Student Review

The program I attended was the BP Subsurface Discovery Day at the Sunbury site. I really enjoyed spending the day there, getting a deeper insight into the company and meeting the employees. My favourite part of the day was getting a tour around the laboratories and seeing the HIVE (Highly Immersive Virtual Environment).

I was slightly nervous at first to be at such a big company, but all the employees were extremely friendly and welcoming. During lunchtime we had the opportunity to talk to some current BP employees about their jobs and experiences. I was fortunate enough to meet two employees who studied the same degree subject as me. Talking to them not only gave me a deeper understanding of their career, but also reassured me about my own uncertainty of my future career.

We were always told to ask any questions we had throughout the day, and the staff leading various sessions made sure everyone understood what they were talking about. Before the small practise interview session, we were taught the STARS technique and how to answer competency based questions. Even though I did not have prior knowledge about certain subjects compared to other students who did different degrees, I did not feel left out or confused during the event.

Most of the theory I encountered on the day will not be covered in my degree course, although I do have the choice to specialise towards that direction later on. I found the interview techniques and practice interview the most useful, as this taught me how to answer competency based questions and also what I could improve on.

The day was generally well structured with a complete timetable, with a lot of different sessions planned including hearing from current staff members about their jobs and also an investment game. However, some sessions ran slightly over time so we were behind schedule. This meant that we got less time to see the laboratories and equipment used, which was actually the part I enjoyed the most throughout the event.

Although the event was very formal and structured, the general atmosphere was very relaxed and friendly. Unlike some other companies I have visited before, the employees are all extremely welcoming, and there was not a competitive atmosphere amongst the students who attended the event. In contrary, everyone was eager to learn more about the company and speak to the employees.

The event I attended was only a Discovery Day, so there was not too much personal training or development. However, the events organised had the aim of giving us an insight into the company, as well as informing us on how to approach interview questions and career paths in BP.

The event only lasted for a day, so the time available for us to understand fully what it would be like to be an employee in BP was limited. However, some of the sessions organised had employees speaking about their personal experiences, and most of the staff taking other session would talk briefly about their work in the company. Rather than a really deep understanding into one particular role, I gained a broader insight into many different careers available in BP.

This event really helped me understand the company culture. Before attending the Discovery Day, everything I knew about the company values were from the BP website or leaflets. For example, I knew safety is a core value of BP, but I did not realise how strictly it was implemented until arriving at the site myself.

The content did help me decide on my future career path, although I am still not entirely sure what career I’d like when I graduate. This event furthered my interest in the oil and gas sector and BP as a company, and I am certain that I will read up and research more on this area and apply for the internship programme in my penultimate year of university.

This was an unpaid event, but we were told to email any receipts of travel to be reimbursed. There was an expense claim form that had to be filled, which was pretty straightforward. We were also told how long to expect the reimbursement form to be processed and the payment received.

There were lots of opportunities to meet other employees of the firm, as almost every session was led by a different employee. They also arranged to have around twenty employees join us for lunch, so we had the chance to network with them and ask them any questions about their jobs.

The networking session was excellent, as they invited many employees across different disciplines with different backgrounds to have lunch with us. I had the chance to speak to two employees who did the same degree subject as me, which was very useful as they told me how they went from a Physics degree to working in an oil and gas company.

During one of the sessions, we were told briefly about the facilities available in one of the more remote sites. The employees all seemed to be really passionate about their work, so there activities outside of work did not come up in the conversations I had with them during the lunch break.

I would recommend this Discovery Day to a friend interested in having a future career at BP. Although it only lasted a day, it was enough time for me to learn about different disciplines and opportunities, as well as talking to employees about their careers. You can definitely gain a much better insight into the company through this event, compared to simply looking through online sources.