Honesty and trust: the importance of a supportive workplace
As a Challenger Drilling Engineer, what Nuri has found most surprising since joining bp is the extent to which he has the full trust of his team members and his given level of responsibility
Nuri grew up in Baku, Azerbaijan, in a family of doctors. To many, that might indicate he was destined to follow the same path. Luckily, his parents never put any pressure on him to choose medicine. Instead, he says “they helped me learn to be honest with myself about what I was good at, and what I liked or disliked.”
“I knew early on that I wanted to go into engineering, and looked at different types of engineering and locations I could pursue. As bp was, and still is, the best company for engineers in Azerbaijan, I contacted people from the company to find out about different specialities and career options. As result, I spent almost seven years in Turkey studying Petroleum and Natural Gas Engineering for BSc and MSc degrees.” Nuri became a bp scholar while at university, and also did two bp engineering internships which he says allowed him to learn a lot about the organisation. Ultimately, he decided to pursue drilling engineering with bp after graduating. He says “not only does it give me a range of future opportunities, it’s dynamic, challenging and interesting!”
Being a Challenger
Nuri joined bp’s graduate programme in September 2019, and his current role is as a Challenger Drilling Engineer. What he’s found most surprising since joining is the extent to which he has the full trust of his team members and senior engineers.
“For example, right now I am working on a design of a new well and I am involved in the planning of drilling one section of the new well. When the project starts, I will be responsible for that section, coordinating and planning the design of how the drilling will proceed. It involves lots of engineering calculations, discussions with vendors, and equipment planning. Even though I’ve only been at bp for a year, my team trusts me with these jobs”. Nuri says this gives him a really valuable opportunity to learn and develop his skills.
The best piece of career advice Nuri’s heard and would give to others is to not be afraid to ask questions or for help. “As a Challenger, I still have a lot to learn but this is true for everyone throughout their careers. It’s always better to ask questions in advance, and I’ve learnt that being able, to be honest with yourself and others is especially important in the early stages of your career.”
An inclusive environment
Nuri experienced the inclusivity at bp from the first day of his internship, back when he was still a student. He would have conversations with people and always be treated with respect, not just as an intern, but as a full engineer. “That goes to show that the culture at bp is really inclusive and that there are huge opportunities for development.” He’s found that over the three years of the Challenger programme there are lots of training opportunities, and those continue even beyond graduating from the Challenger role. “Plus, you also get to work with and learn from great engineers and people.”
Nuri’s found this means he feels a part of something bigger than himself, and this motivates him to improve and to do the job better. He adds: “What I’ve found is that you basically fall in love with the company and with the culture.”
“In my experience, the people at bp are not just good team members, they’re good people. The trust we share means you go beyond being colleagues, you become friends. In my team we don’t only see each other at work, we meet outside of work just to have fun or have some coffee, and above all, that’s what I love, it becomes your second family.”