BP Scholar Review

I had a great time at the BP Discovery Day. It was very enjoyable networking with other candidates interested in BP. The day was structured well and consequently balanced practical interview based sessions with presentations to gain a greater understanding of the company.

As an existing BP Scholar I already feel very much valued during my time at BP and the Discovery Day only furthered this. Between the small group interview sessions and the variety of existing employees at all levels of seniority which presented to us, the focus and time which BP dedicated to us all was fantastic.

We were given lots of support throughout the day. This support was particularly centred around the application process for both Summer Internships and Graduate roles which was incredibly useful. Whilst most of my questions and queries were answered throughout the various presentations, the BP staff kindly accepted any further questions we had and were therefore very supportive.

As part of the day we undertook a group exercise. This was my first group exercise and the key takeaways were invaluable. Some of these lessons included the importance of time keeping, clarifying the task, communication and teamwork. Given there is likely to be a group exercise at future application centres I am confident I will perform better in them thanks to the Discovery Day.

The Discovery Day was very well structured. The plan for the day was laid out immediately in the first presentation which we received so we knew as soon as possible what we would be undertaking for the rest of the day. The activities were a good mix of presentations to understand the various roles and practical application sessions. We also finished on time which was great.

The Discovery Day was good fun. Firstly it was great meeting other applicants interested in BP and the energy sector and we were given sufficient time to network. Importantly the day wasn't solely presentations and had a good balance between practical sessions which kept interest high throughout the day. Finally we finished with an educational game concerning the energy mix which was enjoyable and insightful.

As an existing BP Scholar I am fortunate enough to receive £3000 per academic year at BP as well as being invited to BP Scholar Induction, BP Discovery Day and BP Scholar Conference. All of which are focussed on my personal training and development. For all of the above reasons I think that BP have invested significantly in both my academic and professional development.

The Discovery Day improved my knowledge of what it was like to have a full time role within BP significantly. This was helped by several brief yet informative presentations by existing employees which outlined their daily task. It was fascinating to see how the employees had travelled the globe whilst working with BP.

Throughout the day BP's 5 core values were emphasised significantly. Having had the chance to network with several employees throughout the day it was clear that with all work that they did they reflected BP's core values which are at the centre of the company. Networking with existing employees also provided an insight into the company culture. All employees that I spoke to reflected positively on the culture at BP and had a passion to be part of the switch to a low carbon future.

Overall the day was very valuable to deciding a future career path. Being an economics student I learn about two core teams, Business and IST (Integrated Supply and Trading), which I am most interested in. Having learnt about both throughout the day including the daily tasks involved with each I now know that I would prefer to work within IST and am considering applying for a Summer Internship within IST as a result.

BP were kind enough to reimburse my train ticket for the day

Given the Discovery Day was only 7 hours long networking was understandably limited hence which I am giving it a score of 6. What I will say though was there was still decent amount of time dedicated to networking throughout the day and there was opportunities to meet and start conversations with current BP employees. I would have just personally liked a bit more networking although I understand that this is difficult given the time constraint.

The networking opportunities themselves were very natural. All networking opportunities occurred within breaks over tea / coffee and lunch and so didn't feel forced at all and it was very easy to spark conversations with current employees and other Discovery Day applicants as well. Importantly we had a university rep on each table to encourage networking as well which was a nice addition.

I found out a lot not just about the work at BP but also about the activities outside of work that you can get engaged with. In particular I learnt a lot about all of the charitable initiatives undertaken by BP employees as a collective and was particularly impressed by their organised cycling fundraising.

For anyone interested in the energy sector I would highly recommend the BP Discovery Day. The day not only gave me a better understanding of the company which will reflect well in subsequent interviews but also gave me insight into elements of the assessment centre such as group exercises and interviews within various business areas which should assist anyone in securing a Summer placement or a graduate role.