Name: Chukwuemeka Okafor

Position: Allocation Technical Consultant

Qualifications: Advanced Project Management (University of Oxford), MSc Oil and Gas Engineering (Robert Gordon University), BSc Chemical Engineering (University of Lagos)

My Route to Intertek Smith Rea

I finished my BSc degree and worked briefly for a consultancy before undertaking an MSc in Oil and Gas Engineering. After the MSc course I was keen to take my first steps into the Oil and Gas Industry and joining Intertek Testing Services (ITS) was a great way to achieve this.

I worked at the ITS laboratory in Dyce for two years performing qualitative and quantitative analysis of crude and refined oil. While in ITS we had a presentation by the Vice President of the Upstream Division about the various Intertek companies, both in the United Kingdom and internationally, and the different opportunities to work for them.

I identified Intertek Smith Rea as progressive consultancy to work for and discussed a move with my manager. I was given the chance to come for an interview despite not having the required on-the-job experience. The managers at Intertek Smith Rea felt that my background was a good starting point for a career in Allocation Consultancy and I joined as a Trainee Consultant.

As a Trainee I was mentored by one of the experienced Senior Consultants and worked on projects based in the UK and internationally. I also had the opportunity to go on site visits to some of the other Intertek companies in Aberdeen and Shetland to understand the different areas of our business.

I have recently been promoted to Technical Consultant and am involved in the design of Process Models used in the efficient operation of systems for Hydrocarbon Production, Processing, Transportation and Allocation. I am mostly based in the Aberdeen office but as my experience grows I expect to visit client sites around the UK and abroad.

A lot of interesting challenges emerge on the job and no day is the same, which is very exciting! The opportunity for career advancement is also readily available as I have been on several training courses and been exposed to challenging projects.

Highlights

Working with the other consultants and clients is one of the big positives in the job. You have the opportunity to get to know a client?s business, how they do things and then use your skills to look for best practice and other ways in which to improve what they do.

Working for a consultancy like Intertek Smith Rea means you can get involved in all aspects of the business, not just the primary role you were employed for, meaning that you always have the scope to develop your career.

Advice to others

It's important to explore different opportunities to keep your working life interesting. That might take you out of your comfort zone but in a new job no-one expects you to be an expert right away.

For anyone who has an interest in numbers, oil and gas process engineering and computer systems, Allocation Consultancy is an excellent career move. Opportunities in the field are very good, and the chances of things becoming stale are few - there is always something new to learn, and the work you are involved in varies immensely.