a wind power station. We climbed the whole way up to the top which was an amazing experience. The wind power station was 107 meters high, so it was a bit of an exercise to climb the whole way up. From the top we had a remarkable view and it was very exciting to see what the mill looked like from the inside and get to know more about how it functions.

On our third day we visited SKB: s facilities in Oskarshamn. SKB is an abbreviation for Svensk Kärnbränslehantering AB (Swedish Nuclear Fuel and Waste Management Company). There we visited Canister laboratory and Äspö hard rock laboratory, two research labs which focus on nuclear fuel management and Clab, the Swedish interim storage facility for spent nuclear fuel. I did my master thesis within radioactive waste management and I have earlier during the trainee program done an assignment at SFR (Swedish: Slutförvaret för kortlivat radioaktivt avfall, English: Final repository for short-lived radioactive waste). Radioactive waste management is a subject that I am very interesting in so it was great to have the opportunity to visit the facilities in Oskarshamn. I would like to thank everyone who have helped and guided us on our study tour. It was three extraordinary days!

I’m in Prague! Since I now live in a country that lacks åäö on the keyboards I will start writing in English instead of Swedish (I want to make it easier for you as a reader). Since I haven’t written anything during the last two weeks I will start with a recap.

Two weeks ago we had a seminar week that dealt with the “sales-to-delivery” process. Markus has already mentioned some of the things we did that week and I really can’t do anything else than to agree with him that it was a very nice week. I now have some knowledge in the selling process, which is very good since I’ll be working at the Importer in the Central European Region (i.e. Czech Republic, Slovakia and Hungary). The importer works more strategically than the dealers and has all central functions required in the region but it is still a lot about selling trucks. Today I will meet my manager for the first time and he will give me information about the projects I should be working on during my time here. I don’t think it matters that much what kind if projects I will get, I still think I will have a great time here (I heard some rumors that I will be going Hungary for some time as well, fun!).

Last week, six of the trainees went to Cambridge for language training. It actually was really challenging, in the mornings we had 3 hours of group lessons and in the afternoons we had 3 hours of one-to-one lessons. The teachers were great and we focused a lot on interaction and discussions, we were also pushed to use common phrases and expressions such as “are you telling porkies?” and “he is trying to pull a fast one on us”. We actually got points every time we managed to use any of the phrases that we were taught and in the end of the week the winner got a price. It was a fantastic week with intense days and fun evenings. We managed to visit at least six different pubs and bars and we also had dinner at Jamie Oliver’s Italian restaurant. All six of the trainees really tried to get together as much as possible since we all knew that we would be quite lonely in the coming three months in our new postings…

So, this Saturday I arrived in Prague. At first the taxi driver could not find the correct address since it is such a small alley that it is almost impossible to drive there and the GPS did not show it. When I finally got there I was really tired and hungry so the first thing I did was to eat at McDonalds…. Then you at least know what you get. I will however tell you all about Prague and the real Czech food in coming posts – now I will meet my manager!

Tiden bara rusar iväg. Mer än halva traineeprogrammet har redan passerat! Vi hade seminarieveckan nyss, och denna vecka har jag varit tre dagar på en kurs i processmodellering/verksamhetsutveckling. Hyfsad start på period 3 måste jag säga! Igår flyttade jag min laptop-docka och mina få papper/pärmar till min nya arbetsplats, denna gång ”IT-coordination & Development” som stödjer Scanias stora produktions- & logistikapparat. Här ska jag vara fram till mitten på augusti, sen flyttar jag vidare till Spanien för att göra den sista traineeperioden. Nuvarande period kommer jag främst jobba med olika metoder för att kravställa nya it-system, där bland annat processmodellering är viktigt. Jag kommer tillbaka till ämnet i ett senare inlägg när jag kommit lite längre!

Seminarieveckan gick förresten väldigt bra. Vi hann med många intressanta inslag, och det var mycket fokus på att göra besök ”ute i verkligheten”. Bland annat besökte vi:

• ett större åkeri som kör mycket Scania
• Vår egen återförsäljare i Kungens Kurva
• Scania Oskarshamn, hyttproduktion
• En större påbyggare av bl.a. lastväxlare och sopbilsaggregat
• Som grädde på moset också stylingkungen Svempa. Tänk Pimp My Ride fast för lastbilar 🙂

Vi i seminariegruppen har inte hunnit beta av övriga traineers utvärderingar av veckan ännu, men jag tror personligen att vi kommer få ett högt betyg av dem. Det känns förresten lite vemodigt att inte se somliga traineer förrän i november igen. Ungefär hälften har åkt utomlands redan nu, och sen åker vi övriga i augusti så vi går om varandra. Jag får trösta mig med att det är helg! 🙂

Last week all the trainees met up in Amsterdam for the fourth seminar. The three first days we were working with personal development. We talked about values, thoughts and behavior. The part that I found the most interesting was when we discussed the DISC-model, which is a model that describes different personalities. The week before, we had all done a computer based test about our behaviors. We also sent out the same test to family, friends and work mates to see if they have the same view of us as we do. It was fun to see how well the model described us and how you could recognize yourself in different behaviors.

Even if the days were very intense, we did have some time for socializing. Vattenfall has a national trainee program in Amsterdam and we met up these trainees for a nice dinner. We also had time for a boat tour on the cozy canals of Amsterdam.  

On Thursday we went to visit the Nuon office, which is the Vattenfall office in Amsterdam. There we had a presentation about the history of Nuon and an about wonders. I also held a presentation about nuclear power and radiation which was very appreciated by the other trainees. I enjoy giving lectures and explaining how things function so it was fun to do it.   

Thursday afternoon we took the train to Brussels in order to visit the Vattenfall office and the European parliament on Friday. To sum everything up I must say that it was an intense but interesting week and I am looking forward to meet everybody again during the next seminar in Copenhagen in May.

The whole group at the European Parliament

Bloggpaus denna vecka, har lite för mycket att göra! Vi försöker få till det sista inför nästa veckas traineeseminarier, och samtidigt skriver jag rapport och förbereder presentation av de senaste tre månadernas jobb. Återkommer efter seminarieveckan med ett inlägg om hur det gick. Stay tuned! 🙂

Nu har nedräkningen startat. En vecka kvar på min nuvarande praktikperiod och sen är det dags för en riktigt spännande månad. Jag trivs jättebra på mitt nuvarande jobb men efter 3 månader kommer ändå känslan att jag har förstått vad jobbet går ut på och det är dags att testa något nytt. I april är det dags för seminarievecka tillsammans med de andra traineerna, språkvecka i Cambridge och mina första veckor på praktiken i Prag.

Utlandstjänst känns spännande men samtidigt lite skrämmande. Tre månader i en ny stad med nytt språk, nytt jobb, nya kollegor och ny kultur. Hur ska jag ens lyckas ta mig till jobbet första dagen? Ska jag våga ta bilen? Vi gick en kurs i ”Hälsa och säkerhet vid tjänsteresa” och fick då lära oss att de största riskerna vid utlandstjänst är förknippade med droger, prostituerade och trafik. Inget av detta kommer att bli särskilt svårt att hålla sig undan från, förutom just trafiken då. Fick dock höra från en gammal trainee att ”kollektivtrafiken är väl utbyggd med både tunnelbana, spårvagn och buss och funkar oftast klanderfritt”. Så för en gångs skull kanske det är ett bra alternativ att åka kollektivt.

Som ung i karriären upplever jag att man förväntas vara sugen på att arbeta utomlands. Det är även jag MEN jag skulle vilja ha med mig min sambo och mina katter också. Arbetslivet har för mig inneburit ett stort kliv in i vuxenvärlden. Jag och min sambo har köpt en lägenhet tillsammans samt skaffat två stycken katter och jag har därmed blivit lite bekväm och hemmakär. Tror att det är lite resfeber som drabbat mig och det är därför det känns jobbigt att åka hemifrån, för jag vet att när jag väl är på plats så kommer tre månader att gå alldeles för fort. Jag tänkte ändå ta tillfället i akt och efterlysa lite tips på hur jag ska fördriva mina kvällar och helger i Prag – vad får jag absolut inte får missa?

This week I did something very interesting. I did something that we at Ringhals call ”skiftlagspraktik” which means a shorter training period in the control room at one of the nuclear reactors. It was very nice to see how it works in reality and see many of the different objects and processes that I read about in my daily work. I was at Ringhals unit 3 which is a reactor of a model called pressurized water reactor. In the control room you control and regulate the processes in the plant. I tried many different duties for example daily controls, both in the control room and in the actual plant, and periodic tests of different systems. This is done to make sure that everything works as planned and that different safety systems are functionable if they are needed. All controls and tests worked out as planned and were under control. I worked with a nice and friendly team and their running of the power plant felt very safe. One of the most exciting experiences was that I, under supervision and instructions from an experienced reactor operator, was allowed to participate in a routinely regulation of the boric acid concentration. Boric acid absorbs the neutrons that are used in the fission process. By regulating the concentration you can control the number of fissions of uranium that occur. If you decrease the boric acid concentration you will receive more fissions of uranium. This means that more heat is released and that the reactor temperature is increased. By doing this I have actually run and regulated a nuclear reactor. It might sound a little bit geeky but how many people have actually been able to do that?

Friday!

Another week has passed, and it’s been a hectic one. I spent the whole week at the Stockholm office, working on getting my Product & Pricing projects off the ground. I have a lot to take care of since I’ll be out of the Stockholm office for about 3 weeks starting next week. However, I don’t mind one bit, just love working with pricing and product development.

As mentioned earlier, my upcoming weeks will be out of the Stockholm office, and I’m really looking forward to it. My upcoming schedule:

Monday morning: seriously early flight to Amsterdam where I’ll meet up with my trainee colleagues for four days of seminars, training and study visits to different parts of the Vattenfall value chain. Friday we’re all going to Brussels to stopover at our Belgian office and visit the European Parliament. Hopping on the 6.45 flight back to Stockholm, re-pack my bags and get a few hours of sleep. Saturday an even earlier wake-up call awaits and I’ll, hesitantly, get in my car to drive up to Umeå in the north of Sweden (where I’m originally from). I’ll work at the Umeå office on Monday and then, in the evening, I’ll take my car and drive up to Kittelfjäll for a few well deserved days of vacation. Well deserved according to me at least. And yes, I’ll be the judge of that.

Next Monday I’ll meet up with my Swedish trainee colleagues in the Gothenburg (Kittelfjäll-Stockholm-Gothenburg) area to visit Ringhals nuclear plant, a wind farm and a wave power plant. Tuesday evening it’s back to Stockholm to re-pack my bags again and get ready for an early drive to Sälen Wednesday morning. In Sälen I’ll work with a Vattenfall sponsored event, Ski Funtastic, for a few days. If you happened to be in Sälen at the time, please stop by our tent to say hello!

Puh. That’s a lot of travelling come to think of it. Pretty sure the Stockholm office will feel like a blessing the week after that.

Playtime is over, time to get some work done so I don’t have to spend the next three weeks on my cell.

Ah, just remembered, subsequent to writing this, that a promised a description of the recruitment process. Next time, promise. See it as a cliff-hanger.

I’ll get back to you guys soon, take care till then!

Ja, vad gör egentligen en trainee när han inte jobbar? Jag tänkte ägna ett (kort) inlägg åt det där ”andra”. Work-life balance är kanske ett begrepp du sett tidigare, men ägna en stund åt att fundera över hur du lever och vad du gör av din tid. Med risk för att låta som en havregrynsgrötsblogg: Vad gjorde jag själv igår?

6.15: Klockan ringde, dags att gå upp

07.04 – 08.16 Satt på tåget mellan Uppsala och Sö-tälje (som lokalbefolkningen säger)

8.25 – 17.10 Jobba. Fick gott om tid att skriva på min rapport för denna period pga en ganska tom kalender. Hann med ett besök i integrationslabbet där man testar lastbilens mjukvara på en ”rigg”. High-tech! 🙂 Jag hann visst med en lunch också där mitt i, pratade med en nyanställd om att skillnaden mellan att jobba på storföretag jämfört med konsultbolag.

17.17 – 18.21 Satt på tåget hem igen. Hade lite tur med bytet, SJ var tidiga! Notera hur jag kan tidtabellen i huvudet ganska bra.

Det är som synes mycket restid för mig som pendlar långt. Tur att det finns bra böcker att läsa, en bärbar att arbeta på, och ett trött huvud som lätt somnar så att tiden går fortare. Hade jag tvingats sitta och titta ut genom fönstret i tre timmar per dag hade jag nog fått något slags diagnos förr eller senare!

Väl hemma rörde jag ihop en linsgryta och sen var det dags för träning. Två gånger i veckan tränar jag capoeira, en otroligt rolig kampsport och effektiv träningsform som jag började med för fyra år sen (så ja, det är jag på bilden, haha). Efter träningen var det bums i säng, det är inte lika många sovmorgnar som på universitetet om man säger så.

Work-life balance ja. Än så länge har övergången från student till förvärvsarbetande gått smärtfritt. Jag trivs väldigt bra med tillvaron och hinner med det jag vill hinna med, utan att stressa. Jag kan misstänka att småbarnsföräldrar, chefer och andra med ännu mindre tid skulle skratta åt mig, jag förstår att jag har det ganska bra 🙂

Ps. Havregrynsgrötsblogg är ett lite raljant ord, men det gäller sådana bloggar som bara berättar lite allmänt om dagen, ungefär som den gamla tidens dagbok. Det finns bra sådana också såklart, men jag tycker innehåll och kontext är viktigt för att du som läsare ska vilja komma tillbaka.

I thought I would try to describe a week of non-trainee related work.

So, what has happened since last Friday? Not that I managed to blog last Friday or anything, but for the sake of the argument, imagine I did.

Last Saturday the alpine branch of the ever so appreciated sports club at Vattenfall, Vattenfalls IF, organized a trip to Romme Alpine in Dalarna, Sweden. Me and a few fellow colleagues accepted the offer and endured the 5.30 am wake-up call while praying to the weather gods. And boy did that pay off, clear skies and -1 celcius. Turned out to be a perfect day in the slopes. Sign me up for next year!

The normal work-week then started off Monday by an even earlier wake-up call to catch the early flight to Helsinki. Spent the day at the Helsinki office, unfortunately without any opportunity to see what the city had to offer. Me and me colleague Sven had a very productive day of meetings. So inspiring to see a different market, with its’ pros and cons. Back in Sweden just in time for dinner.

Another notable activity I have undertaken this week is the highly prestigious Power Grid challenge. I would be the first guy to admit to its geekyness, but yes, it’s a board game about building power plants. Like Monopoly meets Risk meets the electricity industry. Like I said it is a very prestigious battle at the office, unfortunately 3-time champion Håkan snagged the victory right in front of my nose. Cried myself to sleep that night.

Other than that I have spent the week working on my projects, late nights and early mornings. Just like I like it. I guess that phase will pass 🙂

I have gotten requests to explain the trainee requirement process, which I will do. So keep your eyes open people.

Till then, have a great weekend!

/Marcus