Hanifati

Beyond the laboratory walls

Hanifati joined SLB in Balikpapan, Indonesia, in July 2019, armed with a recently completed degree in Chemical Engineering.

After six months as a trainee, she’s now a Laboratory Technician in the M-I SWACO Laboratory Drilling Solutions facility, where she performs quality assurance tests on mud samples and chemical products, prepares laboratory reports, and maintains contact with client support mud labs for Kalimantan operations.

The first thing that impressed Hanifati when she started was the equipment that she works with in the laboratory, especially for doing quality assurance and control. “These are some of the most innovative technologies that I know.” The second impressive moment of her job, she says, was her first visit to the mud laboratory on an offshore rig. “I was amazed to be facing that huge machinery and seeing for real the complex processes that go on in this industry.”

For somebody with less than a year on the job, Hanifati has many words of wisdom for others just launching their careers. “Remember, keep being you. Don’t just give the answers you think the company is looking for. They want you to be completely frank about what you think and what you want to be doing.”

The biggest adjustments for Hanifati have been working in new environments, especially in the field, and interacting with the most multicultural group of people she’s ever known. “It’s not as scary as I thought it would be at first. SLB employees are open minded and very welcoming, regardless of gender or culture.”

To others considering joining the company, she says: “Just go for it! Trust me, SLB is the best place for young people, fresh-out graduates, experienced people and especially for women to learn and develop your career.”