BP Scholar Discovery Day Review

I really enjoyed the insight. We were given all the required information we needed to attend the event, as well as financial support. Once we arrived, everyone we met were really supportive and friendly. There was the opportunity for networking with employees of BP who were at different stages of their career. The event ran smoothly and was very informative.

I felt valued whilst I was at the company because I was invited to make contributions to the team. Everyone listened to each other. I was encouraged to ask questions, which were answered clearly. I was given further advice on making an application for a graduate role and was also given constructive criticism after we completed each workshop.

The insight was very well structured. Transportation was arranged from the local train station to the ICBT site. Following icebreakers, we met challengers on the BP graduate schemes, who informed us what they did on a day-to-day basis, as well as the support they have received to gain professional qualifications. We played an energy game to learn more about BP’s operations, and also met people from different support groups at BP.

We met a petroleum engineer on the BP graduate scheme, who told us that she was given real responsibility and managed 72 wells as part of the Iraq team. She monitors the performance of the wells, liaising with her Iraq counterpart to fix problems as they arise. There is the opportunity for graduates to travel to their site to meet the other members of their international team. We also met a process safety engineer, and at the end of the session, we were able to ask any questions we had.

Before we began our first session, we watched a 5 minute instructional video on fire regulations and helpful advice to promote safety whilst we were at the ICBT site. This was useful, and highlighted how safety is a huge part of BP’s operations and culture. Whilst BP’s core values were not explicitly discussed, there were posters promoting BP’s culture around the site.

We had the opportunity to talk to students undertaking a summer BP internship in different roles. This was extremely useful, as we learnt what projects they were undertaking and how suited they thought they were to the role. I will definitely be applying for the BP graduate scheme next year.

My train journey was over 4 hours to the ICBT site. I emailed the organiser to inform her of this, and she allowed me to stay in a local hotel the night before and reimbursed me. This made the journey less stressful. Additionally, food throughout the day was paid for.

The networking opportunities were fantastic. During dinner, we met people in more senior roles in the company, and learnt more about what they did. The organiser also encouraged the scholars to keep in touch and to contact the company, in case we had any further questions. We also have a University mentor who we can contact.

All BP employees can get involved in the Business Resource Groups, which are employee networks to set up to create an inclusive place to work. We met members from different groups. We were also informed of the opportunity to take part in voluntary work on the ICBT site. The summer interns took part in a day cleaning the paths surrounding the local lake.