UPSkilling Our Next Gen with Samyu

My name is Samyukutha Moaganasundram, for short they call me SamyU and I am currently working as a Junior Planning Analyst at SapuraOMV.

I was a shy, quiet child who loved books. My sole focus whilst growing up was my education and the grades I got. As I was shy, I didn’t participate in any extra-curricular activity and I preferred to stay at home. I filled the void by studying where I shined and began tutoring others when I was in Standard 5! Looking back, it was my way of hiding my introvert traits.

Things didn't change much when I started secondary school. Since I come from a middle-class family, it has been ingrained in me that I must work hard to get into public universities and pursue my desired course. I would say, my brother is my inspiration to do well. I followed him (actually, I copied him!) in everything, from the way he studies to the way he carries himself. Our ambitions were similar: we both wanted to work in the medical field.?

But things did not go as planned. My brother got a seat in the medical field, but I didn’t. Needless to say, it was disappointing. At the beginning, it was extremely difficult for me to adjust to a new mindset for my journey, but I realised that God had other plans for me

My turning point came when I was accepted to do Petroleum Engineering in University Technology of Malaysia (UTM). At UTM, its Society of Petroleum Engineering, (SPE) was a very active society and as students we were encouraged to join and were given the leverage to plan, organised, and run the events all by ourselves. And in a year, there were about 32 events to do. I found myself actively involved in the extra-curricular activities both on and off campus. I took up positions as a Competition Officer for SPE; Chief of Sponsorship for Oil and Gas Fest 2018 (OGFest’18); entered an oil and gas intellectual competition held in Yogyakarta; volunteered in Offshore Technology Conference (OTC) plus a host of other events which included charity programmes. My involvement in the extra-curricular activities served me well in nurturing my leadership and communication skills, which I find are essential to succeed in the working world.?

During my third-year semester break, I did my internship at Elsa Energy Sdn. Bhd. in the Wells and Production Department. There, I got involved in sand sampler analyser project, sand production management, new technologies, tender management, procurement, project management, research and development and training programme. I also had the opportunity to learn about the implementation of new technologies such as the Hansen Pump and the Mosco Exit Sub. Even though the company was small (we all worked together in a two-room office), the experience I got was invaluable. I even got to learn about how the other departments work.

Following my internship, I entered my final year the same time when the COVID-19 pandemic started to emerge. The pandemic threw a steep curve at me, as my final semester had to be completed online. My classes, exams, and projects were delivered entirely online; several of my submissions were submitted?via?online and others?via Poslaju (courier service). Worse of all, I had no idea that March 18, 2020, the day when the Prime Minister of Malaysia announced the first Movement Control Order, would be the last day of my university life. My mates and I didn’t even have a proper farewell, and all of us as a group would never meet again after that.

I graduated in August 2020 during the time when the Oil & Gas sector was one of the affected sectors, due to the pandemic and this was further compounded by the drop in oil prices. This made it even more challenging?for my batchmates and I?to get placed?in any O&G companies.

?I have been told that there were fewer opportunities available in the oil and gas sector and as such most of my friends had started working in manufacturing companies

It took some time, but I successfully landed a job in SapuraOMV as a Junior Planning Analyst. When I got the acceptance, it felt like gushes of rain drops on a dessert plant, after a long drought.

?Although the work as a Planning Analyst, is relatively new to me, the continuous support and guidance from my entire Performance, Portfolio and Planning, (PPP) team allows me to achieve my objectives, easily. Here I experience a supportive, and a powerful team. Working in a strong team not only helps me in improving myself further but it has made my learning process much easier. I feel excited to be working in my dream job, and this has motivated me to continue to work hard and work smart.

My advice to students who are still studying or will be graduating soon is to enjoy your time as a student and participate in a variety of co-curricular activities to develop your soft skills. Believe in yourself and ignore unwanted external/peer pressure.

?Even when if you see your life’s projection is in a constant trough with no peaks, don’t despair. Believe in yourself and your goals.?It can change, anytime. When you believe, things will work out in your favour when the time is right.

Samyukutha A/P Moaganasundram/Junior Planning Analyst