I'm early on in my career and I would like to make significant career progress here.
However, while some tell me that it will be very difficult and that frequent job changes are necessary, others say that there are effective ways to progress in your career here and that Chevron provides great opportunities for advancement. How much career progress have you managed to achieve during the years spent here?
9 replies (most recent on top)
The “network” or “the club” definitely exists and if you can find your way into that jacked up system, then you got yourself covered for the most part.
@8hju, Good story. Arrogance doesn’t trump Humility, at least not for long. What kind of an executive behaves like a belligerent? Answer: Not one that deserves the position. Good riddance to that D!ck.
Best of luck to you. The colleagues on this board have shared a lot of great advice so the only thing I will add is don't burn bridges and treat EVERYONE with respect.
A quick story: I have seen a parking attendant (whom I speak to everyday when leaving) refuse to open the gate for a VP because he didn't have his badge. VP got mad and decided to drove through the gate and damaging it. The parking 'gate' are those pvc pipes with reflective tape. Attendant called the cops who pulled over the VP. The company (not chevron) tried to save him but the outrage was such that VP was let go. The attendant told me the VP never responded to her 'hi' ever so she felt no need to cut him some slack, him thinking he was all up there. Yes, she had to eventually leave but found another job however the thought of a $9/hr person being responsible for tanking a $2.9M/yr VP is something I never forget.
And get good at managing upward
Depends on how you measure success. If you are aiming for vp and up, yes you need to be selected early and move frequently to get broad exposure to the whole company. That said, I enjoy petrotech work, focused on becoming a SME and broadening my network, had good work-life balance, and retired after 30 years just short of 8 figures. Yes some hi-pots did better but I am very happy with my lot.
Yes, if you're a high-pot or diversity candidate, switch jobs every 18-24 months, frequently enough so none of your mistakes stick to you. If you're not part of the high-pot or diversity club, you're going nowhere. You can eke out a living and get a decent retirement, like many Boomer Chevronites did. If you don't belong to the inner circle, your best plan is to switch companies after about 7 years, then, if you haven't burned any bridges, come back to Chevron into a higher position. You still won't be part of the inner circle, but you will have "succeeded" (financially or position). If you really want to succeed technically, go work for a small company, where challenges and opportunities are plentiful. In Chevron you'll just be working on spreadsheets and powerpoints.
Oh you poor f@@L! Good luck and try to get into “the club” and you will be fine. Don’t concentrate on doing a good job but instead focus on “the network”!!
It worked well for me, I became head of HR. Best organization in the company!
Sorry to break it to you, but unless you’re part of the chosen class, your career will not go anywhere. It used to be that way. But alas, the PDC is built to give the appearance of opportunity. And it’s getting harder and harder, by design, to promote. The easiest way to climb is to switch companies every few years.