Perspectives

on Career
Transitions:
Life Stories From Six E&P
Industry Professionals
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

Finding and starting a new career can be a fairly

straightforward process for some or a daunting
taskforothers. The transition may start in the mind
when one begins to frst foster thoughts about it. A
signifcant 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 initially envisaged.
In this issue, the TWA Forum section in collaboration
with the TWA Soft Skills section 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
sacrifced 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 skills that were relevant in ensuring that the
career transition was a success.

Directing a Career:
From Filmmaking and Physics to Engineering
Rodrigo Rueda Terrazas, Total E&P
Rodrigo Rueda Terrazas joined 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 development
sector of the Libra feld. 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 frst 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 vicecoordinator 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 TWA Forum section.

I believe that one of my biggest

professional transitions, which set me
onto my current path, was switching
from flm and physics studies to
petroleum engineering. In 2004, I was
attending university in Florida. 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 flm 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

Vol. 12 // No. 1 // 2016

Forum
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 during
the day and flm studies at night.
By 2009, I had completed my
major in flm studies, and had begun
to realize some achievements related
to it, such as directing, writing, and
producing diverse short and mediumlength flms; cofounding a small
independent flm production company;
and directing a full feature-length
flm. Furthermore, some of these
flms were selected for presentation
at international flm festivals such as
Cannes, Clermont-Ferrand, Brazil
National Cinema Awards, andothers.
Nevertheless, as much as my
flm career developed, it also
started to become clear that it was

an unreliable career choice in Latin

America in termsof job stability.
In the same manner, after several
semesters in physics, the questions
of career stability started to arise.
All of a sudden, I felt completely lost.
Although I had pursued two different
areas 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.
Luckily, as a physics major, I had
the advantage of being able to take
several electives, which gave me the
chance to study geology, geophysics,
fuid 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 confrmed
my 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 extremely
useful in my career as an engineer,
such as problem-solving tools from
physics, and project management
experience from flmmaking. My
experiences have shown me that
all knowledge, regardless of the
feld, is relevant and useful for
futuredevelopment.

The Value of Engineering in the Financial Sector

Shawn Faurote, Edward Jones
As an expatriate engineer who had
lived in India with my family for
3years, 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 language,
but the posting also provided a
wonderful perspective on the United
Statesmy home country.
However, upon returning to the US,
I began to refect upon the possibility
of yet another career transition;
this time to a different industry,
fnancial services. For years, I had
considered the possibility of making
this transition, as it would allow me to
help both individuals and families to
plan for meeting their own goals and
aspirations, by helping them achieve
their long-term fnancial goals.
When I worked as an 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
fnancial adviser, I am challenged

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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
particular, often try to substitute 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 challenges 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 willing 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 and how can
change to ft the situation.

Shawn Faurote is 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 fnancial adviser for Edward Jones in Colorado.

Changing Continents and Careers at the Same Time

Samuel Ighalo, Halliburton
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 most
impact. 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 farreaching 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 from
Nigeria 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.

Samuel Ighalo joined 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 TWA Forum section.

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 utilized
the 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.

The First Career Transition

Aman Gill, Nexen ULC
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 learning to prioritize

daily tasks. I have learned to be a
teamplayer who seeks continual
feedback and support from both
technical and nontechnical coworkers
in solving operational problems and
contributing positively to the key
results of thecompany.

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Forum
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 fnite
16-month term but rather for my entire
career. In line with this, I have learned
to 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 technical team and
implementing recommendations with
operations and maintenance teams has
strengthened my communication skills
and fexibility 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 effciency of
your organization. Make an effort to

understand and ft into the culture of

the company, and make sure you align
your goals with the goals of your team.
Understand how your role fts into the
company and how you can add value.
Seek out senior coworkers to provide
assistance to you when required, and
always, 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-intraining in an operations engineering role in 2014. Gill is the
lead editor of the TWA SPE 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
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 feld
offces to head offces, changed locations
within my home country of Nigeria,
and then moved to countries 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 fnding
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.

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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 affliate 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 offce
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 affliates.
The biggest issue with this career
transition was the change in culture.
Although I speak French fuently, 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 diffcult 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

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.

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 skills that can help you to manage
career 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 transitions
by definition, never really last for a long
time. Try and appreciate your transition.
You are often most challenged 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 all, enjoy any transition.
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,
especially 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.

Striking a Balance Between Career and Family

Jane Norman, Santos
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 different 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, allow you to keep your
skills 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 falls on the employee to take
ownership and demonstrate they are
100% committed, regardless of the
hours they put in.
The soft skills 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

Jane Norman completed 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 responsibility for developing the companys
corporate strategy as well as oil and liquefied-natural-gas market analysis. Norman
is married and has three daughters.

very clear on priorities. Flexibility and

transparency are key, both for you and
your employer. There will 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 issue of
Vogue Australia between 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

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