BP:Katherine
From CareersWiki
| Degree | BSc Environmental Geoscience |
| Graduation date | 2011 |
| Company | BP |
| Job Title | Geoscience Intern (11 week paid internship) |
| Finding the opportunity - How did you find out about it? |
I was interested in applying for a range of Oil and Gas companies, I found the opportunity for BP on their website – it was a very easy to navigate. The Careers Centre gave me some good advice for the application process. |
| Application Process |
There were several stages to the application process;
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| Selection Process | After my application form was reviewed and accepted, I passed the online tests and was put forward to the interview stage. This was an afternoon session at a conference centre in Aberdeen. I had a 45min interview with one person who asked me about my skills and experience as well as reasons why I should be accepted onto the internship scheme. I also had an 1hr long technical interview with two geoscientists, they asked me questions about me general and detailed questions about oil and gas related Geoscience. On passing this round of interviews I was accepted onto the internship scheme.
During the 11 weeks at BP I was continuously assessed in the form of progress reviews with my line manager and presentations to the team. At the end of the internship I was recommended by my line manager to be put forward to the Graduate Assessment Centre Day. This was an intense day of competency based activities were I had to complete a series of individual and group exercises. Throughout this I was assessed by a panel of people. My performance on this day along with recommendations from my line manager and work completed during the internship was the basis for offering me a graduate job. |
| Why you were successful |
I gave quite a lot of detail on my application form. It was very important to show evidence of previous work experience and any other extra-curricular activities I was involved in. I talked about my past work placements at ACE Insurance London, where I worked for 3 summers. Also some early work experience at Atkins. I explained about my interests in music and my commitment to the Royal College of Music where I studied as a junior member on Saturdays for 6 years. In my application form and interviews BP were very interested to understand the skills gained from these opportunities and how I could bring this to the work place as an intern or graduate employee. During the internship, I was assessed on key competencies such as communication, building relationships, ability to learn and adapt, application of knowledge and strive for excellence etc. I scored highly in these areas throughout the 11 weeks. I also showed commitment and hard work in my project, meeting every deadline and presenting well to the team. These were a few of the reasons for being successful in the internship. |
| What skills/knowledge from your degree have you found particularly helpful in this role? | The breadth of topics studied as part of the Geoscience degree at St Andrews definitely helped me to grasp new information. I was able to apply the knowledge I had to areas of technical Geoscience that were completely new – in particular geophysics.
The analytical skills gained from lab work and field trips along with the attention to detail that we have been taught to appreciate helped me to succeed and learn quickly during my internship. |
| What have you been doing? | I was placed in the Resources department and given a team to join for the 11 weeks. The team included Geologists, Geophysicists and Reservoir Engineers. I was assigned a line manager who took charge of my project, development and progress within the internship. I got on well with my line manager and he gave good guidance and technical help throughout. The line managers kept track of everything and conducted two formal appraisals during the placement which were sent to HR for the record.
My project was technically complex and involved a lot of data analysis and interpretation. It was a purely geophysics based project where I had to analysis seismic data and build computer models to show the effect of changing rock properties and reservoir characteristics. I presented my work to the team in a formal style and also as part of the departments regular Geoscience Network Meetings. I got the chance to go out to a warehouse to study some core and was given an insight into other departments – e.g. drilling engineering and petrophysics. The general working hours were 8.00-5.00 everyday. The BP office in Aberdeen had a flexi Friday policy – every other Friday off work! The working environment was very pleasant and everyone was willing to help. The facilities available were great; coffee machines on every floor, fresh fruit everyday, at lunchtime you could choose from a range of meal options in the restaurant or pop to Starbucks for a coffee and sandwich. There was a great social scene amongst the interns as we lived and worked together for 11 weeks. We all got to know each other quite well and made the most of the extra long weekends by going on trips to the highlands or to the beach. |
| What are the main things you have gained from this experience? | The internship has allowed me to develop and improve many skills which are transferable across different industries, these include:
I took part in a presentation training course; this is something that will be useful throughout the remainder of my degree and following career. I gained a good understanding of the Oil and Gas industry and an insight into how Geoscience can be applied in industry. Overall the internship was an invaluable opportunity; it gave me an insight into the diverse roles available at BP. After thorough assessments I succeeded in being offered a graduate job as a Geoscientist for September 2011 and look forward to developing my skills further. |
