This review was submitted over 4 years ago, so some of the information it contains may no longer be relevant.

Rating

3.6/5
  • About You
    3.5
  • The Company
    3.5
  • Everything Else
    3.8

    About You

  • 1. To what extent did you enjoy the insight?
  • I had a great time at the BP Discovery Day, with few (if any complaints). Everyone was friendly and helpful, and the day fulfilled my objectives that I'd set before going in.

    5/5

  • 2. To what extent did you feel valued during your time at the company or firm?
  • Very much so- everyone BP brought to the event made an effort to speak to all of the students, even if they were from a totally different discipline. However, a cold, corporate ambience was omnipresent- sometimes the friendliness felt forced. This is why I wouldn't say that I was treated "Like family."

    4/5

  • 3. How much guidance/support did you receive during the insight?
  • Lots- I was able to speak to multiple Geoscientists, and they gave me advice on how to break into the industry. A lot of the support was also based on their own personal experiences, so I felt like I was getting information from the horses mouth.

    5/5

  • 4. To what extent did/will the skills you developed, and information you received, assist you in your degree studies and beyond?
  • The day was far too broad to be of any relevance to my degree- which was to be expected anyway. I was not unsatisfied with this in any way.

    1/5

    The Company

  • 5. How well structured was the insight?
  • At the start of the day, we were given a timetable, which was more or less followed to the minute.

    5/5

  • 6. How was the general atmosphere during your insight?
  • Very good- the day was quite casual, considering that we weren't in direct competition for jobs with each other. I found it very easy to get along with the other students, many of whom were from different academic disciplines.

    5/5

  • 7. In terms of personal training and development, to what extent did the company or firm invest in you?
  • None- again, the BP Discovery day was not about training. It was about allowing first year undergraduates to get reliable information about the oil industry, science careers in the oil industry and BP as an employer. However, at the end of the session we carried out mock interviews. This helped me to develop my ability to promote my abilities to a prospective employer.

    3/5

  • 8. To what extent did the insight help you to understand what it would be like to have a full time role with the company or firm?
  • To a good extent- the geoscientists explained to us that their roles have actually become broader over the years, and no longer do they focus on one specific aspect of geoscience. For example, the terms "geologist" and "geophysicist" are being phased out, and BP are now looking towards hiring earth science students who are skilled in both sub disciplines. However, the information about certain roles could be vague at times. For example, one Geologist told us "I evaluate the pore space within rocks." I think he could have been more detailed here.

    4/5

  • 9. How much did the insight help you in understanding the company culture?
  • Well, although I wouldn't say that the company culture at BP is positive. The employees appeared to be bored on many occasions, making me think that they themselves were boring. When some students asked them about their social lives, one geologist said "I don't have one." They also insisted on the following icebreaker- "Find something in common with the person beside you." This exercise made me think that they were trying to discourage individuality, and make us think that we were all the same.

    3/5

  • 10. How valuable was the content in helping you to decide on your future career path?
  • Good- I will say that I still have an interest in the oil industry, but this day alone isn't enough to make me settle on oil for life. I will need to carry out a shadow day or something like that, or perhaps a week long placement. I would not recommend the BP Discovery Day to an older student who was set on what they want to do; this event wouldn't help them.

    3/5

    Everything Else

  • 11. Were you paid or reimbursed adequately for this experience?
  • BP were very generous in their guidelines for claiming expenses. As a result, I was able to fly from Northern Ireland and spend the night in a very comfortable hotel at no financial loss whatsoever, I will say that I think they should cover two nights in a hotel as opposed to one- I had to spend a night with my relatives in the region. This is because there is only one direct flight from Belfast to Aberdeen every day. Aberdeen is a problematic location for people to get to- a coursemate who was also present for the Discovery Day had a similar experience.


  • 12. Were there opportunities for networking and meeting other employees of the company or firm?
  • Yes- the same people who came to the University of Birmingham's "tea with BP" event were at the Discovery Day, and I was able to meet with them again and build on the previous meeting. I also made several Linkedin connections with prominent BP Geoscientists, and connected with them on a personal level.

    5/5

  • 13. How were the networking/ social event opportunities?
  • Excellent- the BP employees even told us themselves they were keen to network with us because in the future, we will potentially be in the industry, and if they made a good impression on us, any connection they have in the future could be beneficial to them. Due to their keenness to network, I felt like a burden had been lifted off my shoulders, and conversation was able to flow naturally.

    5/5

  • 14. Did you find out about activities that employees can get involved in outside of work?
  • Yes- in all honesty, it sounded quite boring. Perhaps this is because I am a student and going to a play on a Saturday night seems like a boring thing to do, but as I said before, many of the employees were reluctant to discuss their social lives. Perhaps they didn't want to- this is understandable (privacy ect), but they could have at least told us their reasons for being so reluctant to tell us. One Geologist told us he had no social life.

    3/5

  • 15. Would you recommend this insight to a friend?
  • Only if the said friend was a first year student- the BP Discovery Days are very basic, and should only be attended if you have very limited prior knowledge about the oil industry. Even if you have read about BP or the oil industry, I cannot stress how beneficial it is to get information directly from the horses mouth. Your lecturers are shielded by the academic bubble and may feed you misinformation.

    3/5

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Details

Insight / Vacation Scheme (< 4 Weeks)

Scotland

May 2017


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