BP 'Female Discovery Week' participant Review

I would highly recommend this opportunity. Completing workshops such as 'A day in the life of...' and 'Confidence through communication' were really enjoyable. It was also fantastic to network with BP employees and peers during the experience. It was such a shame that we were unable to visit the Sunbury site and take part in the experience face to face due to COVID-19, however, Natalie, Samira and all of the fantastic staff involved in organising the week worked so hard to ensure that this did not affect the quality of the experience. They put together an excellent, well organised and interesting virtual programme throughout the summer for us all to enjoy- thank you very much!

The team made us feel very valued during the insight programme. It was particularly difficult this year as all communication was virtual and they had to organise a number of programmes throughout the time. However, they handled this very well and took the time to call each of us up and be present during the activities, as well as through email for us.

The team took the time to ensure that there was sufficient support available for us. Their excellent communication meant that the programme was clear and well delivered. The guidance at the end of the programme was particularly useful when helping us to apply for internships and placements.

I believe that the skills and insight developed will really help me with my goal of applying for a placement at BP. 'The confidence through communication' workshop was a particular highlight, where we were each given the opportunity to work with Louisa Preston and Louisa Baldini to practice elevator pitches, summarising and presenting information concisely and to develop our communication skills. The interview preparation session was also particularly useful, where we had the opportunity to practice a technical interview scenario with the careers team.

The insight programme was very well structured, with a timetable being sent to us well in advance of the programme. The team incorporated suggestions into the timetable and worked hard to make sure that we could still get the most out of our experience despite the restrictions due to COVID-19. Since the week could not go ahead as planned, a range of online sessions were organised throughout the summer. Since the timetable was sent in advance, it meant that I could juggle my summer work around the sessions more easily so that I could try to attend as many as possible.

It was fantastic to be able to still do so much of the programme online. The team were friendly, approachable and tried their absolute best to accommodate all of our questions and requests.

BP did significantly invest in us in terms of personal training and development. They organised interesting sessions with employees from a wide range of roles as well as external speakers such as Louisa Baldini and Louisa Preston in the 'Confidence through Communication' session. These were really enjoyable, I came away wanting a few more. It was a shame we could not visit some of the BP sites, but the team made the best of the situation and they rearranged the week excellently.

The insight was very useful in helping me to understand what it would be like to have a full time role with BP. We had the opportunity to speak to a wide range of employees across different roles. They shared with us parts of their schedules, stories from their interesting projects and what they were enjoying. They also gave us an insight into what they might be doing in the future. They were more than happy answer any of our questions.

The programme gave us a lot of insight into understanding the company culture. The core values were demonstrated throughout the sessions which I felt really represented the employees. We also learnt about various BRGs within BP such as BP WIN (Women's International Network), BP PEN (Positively Ethnic Network, and the LGBT+ group. They shared with us their achievements to make BP more inclusive, and their future plans to continue this effort. The employees were friendly and respectful towards each other and recognised the importance of each individual.

The content was very valuable on helping me to decide on my future career path. Whilst I hadn't properly considered a career at BP previously, gaining further insight into the exciting projects and wide range of opportunities within BP has made me want to pursue a career within the energy sector, and particularly at BP, in the future. It was fantastic to have the opportunity to speak to the employees about their roles and I'm sure that the skills sessions will also be particularly valuable to build on in my career progression.

We were paid generously for the experience.

We were able to meet a wide range of employees throughout the programme. For example through 'Day in the life' sessions across the engineering, science and technology areas we met a number of graduate employees who discussed their personal career journey with us. The skills sessions in science and engineering and business and technology also allowed for us to meet and learn from further employees across BP. Although it could not be face-to-face, we could still ask questions to the employees.

A networking session was organised so that under the circumstances we would still have the opportunity to meet and connect with our peers on the programme. They provided some 'get to know me' questions and we were split into smaller groups to network with like-minded candidates over a video call. It was really nice to still get the chance to speak with peers. A quiz was also organised for us to have some fun together too.

Employees often discussed their activities that they got involved in outside of work. For example, in the 'Community Affairs' session employees shared their enthusiasm to give back to the community through volunteering. It was striking that '70% of young people like science and maths but only 17% think that stem careers are for them', yet fantastic that 'BP in the Community' is working to address this and inspire young people into STEM. The mentoring and schools projects are something that would really interest me to get involved with.

I would absolutely recommend this insight to a friend. It has been both a fantastic and really useful experience. It has definitely opened my eyes to the exciting and wide range of opportunities at BP and how I could use my skills in this really meaningful work . BP really invests in you, and the team worked hard to organise an excellent week for us despite the difficult circumstances. The insight and skills I have gained will also be really beneficial when I come to apply to placements and internships at BP.