How Networking Can Help You Become More Commercially Aware of Your Sector

This article discusses the importance of networking in becoming more commercially aware of your sector, the skills required for networking events, and how your degree program can help develop the skills required for your desired career. It also analyzes a professional qualification and job description in the oil and gas industry and reflects on the interview process and work readiness.

Know your sector Learning outcomes: LO1 & LO3
How can networking help you become more commercially aware of your sector?
Networking is an important career management tool. One way in which networking can help in
becoming more commercially aware of the industry is it is helpful in providing access to hidden
or informal job markets within the industry. It therefore provides information on where some of
these opportunities are and what they entail. It may be a useful way of getting informal referrals
for job offers. Also, networking provides an opportunity for knowledge share in that the people
that are found in a networking event are able to provide you with the information you might need
for a project in the industry. One is able to get information on best practices in the industry. Also,
networking is a means by which one grows their professional network. This means that an
individual is able to get a depository of skilled individuals in one networking session. Further,
since people have the tendency to trust people they know, networking is a way to get your face
out there and open doors for more opportunity.
Reflect on the networking experiences you have attended and discuss what skills you used
during these events.
In the networking event I attended, one of the skills I used was Emotional Intelligence.
Emotional intelligence was an important skill in order to understand the motivations of the
person one is talking to, it may also tell someone when the other person is bored in the
conversation and therefore the need to change tact. The other skill I used in the networking was
public speaking. It was important to provide a coherent story line to another person in the work I
am doing and the work I plan to do in a way that reveals only what is relevant to the other

person. Further, courage was also a skill I used since I was able to walk up to strangers and hold
meaningful conversations with them.
How you can use your overall degree programme to help develop the skills set required for
your desired career. Use specific examples.
The degree program can provide skills that prepare me well for my career. The beginning
courses will prepare me with preliminary skills I need for the profession. For example.
Accounting skills, business law and computer applications. Other skills also help me to make
meaning out of data for instance statistics and economics. Specific to the oil and gas industry,
learning about procurement will be helpful in terms of obtaining best practice policies for
procurement. Learning about oil production and mining in different countries will help me
understand the market trends and opportunities in the market. Also, my course has content in
international energy markets and pricing which is of importance when learning how to monetize
the oil and gas which has been mined. Further knowledge about renewable energy and
environmental conservation will help me keep environmental concerns in mind while executing
my tasks in my career (Badiru and Osisanya, 2016).
Analyse a professional qualification you could acquire alongside your degree and explain
the rationale for undertaking of this qualification to meet your career ambitions.
There are no professional qualifications required for this career line. This is because it is a
relatively new course and therefore no professional qualifications have been developed yet. I
however think that having a master’s degree will be crucial in helping one show the level of
commitment that they have in the industry and the career (Williams and Muller, 2014).

Discuss how you plan to acquire these recognised professional qualifications and evaluate
how they could add value to an employer and make you the preferred candidate in an
interview.
Having a master’s degree takes time. I therefore think the best way I can acquire this
qualification is on the job or take it before I get the job. I can communicate to my future
employers that it is my intention to pursue a master’s degree in the field and it can take it on a
part time capacity alongside my employment.
Describe a current job description and the specification for a desired job in your sector.
The job that I saw was an oil and gas company looking for a project manager to manage some of
its mining sites and mining projects. Some of the job descriptions in include must have a degree
in oil and gas management, must have business knowledge and is a charismatic leader.
Include what skills the job requires and how your CV and LinkedIn profile demonstrate
the essential and desirable skills
The job requires leadership, business knowledge and analytic skills. My CV and linkeldn profile
show that I have had previous leadership positions in my previous work experience and in
school. The bachelors in the oil and gas industry is also an added plus in providing information
about the desirable skills.
Reflect on the interview process and how well you were able to apply the STAR method
and give an example of how you responded to a question.
In the interview process I was asked where I had a hard time working with my colleagues. I first
presented the situation, then I went on and described the tasks which I was required to fulfil, the
action and the result. I shared with them how we were working on a school project and the
members of the group had dissenting ideas. I then showed how I suggested that we draft all these

ideas and them pick a major themes from which we could work on. This made all the members
of the group happy and we proceeded with the project well.
Reflect on what you have learnt about yourself (throughout the whole module) and what
aspects you need to improve on for work readiness.
From the module, I learnt that while in some ways I am prepared for the work place, I need to
practice more in order to answer interview questions well. I have also learnt that self awareness
is an important tool which when yielded well can earn great results.
References
Badiru, A.B. and Osisanya, S.O., 2016. Project management for the oil and gas industry: a
world system approach. CRC Press.
Raymond, M.S. and Leffler, W.L., 2017. Oil & Gas Production in Nontechnical Language.
PennWell Corporation.
Williams, C.L., Kilanski, K. and Muller, C., 2014. Corporate diversity programs and gender
inequality in the oil and gas industry. Work and occupations, 41(4), pp.440-476.