A giant oceanic manta ray a day - what gets me out of bed in the morning

George explains why he loves getting up every day to work at green energy supplier Bulb...

So, what gets you out of bed in the morning? It’s a great interview question. Employers know that personal motivation is a big driver of success, and giving a good answer can get you the job.

But it’s also a great question at any stage of your working life. We all need something to keep us energised and enthusiastic about what we do for a living. So to help you answer that interview question - and learn a bit more about Bulb - I want to share what motivates me.

Bulb is a fun, challenging place to work. We’re a rapidly growing team who work (and play) together in a cool part of London. We’re also transforming an industry together and that makes for an exciting journey. Apple co-founder Steve Wozniak said that if someone is motivated they will ‘go out and find a way to get things done’. At Bulb we’re always having to drive forward and find new ways to get things done.

But there’s a bigger picture too. 2017 was the hottest year without an El Niño effect since records began. Because of carbon-based energy, global temperatures have risen year after year, threatening more frequent extreme climatic events.

Yet 2017 was also a really positive year. In fact, it was the greenest year ever. All around the world we saw new commitments to wind, solar and other green energy sources. Here in the UK renewable energy costs hit a record low and we had the first ever completely coal-free day.

Things are changing rapidly, and Bulb is a part of that. In 2017 we grew from 15,000 to over 250,000 members. We supplied these members green energy that collectively saved 374 million kgs of CO2 from entering the atmosphere. To give you an idea of the kind of impact that’s having, Forestry UK estimates a tree absorbs 2kg of carbon a year, so the Bulb Community planted the equivalent of 187 million trees.

But my favourite way of thinking about it is that the average member saves 1,500kg of CO2 from entering the atmosphere every year. That’s the same weight as a giant oceanic manta ray! So if someone asks me, ‘What gets you out of bed?’ I can say, ‘For every member I help join Bulb today, I help save one giant manta ray worth of CO2’. And ultimately that’s the greatest motivation I can have to get up in the morning.

Talk to Bulb about their graduate roles at the UCL Sustainability Careers Fair, 6th Feb, South Cloisters, 12- 3pm.