Chevron, is the fifth-largest integrated energy company in the world. Conducting business in approximately 180 countries, the company is engaged in every aspect of the oil and natural gas industry, including exploration and production; refining, marketing and transportation; chemicals manufacturing and sales; and power generation.
The company traces its earliest roots to an 1879 oil discovery at Pico Canyon, north of Los Angeles. Now the company\\\\\\\'s diverse and highly skilled global work force stands at approximately 53,000 employees, and in 2004 it produced the equivalent of more than 2.5 million barrels of oil per day.
Key to this success is its employees and the company is keen to recruit enthusiastic graduates from a variety of disciplines, but primarily Earth Scientists at MSc level; Mechanical, Chemical and Electronic Engineers at BSc and above; in addition to Petroleum Engineers.
But equally important are the personal qualities that are essential in building the Chevron of the future. Chevron and its people take great pride in its commitment to community partnerships, social responsibility and environmental excellence. This commitment is summed up by the ethos known as the ‘Chevron Way’, at the heart of which is its vision ‘to be the global energy company most admired for its people, partnership and performance.’
Chairman Dave O’Reilly, describes Chevron as being ‘a great place to work, at every level and in every function.‘ With ambitions to realise the Chevron Way vision, he admits that this achievement will be dependent on its diverse and committed workforce. ‘It is no accident that the first pillar of our vision is people. Our global and diverse workforce is an enormous strength. It is thrilling to see what happens when you unite people with different business, cultural and geographic backgrounds — the e is vitality even greater than I had imagined. And, we capture that vitality every day.
‘Employees cite job satisfaction, flexible policies, global career opportunities and, most of all, working with other Chevron people, as the big pluses of employment here. We are all proud to be part of a global team, building lasting relationships and using the latest technology.’
Permeating throughout the company at all levels is an enthusiasm that manifests in various attributes:
- A sense of identity with its values and vision;
- Pride from conducting business with the highest ethical and professional standards;
- Excitement to be part of a global company respected by the governments and communities where it operates;
- Being motivated and challenged by great job opportunities;
- Being a respected member of project teams;
- An appreciation of all backgrounds, personalities, experiences and contributions.
Graduate Recruitment
As part of its commitment to its workforce, Chevron is keen to nurture its new graduate intake, and it does this by offering a structured five-year Graduate Development Programme in Aberdeen. As Leah Clarkson, resource advisor, describes it: ‘Our Development Programme – which all new graduates start on – is a real job from day one so they are not “work shadowing”, although we do of course keep a close eye on their development. All new graduates are also teamed up with a specially trained mentor, and importantly, their relationship is confidential, so that managers and the human resources department are not aware of the issues they discuss. It is the graduates that really run the relationship by setting the agenda and even organizing the meetings, so they are able to discuss issues that are directly relevant to them, their career and their job. The graduates also attend a new employee workshop where they receive training on what is expected from them.’
Training is a key element in the Chevron structure, and the company recognises that those on the development plan need more training days than other, more experienced, employees. Within each discipline, the graduates are rotated through three difference disciplines, offering a wide perspective on their chosen discipline, thus enabling them to make informed career decisions about which areas to specialise within in the future. The programme will also provide graduates with an insight into how Chevron runs other areas of its business outside any chosen discipline such as finance and downstream.
All graduates have the opportunity to attend international training courses and conferences in their first five years. Working for a global organization, some graduates are even offered international assignments within their first five years.
