Shellie Clark, Tenaris Commercial Vice President for Tenaris in Canada, underscored the importance of setting clear career goals and creating a roadmap for professional development at the Women's Global Leadership Conference in Energy, held in Houston, Texas, on November 1-2.
In a panel joined by colleagues from Chevron, Baker Hughes, PGS, and Buckeye Partners titled 'Navigating and Developing Your Career: Strategies for Growth and Success,' Clark empowered attendees to take proactive steps towards achieving their professional goals. The panel covered various aspects of career growth, such as skills development, networking, change management and leadership.
“Start by understanding your aspirations, but recognize that these will evolve. Have a vision for yourself that is based on your values, as these will survive whatever your career choices are, whichever company you work for. Taking inventory of your skills is also very important; do this periodically. Your next role may not be a natural progression on the ladder, but instead a more skill-based progression. Therefore, it’s important to focus on expanding and nurturing a transferable skill set,” Clark said.
Clark also discussed how continuous learning is not just about acquiring new skills but also about effectively utilizing them. Drawing from her own experience, she emphasized that success can come from the ability to adapt and create value in every role you undertake, even if you're not initially an expert in the field.
“Make sure you write down your goals,” Clark encouraged the attendees. “We all set goals and we talk about our goals, but we rarely write them down. Writing them down allows you to remember what you want for yourself, you can also update them and share them with mentors. You might even look back on them and laugh. Most of us don't know where our career is going to go, it is not a simple and clear journey. But if you have a roadmap and you periodically refer to that roadmap then you’ll be on the lookout for opportunities and you’ll constantly grow, expand your skills and fill any evolving gaps in your skill set”.
Clark later stressed the importance of adaptability in a dynamic and ever-evolving career landscape and encouraged embracing change with a positive attitude and an open mind. She noted, “Change is a constant, and this is even more critical now with the fast-paced technological innovation that the industry is experiencing. When you view change as an opportunity, adaptability becomes a core skill. A positive approach enables you to better see the opportunities and tackle challenges more effectively,” Clark said.
Every year, the WGLC convenes hundreds of professionals from leading E&P operators and service companies in the oil and gas industry. This year's event, sponsored by Tenaris and other companies in the industry, took place on at the Hilton Americas in downtown Houston, and provided a platform to discuss key topics in the industry, including environmental concerns, economic issues, professional development, and human resources.
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