Please provide a brief overview on your career to date:

During my time at university, I was lucky enough to get experience in a range of different industries including consulting, refrigeration and oil and gas. At the end of my penultimate year of study, I undertook a summer vacation placement at Santos. After graduating from my degree I worked in the refrigeration industry for a year and a half, where I gained some great practical experience.  

I then started in the Santos Graduate program in 2018. My first rotation was in the Production Engineering team, where my responsibility was to produce and optimise production from our oil wells in the Cooper Basin. This involved both surface and subsurface technologies and ranged from day-to-day to long term projects. I recently moved into a new role in Process Engineering, supporting the Cooper Upstream assets. I am excited to utilise some of the skills I’ve learnt at university in my new role, as well as gain a broad range of knowledge and experience in this discipline. 

When have you felt most energised at Santos?

I feel most energised when I am passionate about the work I am doing and when I can actively see how I am making a contribution to the company.

When have you felt most challenged?

The great thing about the graduate program at Santos is that you are given challenging roles with responsibilities and deliverables. I have felt most challenged when managing my own projects from opportunity identification through to execution, ensuring everything runs smoothly and making project go-forward decisions.

What has been your highlight of the Graduate Program?

The highlight for me so far has been the people and culture at Santos. I have thoroughly enjoyed working and learning alongside experienced and passionate engineers in their fields. I have also found it extremely beneficial to have a network of other graduates to discuss our experiences with and learn more about other opportunities available within the company.

Recall a time when you thought ‘wow’:

A time when I thought “wow”, was after the successful execution of a project campaign, which identified a new crude fuel quality source in the Cooper and unlocked future development opportunities. This project made me realise how the work I was doing was impacting the company as a whole and it was exciting to see everything come together.

A word to the wise...

1. Try to get as much industry experience as possible (preferably onsite work if related to your degree). You won’t know what you like until you go out there and give it a go!
2. Start networking with the industry while you are at university. Attend all those industry nights! The more connections you have, the more opportunities will open up to you, and it’s always interesting to hear about other people’s roles and career pathways.
3. Make sure to look after your mental health. Studying can be very stressful and I found it’s great to have something else to focus on, whether it be sport, music, a part-time job, volunteering or other extracurricular activities (but also don’t overdo it!).