Discovery Day for undergraduates - BP Review

I enjoyed the Discovery Day organised by BP in Dyce, Abderdeen. It was very much structured towards undergraduates like myself. Plenty of interesting acitivties and games were planned throughout the day ensuring that we weren't bored. I also got the impression that the day was definitely geared around what we expected to gain from the experience.

I was very much welcomed on the day and the organisers seemed to really care about each of us individually, in regards to our interests and plans for the future. Both the recent graduate employees and the senior staff members seemed more than happy to discuss all aspects of working there in Dyce.

I was given the opportunity to chat and pick the brains of current employees, especially those who had been through the same application process that we were beginning. The staff were all pleasant and happy to help during the day. We were never left alone during the day, and involvement in other activities was very intense, to make sure no-one got bored.

At one point we were given the chance to have a practice interview with one of the staff at BP, and they gave us advice in structuring answers to certain key questions which may be asked during a real interview. There was also an element of peer review in this activity, where other undergraduates would discuss the quality of each-other's answers.

The Discovery Day overall was very well structured; there was a briefing for the day at the beginning upon arrival, and all the activities we took part in were well though out. There were sufficient breaks for lunch etc, and as the day extended from 9:30am - 5:00pm they even went so far as to provide breakfast.

Everyone who I was in contact with was very friendly, however when exploring the BP Dyce Centre, there was a dull corporate feel about the offices, which didn't make me feel that welcome, as if we were invading their space. However, this didn't ruin the day overall as we didn't have much contact with the BP offices.

The 2 main organisers who appeared to be in charge of the Discovery Day gave the impression that their main occupation with BP is organising events such as this one. They belonged to the Graduate Resources department in BP, and were highly involved with getting undergraduates informed and interested in the company.

I certainly feel that I have a much better understanding of the different career paths available to undergraduates like myself at BP, whether it be in Dyce, Sunbury, or in other locations around the world. One talk in particular highlighted the possibility for travel within the company which was of particular interest to me.

At BP, the company as a whole strongly revolves around their 5 Values, which I would encourage all those interested in applying for Discovery Days, Shadow Days or internships in the future to look in to and understand. These 5 Values are; Safety, Respect, Excellence, Courage and One Team. These are important to remember for interviews with BP especially.

The content of a BP Discovery Day from my experience was incredibly valuable, and I can now proceed with my degree in MSci Geology with an International Year knowing that there are companies out there such as BP who are constantly moving forward in the petroleum industry, should I decide that this is the career path for me.

A Discovery Day with BP is not a paid insight program offered by the company, but they appreciated that undergraduates who acquired a place on the program may have to travel long distances to reach it. For me, I had to take return flights from the Isle of Man to Aberdeen, and also needed overnight accommodation both before and after the event.

Yes, there was, as explained in previous comments regarding this Discovery Day.

They were well-organised and the people were easy to talk to.

Yes, I was told that some employees regularly take part in physical activities such as running races outside of work.

I would recommend the BP Discovery Day to a friend, as I found this experience overall very helpful.