Why did you choose to work in the oil industry?
It began when I got a summer job on a drilling rig. I had no idea what I was getting myself into but I enjoyed it straight away. I gained practical skills and financed my studies. Since that first job, I have been with the industry now for 11 years.

My experience on drilling rigs made me realise that I would like to work in the oil industry, though I also knew that I wanted to be “one of those, who call the shots” and not just follow orders. Many people see becoming a supervisor as unachievable, but I always say, ‘Get yourself an education, and you can do it, too!’ That’s what I did!

Offshore working hours do not follow the standard 9 to 5 shift and the work is demanding, which is something I like in a job.

What is working for Maersk Oil like compared with your previous experience?
I applied for a job with Maersk Oil because I wanted challenges. My previous job was as an operator on a natural gas treatment facility, and it became boring. My experience with some of the other oil companies is that it takes a long time for new employees to be given  responsibility. Maersk Oil isn’t like that.

Joining Maersk Oil was a real revelation and incredibly interesting. Management delegates responsibly and the company has a ‘can-do’ attitude - you are on the ball from day one.

Sometimes you’ll get an assignment normally done by a more experienced engineer and it might feel like being ‘thrown to the sharks’ but it’s actually a good opportunity to grow professionally. I have learned a great deal from these opportunities – also in relation to my future career. It’s also encouraging when a supervisor gives you a challenge and you realise you can actually do the task, even if you didn’t think so to begin with.

Another part of the well site engineer position that I found attractive was the possibility to rotate to another department or country. Right now I am stationed in Qatar, so there are many opportunities to learn in different environments and to broaden your horizon.
 
What is it like to offshore?
“I already experienced working offshore on drilling rigs, so this was not new to me. Even though I moved from the Netherlands to Denmark, I met several people I knew from earlier jobs. The oil industry is a small world.

The first meeting with a drilling rig can be a bit overwhelming as it seems like one big labyrinth, but one soon gets a feel for it and begins to feel at home. One aspect that makes the work interesting is that something unexpected can happen anytime. You learn a lot from the ‘unplanned’ challenges as you might have to find solutions that are not in a manual. If everything was a routine procedure, life would become very dull.”

Coming from the Netherlands, how do you experience the culture at Maersk Oil?
A.P. Moller - Maersk has very strong values. It’s a unique culture that does not change from day to day. Even though the company is becoming more international, the Danish culture remains a very strong basic element. The company has its own way of doing things.

For a Dutchman it is quite easy to adjust to the Danish way as there are a lot of similarities and the differences are in the details. For example, the Danes are more private than the Dutch, but not significantly.

IThe MITAS graduates function well as a group as everyone is relatively young and well educated, with lots of drive and similar “states of mind”. We have different nationalities and personalities but we have a lot in common.