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As I start to see honours year students finish exams and soon to graduate, it truly is amazing to think what I have accomplished in the past two years since my internship out in Houston with the Wood Group.

The SaltireFoundation gave me a key to unlock a new chapter in my career that has proven very fruitful not only in business opportunity, but in growth of personal confidence and future leadership capability. I was the first intake for the Wood Group internship and met many remarkable people who continue to be actively engaged in the SaltireFoundation in promoting it as a unique opportunity available to motivated and ambitious individuals.

Having been given this incredible opportunity, I worked on projects ranging from implementing HR policies to producing business development capability documents to present to potential clients. The degree of responsibility given to me was very humbling and the feedback I received from my internship gave me a massive confidence boost to get out of my comfort zone and onto a steep learning curve to achieve my career aspirations.

As a result from spending time and learning from Wood Group senior management members who are also GlobalScots such as Derek Blackwood, John Lee and Bill Cochrane, it became apparent to me that I wanted to commence my graduate career in the energy industry and make my ambitions of reaching for the stars a reality and not just a dream. My first post internship success was winning the BP Prize for Excellence from Heriot Watt University for producing the best honours year dissertation from the School of Management and Languages. I focused my dissertation on the future issues for multinational enterprises and provided the Wood Group as a case study example. Although I was up till the early hours most mornings accompanied by Lucozade it was important to me that my experience was recognised which undoubtedly enabled me to illustrate my arguments from an angle only personal experience could shed light on.

I also had the opportunity to sit in the Scottish Parliament in the Diaspora Forum as part of the Homecoming Scotland celebrations. This was a fantastic experience and only instant thinking can prepare you for when the previous Presiding Officer of the Scottish Parliament George Reid asks you to share with the forum what your management plan is for the future of Scotland! Opportunities to contribute to Scotland on a scale like that don’t come around often and without the SaltireFoundation this would not be possible.

I have also made presentations at several universities for applicants and I have actively participated in the recruitment process for the second year now and feel very grateful to have been asked to contribute to this. This is where I feel that having had such an international learning experience sets you apart from people who haven’t went that extra mile for success. Opportunities like this simply don’t come to you without that flicker of ambition burning in your eyes.

Upon graduation last June, I then was selected by Wood Group to join their Project Controls Graduate Scheme in the North Sea business. I have now been with the Wood Group since last September and have relocated to Aberdeen to begin my career in the energy industry. I will soon be finishing my first placement in the Project Estimating function which has given me great experience in developing my technical skills to understand drawings and I will then move on to learn about Cost and Planning Engineering. Ultimately I feel that my professional capabilities are enhancing with the more experience I gain and I continue to make an enthusiastic aim to strive to reach my potential.

I feel that it is incredibly important to be actively involved in the development of the SaltireFoundation and I was one of the founding members of the Alumni Relations Team and this year I have been joined by Lucy McIntyre, Adam Muir and Daisy Radford in promoting the importance to all Scholars to remain actively involved after their internship. As a result, we will be implementing for the first time a mentoring programme for this year’s intake. The team will be co-ordinating this and looking forward to the launch and seeing the benefits of experience of the mentors and how interns can benefit from this.

I wish all 2010 interns the best of luck and to be prepared for a life changing experience. It isn’t always easy immersing yourself in a different culture but I truly believe it was the making of me and has given me the belief that some day I will become an industry leader with the ability to inspire others to succeed, as I was during my internship and continue to be today with Wood Group.