James H.
About me
| James H. | |
| Computer Science | |
| ITBML | |
| Undergraduate | |
| Vanbrugh | |
| 1997 | |
| United Kingdom |
My employment
| Digital Project Manager | |
| bp | |
| United Kingdom | |
| Environment and energy | |
| Large business (250+ employees) | |
| 2007 |
More about James
Like this profile?
Add this profile to your favourites so you can return to it later from your account.
A day in the life of a Digital Project Manager in the United Kingdom
Briefly describe the organisation you work for
I work for a well known British energy company. We explore for oil and gas, refine and market products and ship products and energy across the world.
It may not be fashionable at the moment and the industry recognises the urgent need to dramatically reduce emissions and transition the world to renewable and sustainable energy sources.
What do you do?
I am a Project Manager working in the Digital arm of the company.
Reflecting upon your past employment and education, what led you to your current career choice?
There were opportunities to work on cutting edge engineering, digital security, financial and data science projects. Working for a large organisation can sometimes feel like working for a variety of companies; we have a retail arm, a shipping arm and a commodity tradign arm to name just a few. It was that variety that attracted me and maintains my interest.
Is your current job sector different from what you thought you would enter when you graduated?
I had no idea what I wanted to do when I graduated or how what I had learned at York could be applied in the real world. That's the truth.
Describe your most memorable day at work
Rowing around the bay in front of Luanda in Angola, technically it was a day off but I would never have had the opportunity to row a local rowing club had I not had the opportunity to visit Angola.
Are there any challenges associated with your job?
Two things. Some projects are more interesting than others. Then recognising when something that you believe in passionately conflicts with an organisation imperative.
What’s your work environment and culture like?
The culture is incredibly caring. I have never worked for an organisation that genuinely cares for its people as much as my current employer. Tragedy does befall at times and it cuts deep in the company.
What extracurricular activities did you undertake at university and what transferable skills did you develop through these?
I was in the ski club, other than that I was very social. Not much in the way of transferable skills.
What would you like to do next with your career?
Do something amazing.
What top tips do you have for York students preparing for today’s job market and life after graduation?
If you have a choose between a night out and private study or coursework, stay in and do the work. There's always another night to go out. Getting the best grade possible will give you a huge advantage when you first hit the job market, that advantage eases over time. A higher grade gives you options.
What topics from students are you happy to answer questions on?
Anything.
Next steps...
If you like the look of James’s profile, the next steps are down to you! You can send James a message to find out more about their career journey. If you feel you would benefit from more in-depth conversations, ask James to be your mentor.