Kory Izard – Production Engineer at Chevron
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EDUCATION:
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Earning a degree in petroleum engineering is both challenging and rewarding, but as I look back on my college years, I realize that some of my favorite memories come from the friendships created and adventures made with my classmates during those same hard years. In fact, we still laugh today about how much we suffered together in the computer labs and the comical situations we found ourselves in throughout the years. These same friends were also some of my best cheerleaders when it came to us motivating each other to find summer internships. As a result, I had the opportunity to intern with three different companies: in 2006, I worked for Anadarko in Gillette, WY on coalbed methane gas; in 2007, I worked for ConocoPhillips in Anchorage, AK with their North Slope Coil Tubing Operations; and lastly, in 2008 I worked for Chevron in Bakersfield, CA for the Kern River Field. While I enjoyed all three of my experiences, I found my ‘fit’ to be at Chevron. I started my full-time position back on the same team I interned with as a reservoir engineer for Kern River, which was a great transition for me from college into the corporate world. I stayed in California for almost 6 years and I have recently moved back to the Houston area working the Wyoming Area as a production engineer. Now, as I look back on my internships, I realize the SPE-GCS scholarship opened doors for me by not only allowing me to see actual opportunities in the petroleum industry, but also by allowing me to learn ‘real world’ skills like interviewing and leadership, which I further cultivated as the TAMU SPE Student Chapter Treasurer. If there was one piece of advice I could give to students searching for their place in the industry, it is to go to the career center on your college campus BEFORE YOU START your first week of school. Most career centers can help you with your resume and tell you interview schedules. Remember that most companies start coming to campus in early September, so you have to be able to hit the ground running. And, having at least one internship under your belt will definitely help you land your full time position when you graduate college. If you have any questions, please contact me at Kory.Izard@chevron.com.