Excelling in Your First 10 Years: Ten Life Lessons

Abstract

Forum - Ten life lessons to help you excel—now and for the rest of your career. Between training programs and moving to new locations, a lot can happen in the first 10 years of your career. The TWA Forum team informally talked with our colleagues and found that people whose backgrounds appeared disparate often voiced similar themes regarding what they learned in their first 10 years in the “real world” of the workplace. Below are the nine life lessons that emerged from these discussions—plus one for you to write. 1. What you do, or don’t do, creates the reputation you have amongst your peers. Be responsible for yourself—your conduct, your actions, and your behavior. Your reputation in the oil and gas industry has been building since the day you entered the game and is being continually developed daily amongst your peers, coworkers, and other professionals. How you interact and deal with your coworkers, management, clients, suppliers, and contractors all play a direct role in developing and maintaining your reputation in the industry. Your reputation is related to the value you bring to your company. And remember, first impressions definitely count, so always give a respectable handshake and smile. Timothy Price, president at Heath Energy Products Corp., says, “This is an industry where you will cross paths with thousands of people who all cross paths with each other. Therefore, nothing is more important than your reputation.” When transitioning to a new role, realize that you should always “uphold your reputation, it will precede you and hold you accountable,” says Darren Vaught, special projects manager at Hydessco. What underpins reputation is integrity. Larry Bartram, region account manager at Halliburton’s Multi-Chem, notes, “In any industry, honesty and integrity are first and foremost. Your reputation is of paramount importance to your success.”