While you're here, meet a few people who are in the industry and see what they have to say about their careers.
| Annie C. | Chad M. | Cristin L. | David G. | Daniel I |
| Hiep S. V. | Jay R. | Kristin W. | Mary Beth F. | Tandis B. |
| Tara W. | Timothy F. | Timothy L. | Veronica M. |
Q. What is your current position with the Industry?
A. I am a product control engineer. I am responsible for monitoring industry
prices and making adjustments to refinery operation in order to maximize profit.
I operate an LP model that assists in making these decisions.
Q. Where did you obtain your undergraduate/graduate degree(s)
and in what fields?
A. I obtained a B.S. in Chemical Engineering from Michigan Technological
University. I am currently half-way through the MBA program at the University of
St. Thomas in St. Paul, Minnesota.
Q. What subjects/courses were instrumental in helping you
gain your current position?
A. Plant design and unit operations were the senior level classes that are
directly related to my job each and every day.
Q. How many years of education were needed in order for you
to enter the industry?
A. Four years of undergraduate education helped me obtain my first position
in the industry. The MBA program has given me the opportunity to expand to other
positions internally.
Q. Were any summer internships or advanced learning
opportunities helpful in entering the industry?
A. Definitely. I completed two separate summer programs that gave me insight
into different industries and allowed me to determine my interests.
Q. Does your current position allow you to travel? If so,
what was your favorite location?
A. I travel less in my current position, which is my desire. I travel for
training courses on occasion in Houston or Ohio. I have worked for other
companies and in other positions that required much more travel. For example, at
my last company, I traveled to Galway, Ireland frequently. Currently, I am a
working mother with young children. Therefore, travel is difficult for me and I
would prefer a job that requires less travel at this time.
Q. What opportunities do you see for yourself in the
industry?
A. I believe the opportunities are endless. I worked for four years in a
process engineering position that gave me a solid foundation for my career. I am
now working in economic planning. I believe I can move to other aspects of the
industry, depending on my desires. My interests continue to change but I do
believe that the opportunities are available, depending upon my willingness to
relocate and try new things.
Q. What are some of your favorite aspects of your job?
A. Each day presents challenges. I am never bored and am learning new things
every day. I enjoy the excitement and have become accustom to responding to a
rapidly changing work environment.
Q. What are some of the most surprising aspects of your job?
A. When I first began working at Marathon, the operators looked to me as
being expert in my area. I had to learn quickly so that I could answer their
questions and be productive. Additionally, I was, and remain, amazed at the
complexity of the oil industry. I have been employed in the industry for 5 years
and I am still learning every day.
Q. What is the most rewarding part of your job?
A. I enjoy interacting with other engineers and the operations team. I had
the opportunity to lead a training course at the refinery. During this
opportunity, I helped the operations staff gain a better understanding of the
intricacy of the refinery. I was excited about my role and, as a result, they
were excited to learn. It was a very rewarding experience.
Q. What are some of your interests outside of your position
responsibilities?
A. I am learning about the upstream (crude trading) and downstream (retail
and marketing) aspects of the industry. I may have interest in working in these
areas in the future. Additionally, I do enjoy process design and would enjoy
participating on a large project some time in my career. Finally, I also am
interested in the training aspect of the industry because it can be very
fulfilling.
Q. What is the most exciting technological tool that you have
either used or helped to develop in your job?
A. I worked on a corrosion monitoring program in the crude area during my
last work assignment. It was a multi-level project designed to monitor corrosion
of piping and equipment throughout the entire area. It included the installation
of corrosion probes, monitoring tools, chemical injections, sampling methods,
and other tools in order to provide an overview of the corrosion within the
unit. It is a unique system to this refinery due to various constraints and the
types of crude we process. It was also unique as no other refinery in the
Marathon system has implemented such a program.
Q. Do you speak any foreign languages? If so, were they
helpful in your position?
A. Yes, I speak Spanish. I have not used my Spanish in my current job but
did have the opportunity at my previous company.
