Driving change to improve inclusion and diversity while pursuing a rewarding energy career

ExxonMobil Australia is committed to helping its employees pursue careers based on their interests, skills and passions. For Esso Australia Production Engineer Tess Woodland, her university degree in Mechanical Engineering and Commerce helped to lay the foundations for a career that has taken a very different shape than she initially intended.

In Tess’s current role, she is responsible for providing facilities support to the offshore operations team, and maximising production and recovery from the reservoir. Her days are diverse and varied and have even included flying in a small aircraft to observe oil and gas pipelines.

“My current role at the Snapper offshore facility focuses on facilities and reservoir engineering, so my work scope has been very diverse and not just mechanical engineering since leaving university,” says Tess.

“The great thing about pursuing this line of work is that once you establish important foundational skills in problem solving and critical thinking, you can apply them to a variety of different roles – and shape your career based on your passions and interests.”

One of Tess’s career highlights includes working on Snapper wireline campaigns, which involve collecting data on the status of the reservoir and testing the understanding of its behaviour and depletion. These campaigns allow Tess and her team to review and update production plans for the reservoir based on the findings, providing a rewarding and results-driven career experience.

“I really enjoy the breadth of my current role, which involves working closely with lots of different teams including geologists, technical engineers and subject matter experts, and field personnel. We are all working together to reach a common goal, so there is some great collaboration across teams to increase our understanding and performance of the reservoir and facility.”

Tess is also involved in the Women in Energy Network committee at ExxonMobil Australia. As part of this, she was proud to lead the first women-only networking event for International Women’s Day, as well as plan a panel event for International Women in Engineering Day, which focused on breaking down boundaries and celebrating women in STEM and engineering.

“I enjoy helping to drive change, and improve inclusion and diversity within the company, while at the same time meeting interesting people and connecting with different teams that I may not otherwise have the chance to cross paths with,” said Tess.

“I’m a strong believer that what you’re interested in, you’ll excel in and have more confidence in. So my advice to graduates is to follow your interests.

“I think the adaptability that a career in engineering affords is exciting. Your qualifications don’t narrowly define what you can do and, what I have found at ExxonMobil Australia is that, if you’re willing to give something a go, opportunities will open up for you.”