Feature Story
Discovering Strengths, Changing Paradigms
More than a path to personal and professional growth, Rawan also sees her Schlumberger career as a contribution to the socio-economic transformation of her country.
For many people, the first job after university is one of the most important steps in their lifetime. For Engineering Physics graduate Rawan Alabdulhadi, joining Schlumberger in 2018 was especially unique.
Rawan is Schlumberger’s first female Saudi maintenance engineer, which means she joined a team of colleagues who had never before worked with a female engineer. “It was a challenge. I knew that I was not only going to be an engineer, I was also going to be a participant in changing social paradigms about women in engineering.” In 2020, she was highlighted as a role model at the IKTVA awards as an inspirational career story.
At our training center in Abu Dhabi, Rawan was introduced to Schlumberger’s gender and nationality diversity. “Joining the oil and gas service industry is generally unheard of for a woman in Saudi, so connecting with other women in the company was a valuable support network.”
Now at the technology lifecycle management center in Damman, Rawan spends most days resolving reliability issues, gathering information for analysis or performing issues investigations. “The best part of the job is that there is always something new and different to do, and we are always working to improve processes and prevent issues.”
In her first couple of years, Rawan has discovered a culture of commitment, hard work and proactivity at Schlumberger. “This has inspired me at a personal level. It’s made me someone who gets things done; I always put my best effort forth because everyone around me is doing the same.”
“It’s going to be tough at first, but you will learn so much. Schlumberger is made up of people with diverse backgrounds and expertise; make sure to take advantage of that and learn as much as possible.”
It’s certainly been a time of personal growth. “I did not know that I could be so strong. Being the first woman in our maintenance community in Saudi has encouraged me to take initiative and to be adaptable. I’ve learned how to work with mindsets that are different from my own.”
To anyone else taking their first career step, Rawan offers encouragement: “It’s going to be tough at first, but you will learn so much. Schlumberger is made up of people with diverse backgrounds and expertise; make sure to take advantage of that and learn as much as possible.”
PUBLISH DATE
2020