Career Development
Seven young professionals were selected to represent SPE at the 2026 Emerging Leaders Alliance Conference.
A global portal to collaboration and growth, the Student Chapter Development Workshop connects SPE student chapters worldwide to exchange knowledge and learn from industry experts, all under the 2026 theme of catalyzing carbon management innovation.
Brittany N. Cole offers career advice on how new graduates can avoid the “busy but ineffective” trap, prioritize high-impact work, and build strategic value in their first 90 days to accelerate long-term career growth in an AI-driven workforce.
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Ali Ghalambor, head of the Department of Petroleum Engineering at the University of Louisiana at Lafayette, looks at petroleum engineering as a career—one he considers at times to be more sophisticated than rocket science—and offers some insight into the profession. -
In prior surveys, young professionals expressed a preference for managerial careers. So we surveyed experienced professional to get their feedback on the differences and making the right choice.
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Helge Lund, Chief Executive Officer of StatoilHydro, talks about his career path, leadership skills, and the current state of the oil market.
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Technical and managerial career paths are not mutually exclusive. For 80 or 90% of technical management roles, there is significant common ground with respect to the journey, accomplishments, recognition, and relative success.
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In October, I was fortunate to be selected by SPE International to attend a leadership training course organized by the Emerging Leader Alliance Project, an association of top professional engineering societies, in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania.
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David White discusses his career path, his views on industry challenges, and advice for young professionals.
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Davd O'Reilly discusses his career, the challenges that lie ahead for the industry, and advice for today's young professionals.
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Larry W. Lake discusses oil industry price cycles and how to exercise responsibility for your own career.
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Neal Gillenwater, Senior Vice President, Human Resources, Weatherford International, discusses the impact of oil-price volatility, the economic downturn, and motivation of employees in an uncertain business climate.
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Leo Roodhart discusses the year ahead, why a long-term view is important, and how SPE is adapting both globally and to encourage younger members.
