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

‘You have to make choices… it’s not possible to have it all’ There are important questions around how to balance your time for family between all those competing demands - children, friends, exercise, career, yourself. You have work out what is going to give and make very deliberate choices; you have to decide what's important to you - it’s not possible to do everything with the same intensity. Women in particular put themselves under enormous stress thinking that it should be possible to have it all and do it all. Rather unhelpfully, some very successful women go around saying that you can. But my experience, and the experience of others I know, suggests that it’s not like that! You have to be clear in your choices, and accept the consequences.’ Vivienne Cox CBE motivation, commitment and drive. Of course they need the skills and experience so they are set up for success – as well as an ability to demonstrate that they can learn in that area – but they need to be motivated.’ Deirdre Michie OBE ‘Motivation, commitment and drive’ ‘[When considering someone for a promotion] I look for

‘Focus on what’s relevant’ ‘Who am I looking for? Someone with the right characteristics, the right competence, the right attitude, a track record and the ability to learn. Many people labour too much on the wording of their CV, on their list of experiences – I advise them to focus on a concise and powerfully stated description of how they are suited to a role, what they have done that’s relevant. The objective of a CV is to attract attention and make those considering your CV want to ask more.’ Roxanne Decyk THINKING AHEAD, MOVING AHEAD The first step on the road to promotion is to demonstrate clearly that you can do your current job well. Don’t be shy about what you have achieved: those on a promotion board should know about your capabilities. If your manager is doing their job properly, they will recognise your skills and when you are ready for the next opportunity. But it doesn’t always work like that. You might need to take the initiative and find out more about the qualities and experience that you’ll need to move on. Sometimes the only way to do this is to ask – get a description of the skills required for the post you’re interested in, or talk to your manager about their expectations for the role. Then comes the tough bit: asking your manager if they think you have the skills required. Whatever the feedback, listen and take note. If they identify a gap, you know what to work on. Find an opportunity to develop the skills they say are needed, and then verify that you’re now delivering at that level. It also helps to network with your colleagues and show you’re keen to take on additional tasks. This doesn’t mean working all hours in the day; work efficiently in the time given, but demonstrate you can produce a little extra. You can also learn a great deal by observing the people around you: what they do, how they act and how they contribute to a piece of work and discussion. Are you behaving in the same way as them, and demonstrating your ability to contribute?

THE OIL INDUSTRY'S BEST-KEPT SECRET

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