Former business student lands job with BP after impressing on work placement

A former business student who impressed on a work experience placement with BP while at college has landed a job with the oil and gas giant.

Elizabeth Daka, 22, undertook a six-week internship with the company while studying a Business Level 3 Extended Diploma at the College of Haringey, Enfield and North East London (CONEL) in 2016.

She was supervised on placement by Christina O’Donovan-Rossa, BP’s then Head of HR Global Functions – Integrated Supply and Trading, and Sue McKenzie, then PA to the company’s UK HR Director, as part of the Career Ready programme.

After successfully passing her Business diploma, Elizabeth went on to graduate with a degree in Human Resource Management from the University of Hertfordshire.

She kept in touch with staff at BP while at university and has now landed a job as a Trading Operations Co-ordinator after being directly approached by the company.

Elizabeth, from Enfield, said: “I remember receiving a call asking if I would be interested in this role as they thought I would be a suitable candidate. I went for an interview and after a few weeks they called to say I had been offered the role. I was so excited.”

In her new job Elizabeth is responsible for all aspects of oil and gas trading across Europe including processing invoices, shipping contracts and product transportation.

She said: “I was looking to pursue a career in HR for a long time, but one thing I’ve learnt is that you actually never know where your career will go. You have to be open to exploring different options because so many skills are transferable. You never know where they will take you.”

Career Ready is a charity that works with educators and employers to help prepare young people for work. While on the programme Elizabeth organised a careers event at CONEL and invited BP staff to talk about their roles.

She said: “Career Ready really prepared me for working in the corporate world. My mentors helped me through my time at BP and both motivated me in different ways. I went from being shy and timid to being more confident and striving for greater things for myself.

“As long as you have a positive mindset and work hard, the sky’s the limit.”

Elizabeth also praised the help and support she received from her tutors at CONEL, that helped her to gain her diploma and the skills and knowledge needed for her career.

Betty Benjamin, Lecturer in Business at CONEL, said: “Through her studies at college and on the Career Ready programme, Elizabeth discovered her skills and career path. We are glad to have made such an impact on her life.”

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