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I believe that one of my biggest

professional transit ions, wh ich set me

onto my current path, was switching

from film and physics studies to

petroleum engineer ing. In 2004, I was

attending university in F lorida. At the

time, my plan was to complete the

general engineering core curriculum in

order to transfer to another university,

and major in engineering physics. On

top of that, I had a great desire to take

some film classes in parallel.

Unfortunately, this combination was

not possible at the school where I was

registered, and as a result, I decided to

transfer to Brazil and attend university

Finding and star ting a new career can be a fairly

straightforward process for some or a daunting

task for others. The transition may start in the mind

when one begins to first foster thoughts about it. A

significant change in direction, particularly when it

breaks free of the status quo imposed by a peer group,

often comes with its share of self-doubt lurking in the

corner. However, when one does go through with the

career transition, there are often rewarding results,

although sometimes not in ways initial ly envisaged.

In this issue, the TWAForum section in collaboration

with the TWASoft Skills sect ion present to you six

different perspectives on career transitions from

the point of view of exploration and production

professionals. You will read about how the transitions

improved the careers and lives of the individuals, the

motivation behind the change, and what had to be

sacrificed to see it through. Read on to see how previous

experiences help with career transitions, what sorts of

resources were invaluable in managing the transition,

and the soft ski lls that were relevant in ensuring that the

career transition was a success.

Perspectiveson Career

Transitions:Life Stories From Six E&PIndustry Professionals

Directing a Career:

From Filmmaking and Physics to Engineering

Rodrigo Rueda Terrazas,Total E&P

Rodrigo Rueda Terrazasjoined Total Brazil in 2011 as an

intern in the gas and power division, and then worked as a gas

and power market engineer. In 2014, he joined the exploration

and production division, in the planning and developmentsector of the Libra field. He graduated as a petroleum engineer

from Universidade Estcio de S (UNESA) in Brazil, and is

currently enrolled in Heriot-Watt Universitys petroleum

engineering masters program. Terrazas has been involved

with SPE since 2011 when he cofounded and became the first president of the UNESA

student chapter. In 2014, he joined the SPE Brazil Section board as young professionals

director, where he acts as young professionals committee chair. He received the SPE

Regional Young Member Outstanding Service award in 2015. Terrazas acts as vice-

coordinator of the Brazilian Petroleum Institute youth committee, from which he

received the Professional of the Future award. He is currently an associate editor for

the TWAForum section.

Rodrigo Rueda Terrazas,Total E&P; Shawn Faurote,Edward Jones; Samuel Ighalo, Halliburton;

Aman Gill, Nexen ULC; Onyeka Ndefo,Total E&P; and Jane Norman,Santos

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in Rio de Janeiro. This transfer had

its downsides, such as having to

retake several of the core courses for

engineering. However, on the upside, in

Rio I was able to study physics duri ng

the day and film studies at night.

By 2009, I had completed mymajor in film studies, and had begun

to realize some achievements related

to it, such as directing, writing, and

produci ng diverse short a nd medium-

length films; cofounding a small

independent film production company;

and directing a ful l feature-length

film. Furthermore, some of these

films were selected for presentation

at international film festivals such as

Cannes, Clermont-Ferrand, Brazil

National Cinema Awards, and others.

Nevertheless, as much as my

film career developed, it also

started to become clear that it was

an unreliable career choice in Latin

Amer ica in terms of job stabi lity.

In the same manner, after several

semesters in physics, the questions

of career stability started to arise.

Al l of a sudden, I fel t completely lost.

Al though I had pursued two di fferentareas of study, none appeared to be

a stable career choice, and instead of

minimizing uncertainty I realized I was

surrounded by it. I needed to rethink

choices I had made years ago and

determine ways to make the most of the

time and effort I had already invested in

my education.

Lucki ly, as a physics major, I had

the advantage of being able to take

several electives, which gave me the

chance to study geology, geophysics,

fluid dynamics, thermodynamics,

and economics, all highly relevant

for a petroleum engineer. In addition,

and critical to my career transition,

I learned about SPE, and attended a

weekly fair organized by one of the

local SPE student chapters. This event

not only demonstrated to me all that

petroleum engineering offered as a

career path, but absolutely confirmedmy desire to follow that path.

Several years have passed since

then, and thanks to SPE, and my current

employer, I can proudly say that I have

found my true passion. Whats more,

most of the knowledge I obtained in my

previous studies has been ext remely

useful in my career as an engineer,

such as problem-solving tools from

physics, and project management

experience from filmmaking. My

experiences have shown me that

all knowledge, regardless of the

field, is relevant and useful for

future development.

As a n expatr iate engineer who had

lived in India with my family for

3 years, I had already gone through a

substantial and rewarding transition in

my career. Not only did I learn a great

deal about food, culture, and la nguage,

but the posting also provided a

wonderful perspective on the United

Statesmy home country.

However, upon returning to the US,

I began to reflect upon the possibility

of yet another career transition;

this ti me to a dif ferent industry,

financial services. For years, I had

considered the possibility of making

this transition, as it would allow me to

help both individuals and fami lies to

plan for meeting their own goals and

aspirations, by helping them achieve

their long-term financial goals.

When I worked as a n engineer, I

also worked as a mentor and manager

for a global team. In this role, I was

often challenged to make complex

topics approachable and easy to

understand. In a similar way, as a

financial adviser, I am chal lenged

to make complex investments

straightforward and easily understood

so that investors can take action.

I have found in both of my careers

that a good analogy is a powerful

tool in helping customers and clients

understand the potential risk and

return that they are facing. Another

thing I took from my previous career

was that people, and engineers in

par ticular, often t ry to substi tute a lack

of understanding of a concept with

more data. This typically does not

work; people often do not need more

data, but instead they need to take the

time to fully understand the data they

do have.

There is a forest of chal lenges before

the world today and engineers have a

unique set of skills to assist with these

problems, and not just in the standard

engineering disciplines. Engineering

attitudes toward problem solving,

such as being wil ling to overcome the

challenges that others are not with hard

work and determination, are tools that

cut many trees.

For any potential career transition,

I think it is critical to understand the

why before the what and how. It is

the why that will sustain you for years

and across different jobs, careers, and

pursuits. The what a nd how can

change to fit the situation.

Shawn Fauroteis a graduate of the Iowa State University with

a BS in mechanical engineering. He served in various

engineering and management roles for Halliburton in the US in

Colorado, Utah, and New Mexico before taking an international

assignment in Gurgaon, India, and later in Mumbai. Faurote

returned with his family to the US in 2015 and is currently

serving as a financial adviser for Edward Jones in Colorado.

The Value of Engineering in the Financial Sector

Shawn Faurote,Edward Jones

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Having been hired as a new graduate

employee for the same company

where I had done a student term, I was

looking forward to coming back and

also wondering what new challenges

awaited me. Looking back at my brief

but busy full-time career, I realize that

the road has been both challenging

and rewarding. My career and life have

already improved dramatically since

I started working full time, as growing

responsibility at work has strengthened

many of my soft skills both in and out of

work. As my responsibility has grown,

I have been given more tasks which

have bolstered my organizational

skills such as learn ing to prioritize

daily tasks. I have learned to be a

team player who seeks continual

feedback and support from both

technical and nontechnical coworkers

in solving operational problems and

contributing positively to the key

results of the company.

I have had several career and life

transition experiences since I graduated

from college but I would have to say

that location transfer had made the mostimpact. Making the switch from one job

to another within the same geographical

region or country is sometimes as

daunting as it is exciting; however,

making a transition from one country

to another without a job in hand is an

entirely different proposition with far-

reaching consequences.

Such was my situation when I made

the decision to leave my job as a drilling

engineer in Nigeria along with my family

and friends in order to relocate to the US.

The biggest motivation for my location

transition was to join my fiance at the

time. She was just graduating from

law school in the US and was making

a decision as to where she needed to

go next. After carefully evaluating all

available options, we thought we would

both be better served if we started our

lives together in the US.

Thankfully, I had good family

support during my relocation fromNigeria to the US. However, I did not

have any prior experience on how to

relocate to a new country and embrace

a new culture. I experienced a cultural

shock the moment I landed in the US.

It was palpable and I knew from the

very start I needed to jump-start my

integration into this new culture. I looked

for organizations that assisted new

immigrants. I was led to Upwardly Global

(a resource for skilled immigrants) based

in San Francisco and other selected

cities where I was coached on rsum

building, professional networking, and

job interviews. These sessions really

helped and made it a lot easier for me

to acclimatize quickly to the US work

environment, and secure a new job in

petroleum engineering.

I found that I had to utilize a great

amount of soft skills to speed up my

integration process in my new work

environment. The soft skills that I utilizedthe most were adaptability, willingness

to learn, understanding the culture,

innovation, resilience, and networking.

These skills were very invaluable to

me during all of the transition phases

I went through and even to this day at

the workplace. Despite the challenges I

faced, I still believe my career transition

to the US was the best thing that

happened to me.

In the US, there is a huge amount

of competition for skilled jobs and this

presents a challenge, albeit a positive

one, for you to become excellent in

your career. In order to stay ahead of

the competition, you have to hit the

ground running through hard work

and dedication. At times, you may have

to upgrade your skill sets either by

pursuing an advanced degree and/or

attending professional courses. It is a

lifelong learning experience in order to

keep progressing in your job and your

chosen career.

I feel that anyone can make a

successful career transition if they have

a clear understanding of what they want,

set and manage the right expectations,

and have the resilience to deal with

unknowns. Things might not always

work out immediately the way they

were planned. Instead of throwing in the

towel, you should reassess and manage

your expectations based on the current

reality with your long-term goal in mind.

Changing Continents and Careers at the Same Time

Samuel Ighalo, Halliburton

Samuel Ighalojoined Halliburton Energy Services in 2007

and is currently a senior drilling consultant with Halliburtons

consulting and project management division. He has more than

10 years of experience in well planning and drilling

engineering. Most recently, Ighalo has developed expertise in

advanced tubular design in deepwater and unconventional

resource plays. He obtained a bachelors degree in mechanical

engineering with honors from the Obafemi Awolowo University,

Nigeria, and a masters degree in petroleum and project development with distinction

from the Institute of Petroleum Studies, Nigeria. Ighalo recently completed a masters

degree in petroleum engineering (smart oilfield technology option) from the University

of Southern California, Los Angeles. He is a member of the American Society of

Mechanical Engineers and an editor for the TWAForum section.

The First Career TransitionAman Gill, Nexen ULC

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Moving from one location to another

has been a major transition that has

impacted my career. In the course of my

employment, I have moved from field

offices to head offices, changed locations

within my home country of Nigeria,

and then moved to countr ies outside of

Nigeria before returning in 2014.

In 2011, I was asked to move from

Lagos, Nigeria, to The Netherlands. At

this time, my wife and I had two children

and my wife was expectant with another.

In addition, my wife had been working

for 5 years and when this opportunity

came up, we saw that for it to work that

she would have to quit her job. They

say that kids adapt quicker than the

adults for changes like this, and that

was exactly what happened. They had a

smooth transition. When we got to The

Netherlands, the challenge of finding

employment proved to be frustrating for

my wife. However, she decided to take

advantage of the transition and used it as

an opportunity to go back to school.

My transition was different than that

of the rest of my family. I was going to

be doing a similar role as a geologist

in The Netherlands as I was doing in

Nigeria, albeit with a different context.

In addition to the technical differences I

experienced, I also had to adapt to the

pace of work in my new location, as it was

a smaller affiliate of my company, and

was thus slower paced than what I had

experienced in Nigeria.

My family and I lived in The

Netherlands from 2011 to 2013.

Afterward, we moved to the head office

of my employer in Pau, France. I joined

a team that was looking into service

quality on a global scale. That involved

less technical work than I had previously

been doing, but I worked autonomously,

incorporating information from affiliates.

The biggest issue with this career

transition was the change in culture.

Although I speak French fluently, I found

that speaking a language is different

from understanding its culture and

society. It can be quite overwhelming,

and I found this the most difficult career

transition I faced. However, thankfully,

there was an international school in Pau

and a vibrant Nigerian community so

the transition was made easier for my

children and wife.

Upon moving back to Nigeria,

my wife and I were surprised that

the transition did not go as smoothly

as we expected, given that we were

moving back to our home country. As

our children had progressed a great

deal through the Western educational

system, their education was not focused

on the same concepts as the Nigerian

educational system. As a result, my wife

had to provide extra guidance to our

The main challenge that I have

faced in transitioning to a new graduate

role from my previous student role

has been the realization that my

development is not just for a finite

16-month term but rather for my entire

career. In line with this, I have learnedto be keen on seeking senior mentors at

work, both for career mentorship and in

supporting me in tackling and solving

challenging operational problems.

Working in a tech nica l team and

implementing recommendations with

operations and maintenance teams has

strengthened my communication skills

and flexibility in receiving feedback.

My role has sparked my interest in

learning the elements of a variety

of other disciplines, which helps me

in achieving my daily tasks, be it by

using maintenance software or reading

instrumentation manuals.

To students transitioning into the

industry as new graduates, the advice

I offer to you is to be tenacious in

seeking to improve the efficiency ofyour organization. Make an effort to

understand and fit into the culture of

the company, and make sure you align

your goals with the goals of your team.

Understand how your role fits into the

company and how you can add value.

Seek out senior coworkers to provide

assistance to you when required, andalways, always ask questions.

Aman Gill graduated from the University of Calgary in 2014

with a major in chemical engineering and a minor in petroleum

engineering. After a 16-month internship at Nexens Long Lake

facility in 2012, he returned to the site as an engineer-in-

training in an operations engineering role in 2014. Gill is the

lead editor of the TWASPE 101 section. He has also served as

the president of the University of Calgary SPE Student Chapter

in 2014.

A Career That Takes You Places

Onyeka Ndefo,Total E&P

Onyeka Ndefo has a bachelors degree in geology from the

University of Nigeria and an MSc in petroleum geoscience from

the University of Manchester. He has worked at Total E&P for

more than 10 years, starting in 2004 as a wellsite geologist for

the Niger Delta. Ndefo then moved to operations geology and

worked on a variety of major deepwater projects for Total.

Currently he works as a manager for deepwater operations

geology. Ndefo is married with three children.

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children with their homework, and they

had to spend additional effort learning

some topics that they were not previously

exposed to. However, at the end of it, they

adapted, and their hard work paid off.

I have found that there are certain

soft ski lls that can help you to managecareer transitions. If you are new to a

location or group, you need to be patient

and demonstrate respect for those that

are there already. You can certainly

have your views, but be open minded,

ready to adapt, and appreciate that not

everyone will see things the way you do.

Being able to communicate effectively

and efficiently is critical. You also need

to understand what the group does and

how it can achieve the common goal of

the organization.

For anyone considering a career

transition, I would encourage you not to

be afraid. But recognize that transitionsby definition, never really last for a long

time. Try and appreciate your transition.

You are often most chal lenged then, not

to stress you but to test you. The test

could bring out the best or worst in you.

It is an opportunity to be a better person

and a better professional. If there is a

cultural change (due to the country, or

the work itself), immerse yourself in the

culture of the new environment.

Above al l, enjoy any transit ion.

There are a lot of opportunities to enjoy

in a new environment and during the

change. It is not the time to be closed in.

It is a great opportunity to meet people,especial ly people outside your technical

sphere, for at some point you may end

up working together. Looking back on

it, the career transitions I went through

were formative for my development as

a professional and in my progression

within my company. They were moves I

needed to make.

My career transition from full time to

part-time work was triggered by starting

a family and then taking on a new role

at a dif ferent company. Prior to having

children, I had worked full time for

nearly 10 years.

Working part time keeps you

in the workforce during the years

your children are young and you

wish to spend more time at home. It

might feel like you are putting your

career development on hold, but

part-time work, and flexible working

arrangements, a llow you to keep your

skil ls up-to-date. In addition, it lets you

decide when you are ready to increase

your work commitments.

It can be challenging working part

time if your organization has a full-time

culture. The more senior you are, the

more challenging this can be. The lack

of full-time hours can be wrongly

perceived as a lack of commitment

during the hours at work. The onus

really fall s on the employee to take

ownership and demonstrate they are

100% committed, regardless of the

hours they put in.

The soft ski lls you need to make a

transition to part-time work are really

the same skills that make you an

effective member of any team: strong

communication, trust, consideration of

others, personal integrity, and being

very clear on priorit ies. F lexibili ty and

transparency are key, both for you and

your employer. There wi ll be times when

you have deadlines and need to stay late

to finish work, and times when you need

to reschedule a meeting to take care of a

sick child.

To paraphrase an interview

published in the 2015 April i ssue of

Vogue Australiabetween Australian

author Anna Funder and actress Cate

Blanchet, my family and career are

mutually supportive and inspiring

and I cant imagine life another way.

... Children have expanded my world

and my understanding of human nature

more than I could have known, to say

nothing of my limitations and failures. ...

Children teach one about compromise.

They are spirited, passionate, political,

and demanding. All these are skills we

need to hone for the work place.

My advice to someone considering

a career transition to part-time work: Be

clear with your employer on what you

are and are not prepared to do so you

are both on the same page. Be willing

to accept opportunities and challenges

which might appear daunting. You can

usually adapt your childcare and home

situation to make things work. Remain

engaged in your career when you have

children; do not cut off options, and you

will be amazed at what you are actually

capable of. TWA

Striking a Balance Between Career and Family

Jane Norman,Santos

Jane Normancompleted her chemical engineering degree

in France and joined Shell International E&P in The Hague as

a process engineer. After 3 years with Shell UK E&P on the

graduate engineering program, working offshore on the Brent

field redesign project, operations at the St Fergus gas plant,

and in facilities optimization in Aberdeen, Norman

transferred to a commercial role with Shell UK in London with

responsibility for developing agreements relating to the

southern North Sea fields. After leaving Shell, she held corporate finance and equity

capital market roles for several years with Cazenove & Co. and Goldman Sachs,

where she specialized in the oil and gas sector. In 2005, Norman joined Santos and

moved to Adelaide, Australia, where she has been the manager of strategy and

planning since 2011. In that role, she has responsibi lity for developing the companys

corporate strategy as well as oil and liquefied-natural-gas market analysis. Norman

is married and has three daughters.