WSPA is pleased to highlight these new college graduates who are entering the oil & gas industry in our “Young Professionals Series.” As these young professionals begin their careers, we asked them what inspires them and what their outlook is for the industry.

For this post, we connected with a graduate from the University of Texas Austin, Anna Doudnikova. Her ability to work in different U.S. cities for various Shell projects has given Anna the opportunity to expand her network while learning about different technical roles in this industry.

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Name: Anna Doudnikova

Year Graduated College: 2015

School and Degree: University of Texas at Austin: Bachelor of Business Administration, Energy Finance

Employer: Shell

Job Title: Finance Adviser

What inspired you to pursue a career in oil & gas?

Growing up in Houston, TX, it felt like oil industry powered the whole city. I was very aware of the many opportunities, both locally and globally, that a career in oil & gas could offer. Having an interest in Finance and Business, I decided to see if I could pursue those interests while taking advantage of these opportunities.

How has the industry helped you grow professionally?

In only four years at Shell, I’ve had the opportunity to have many different experiences and learn multiple businesses. I began my full-time career in the Upstream, working on projects relating to both our Unconventional Permian assets and our Gulf of Mexico Deepwater assets. Next, I had two different roles within the Chemicals business and most recently, became the Capital Finance Advisor for the Martinez Refinery in California. Each time I moved, it was like working at a new company, but the experience was enhanced by the support system the Shell network provides.

How has the industry helped you grow personally?

Moving to a new business every 1-2 years was not only fascinating, but taught me to learn quickly and to immediately start contributing. There are many technical aspects to understand in each role and since we are dealing with a physical product which affects millions of people, there are so many more layers to the job beyond the financials. This dynamic atmosphere has kept me engaged and inspires me to build upon my knowledge, both in my job and other parts of my life.