The Oil Industrys Best-kept Secret - A book full of inspiration and advice

‘Have confidence in yourself and be comfortable in your own skin’

‘Sometimes life isn’t a straight line… be ready to take advantage of opportunities’ ‘I didn’t excel at school, and didn’t initially go to university. Operation Raleigh took me to Zimbabwe as a canoe instructor. It was a great learning experience; I fell

‘I have felt uncomfortable a number of times in the past when some men have not been supportive, but you have to find a way to deal with it. You can have a positive conversation with your manager rather than make a complaint. There are times when formal channels are exactly the right thing to do, but there are also times when we can do more for ourselves. When I was offshore I built up a support group of people. Most men liked you being out there – they were supportive and wanted to look out for you. ‘It doesn’t suit everyone. Certainly it’s much more open to women now but it’s not for the faint-hearted. You must have confidence in yourself and be comfortable in your own skin. You do need to be resilient and self-reliant.’ Colette Cohen

in love with Africa and spent three years leading overland expeditions from London to Cape Town. The people on the expeditions tended to be young professionals who took six months out and then returned to their careers. All these people had gone to college and so I decided I’d try it for myself! While studying environmental science at Aberystwyth I read ‘Wonderful Life: Burgess Shale and the Nature of History’ by Stephen Jay Gould, this turned my attention to rocks, and that was it – a switch to study geology and never looking back. Life isn’t a straight line, sometimes things just pop up – maybe you didn’t realise something was there to be found. Somehow you stumble upon it, and when you do be agile, be ready to take advantage of those opportunities when they arise.’ Rachel Preece ‘Always choose something that looks interesting and fulfilling’ ‘Ever since university, my decisions have been influenced by what’s technically interesting to me. I’ve never had a long-term plan. The question I still dread most from someone more senior in the company is: ‘where do you see yourself in 10 or 15 years’ time?’ The answer is always ‘I don’t know’. I’ve always chosen options that looks interesting and will use my technical capabilities.’ Caroline Gill

THE OIL INDUSTRY'S BEST-KEPT SECRET

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