Millennial Matters For Workforce Success

Degree: Energy Management, 2013, Haskayne School of Business

Current Position: Project Performance Analyst, TransCanada Pipelines

In my last year of university, everyone assured me that I would miss the student life, and that I should savor every minute of it before real life set in. This couldn’t have been further from the truth! I’ve always considered myself more of a worker than an academic, and my internships in the oil and gas industry confirmed this.

I spent two summers working in business development and operations for an international pipeline company and gained a holistic exposure of how the organization worked. I also maintained my commitments to a student group at the University of Calgary, which allowed me to develop my leadership skills and engage with people who shared my passion for energy and sustainability.

Balancing these responsibilities was challenging but extremely rewarding, as it provided me with an invaluable perspective on how the industry is bound together and introduced me to an array of professionals, who taught me something that I otherwise wouldn’t have learned in a classroom.

The success I experienced in my extra-curricular activities gave me the confidence to enter the workforce and realize my full potential. I was able to define my own career path based on my choices. Most importantly, I learned how and how not to conduct myself in a professional environment. Too often I’ve seen new grads trying to make a name for themselves and come off too strong and fail before they even had a chance to succeed.

Early on I discovered how complacency led to adding zero value and zero rewards. From this I created my own mantra: no matter how important or trivial the task, find a way to make a positive impact on the end results.

I always encourage new grads to be realistic: very rarely will you step into your dream job. A lot of people I know struggle with
this; graduating university is a huge accomplishment, but following this takes you back to square one in unknown territory—the workforce.

Don’t rush your career. As I matured, I realized how important timing is. During my internships, I made it a priority to get to know the senior members on the team, and how they got to where they are.

It’s important to grow the relationships with people you admire. I was fortunate that the connections I made during my internships led to full-time employment as soon as I finished university. My current position allows me to interact with a multitude of subject matter experts across North America, who take the time to explain the history of the industry, and encourage me to understand the technical side just as much as the commercial side.

It’s important to set goals related to both my career and personal life. I strive to be a well-rounded industry professional who has the technical understanding to make informed decisions.

Outside of work, I’ve made it a priority to have a balance between my personal and professional life. Whether that means running a half marathon or trying a new recipe, I’ve found things that I’m passionate about and bring me happiness.