Obtaining post graduate employment can be an extremely stressful time for many individuals. Not only is there severe pressure to secure employment because you now hold a university degree, but fresh graduates are also up against the odds. Competition is fierce, and graduate positions are rare.

At Add Energy, we are committed to investing in graduate engineers wherever possible. We work closely with our local universities to aid the learning of these young professionals, through mentoring, internships and guest lectures, during the course of their university degree’s. In addition to this, Add Energy are also committed to offering post graduate employment and mentorship programmes upon degree completion.  

In particular, Add Energy’s Australian office has a strong affiliation with the University of Western Australia and the Society of Petroleum Engineers (SPE), where we assist in the development and support of young engineers entering the workforce. Most recently, we have employed two graduate engineers to join our team in Perth, Australia.

Eduardo Robina, EVP of Operations commented on the importance of offering graduate employment:

“For business continuity, it is paramount we create depth by injecting new blood into the organisation. We also have a commitment with our educational community by providing job opportunities to the upcoming graduates. This initiative was implemented in Add Energy two years ago, with the view of bringing one new graduate per year.

As we continue to build upon our strong experienced pool of engineers, we are also mindful of the need for “new minds” to join the organisation.”

Jake Tabram, Mechanical Engineer joined the Perth team to support the delivery of our Risk and Safety projects, whilst Ruleall Lee, Petroleum Engineer will be working with our Platform Intervention group and also supporting the Technical Risk team.

Ruleall Lee commented on the difficulties he faced whilst trying to secure post graduate employment:

“One of the main difficulties that I faced was thinking I didn’t have the relevant experience expected for the role, which discouraged me from applying. What I came to eventually realize was that although I may not have the relevant experience, what mattered far more was my willingness to learn. Once I could demonstrate that to potential employers, I began to see more opportunities open for me.

I secured my graduate position through my University network. I found out about the position with Add Energy through this network. Without a good network of contacts, I never would have known about this opportunity. Therefore, I cannot emphasize enough how important networking was for me in order to secure a graduate position.”

Jake Tabrum commended his passion for safety and risk management as instrumental in securing his post graduate position:

“There is immense competition when applying for graduate positions, which can make it difficult to stand out from the crowd. I was incredibly fortunate that my past experiences and study allowed me to do just that and secure a graduate position with a company so well established in the energy industry.

I believe my previous safety and risk internship experience, prior study and passion for offshore safety were instrumental in progressing through the application process and securing this graduate position.”

Top Tips for Graduates seeking Post Graduate Employment in Engineering:

JAKE TABRUM, MECHANICAL ENGINEER:

“My advice to other graduates is to try and gain internship experience as early into your studies as possible. Not only will this allow you to narrow down the field of engineering that interests you the most but also to develop experience, knowledge and a passion that could one day help you secure that graduate position.”

RULEALL LEE, PETROLEUM ENGINEER:

“The main advice that I would offer to other graduates is to continuously learn. This can range from feedback from senior engineers to seeking readily available resources online to clarify your understanding. This ensures that you are developing your knowledge base, learning from your mistakes, keeping up with industry developments and not stagnating in your professional growth.”