The energetic energy/gas/utilities industry offers many shining opportunities to power the world with clean energy.
Hart Helps to Ensure a Stronger, Smarter Power Grid at Duke Energy
Cicely Hart, PE is vice president, power grid operations at Duke Energy. “I lead a team of engineers, project managers, and data analysts at Duke Energy that are building a stronger, smarter energy grid to deliver electricity from power plants to homes and businesses in our Midwest service territory,” she details.
Duke Energy employs 27,600 people, but it doesn’t feel like a behemoth to Hart. “As large as our company has grown, there still remains a ‘family feel’ within local teams.”
It wasn’t trials by fire, but by wind and water that cemented the family bonds at the energy company. “For more than 20 years, many of my colleagues and I have worked alongside each other to respond to natural disasters, such as wind storms and hurricanes. At times, we work away from our families for extended periods of time to restore power for our customers. This brings about a closeness and camaraderie that goes beyond normal work hours,” she shares.
That closeness carries on beyond work. “Many of us have attended each other’s weddings, graduations, and other family events because our relationships have transcended typical working relationships,” she adds.
Interested in being part of such a tight-knit workforce? Professionals who inspire, collaborate, serve, and lead get hired and promoted, according to Hart. “Our company encourages employees to align our behaviors with what we call ‘leadership imperatives,’ including working as one and inspiring our people. These imperatives guide every employee’s career path and are demonstrated in each of the roles we play within the company.”
Duke wants professionals who can connect across the company. “Being in such a large organization, we encourage employees to reach across department boundaries to solve problems and serve our customers. We expect each employee to take ownership in their roles, and our leadership team supports them with advocacy,” elaborates Hart.
And Duke wants professionals who want to be front and center in renewable energy. “We’re seeking employees to join us that are innovative and can help us execute our clean energy transition. Candidates that stand out are self-motivated and are willing to deliver results the right way,” she continues.
And attitudes and aptitudes can trump sheer experience. “Many companies aren’t looking for you to have an abundance of experience. Employers look for your ability to work on a team, be motivated in your own professional development, and be agile and able to adjust for any situation,” Hart points out.
If you’re a recent graduate, then arrive ready to apply what you’ve learned. “Be confident in the information you learned in college. As you progress in your career, your knowledge should be built on each position you’ve held. Your value to a company will be based on the number of problems you can help the company solve. You should focus on being a problem-solver,” she encourages.
Look to deliver your best in your current role rather than be distracted in your next, desired position. “There are no shortcuts in moving up. Don’t get ahead of yourself and focus solely on the next job. Perform the job you’re doing extremely well, even when pursuing advancement. Much of your career progression will depend on your performance, your image, and your exposure,” she further advises.
And configure ways to overcome challenges, as Hart did. “While studying engineering in college, my classmates and I were often asked to work in teams. In most cases, the guys would team up, leaving the remaining few women to work together. Although we initially viewed this as a challenge, we came to rely on each other as a support network and produced great work together,” she recalls.
Hart carried that lesson learned in academia into her professional career. “Having this challenge so early in our professional journeys prepared each of us for similar experiences in careers that are non-traditional for women,” she reflects.
“There’s still a gap in women’s representation in the energy profession. At times, it can be intimidating to ‘show up’ with confidence.”
However, Hart believes the tide is turning. “As women’s representation in the energy industry continues to grow, we can create more opportunities for future generations of young women and girls to help shape our energy future,” she concludes.
Learn about Charlotte, NC-headquartered Duke Energy via Facebook, X, Instagram, YouTube and LinkedIn. Explore careers at duke-energy.com/our-company/careers.
DeVoe Enjoys the Range of Her Work at Chevron
Lauren DeVoe is a performance team lead (PTL) within Chevron’s midcontinent business unit’s (MCBU) asset development team. She also serves as vice president of Chevron’s Global Women’s Employee Network.
“The most important skill required in my current role is knowing how to partner effectively – by building relationships and aligning teams to common goals. Our wells development program in the Permian Basin of West Texas is a fast-paced work environment. Taking the time to build relationships in advance has enabled me to facilitate decision-making,” she shares.
“In this environment it’s very easy to focus solely on achieving results. However, it’s also important that we lean heavily into our people engagements.”
DeVoe’s challenges are eased by Chevron’s values and culture. “My absolute favorite part about working for Chevron is our culture. The Chevron Way anchors our beliefs – getting results the right way. I’ve held several positions within Chevron during my 10 years with the company. While my team members or supervisors may have changed, the culture remains the same.”
DeVoe has found that Chevron fosters a diverse, inclusive, and collaborative environment that brings people and ideas together to deliver results. And she’s been entrusted again and again with myriad tasks within that environment.
“Through the years I’ve been offered opportunities to work on special projects or selected for new job assignments. There’s always been an appreciation for new opportunities,” she elaborates.
“However, at the same time, you start to search for assurances for success. I’ve since learned that this is called imposter syndrome.”
So what does DeVoe do when she doubts? “I contradict doubt with positive words of affirmation. I know I was selected for these opportunities or jobs because of skills I’ve demonstrated or potential the leaders have seen in me to rise to new challenges. Every opportunity is going to be a mixture of my strengths and growth mindset. Growth is going to feel scary, and I remind myself that the feeling is actually a good thing.”
To that end, DeVoe understands that nerves are an internal signal that she’s learning, growing and improving. She also finds that a huge perk of ranging challenges is that her days are never dull.
“One of the things I like best about my job is that no two days are honestly the same. It truly is never boring, and I’m never without a new challenge to tackle, which, for someone who has a real issue with sitting still, fits great. The nature of our day-to-day work, and the continuous learning, makes the position equal parts fun and exhausting, but in a good way,” she relates.
However, whatever the challenge, there will always be limitations. DeVoe offers some encouragement to overcome them.
“One of the best pieces of advice I received from a previous area manager in MCBU was, ‘You can have it all, but you can’t do it all.’ As a first-born, type-A mindset, recovering perfectionist, this was a big revelation to me, and I hold onto this. Early in my career, the realization hit me that I’m only human, and I can’t do everything.”
This is when DeVoe taps Chevron’s collaborative culture.
“I need to be able to ask for help, delegate, and trust my team and others to do the work, and, most importantly, let some things go.”
DeVoe applies this tactic in her personal life, too. “As a working mom, it’s easy to feel overwhelmed and like that there’s literally never enough hours for work-life balance. So what I’ve learned is that I need to communicate with my husband early and often, outsource tasks where we can, and save some time for me to reset. I have to be honest that I don’t get it right all of the time or most of the time, but the important thing for me is that I’m making progress, not perfection,” she concludes.
Learn about San Ramon, CA-headquartered Chevron via LinkedIn, X, Facebook, TikTok, YouTube and Instagram. Explore careers at careers.chevron.com.
White Ensures PSEG Meets Quality Standards
Alanzo White, DM-IST, MIS, PMP is the manager of testing, center of excellence, PSEG information technology (IT). “I’m enterprise leader for leading testing of all applications, systems, and infrastructure to ensure they meet PSEG quality standards and work as expected,” he explains.
White is one of approximately 12,500 employees at PSEG. Want to join this powerhouse workforce that delivers energy to so many? White offers insight into who the company hires: “PSEG seeks many traits and skills, including diversity of thought, critical thinking, expert growth potential, collaboration, problem-solving, leadership, excellent communications, open-mindedness, and flexibility.”
If hired, then you might find yourself also loving the options PSEG delivers to its workforce just like White does. “I love that PSEG allows you to grow in your career. PSEG also provides ample opportunities to change your career because we have various departments and business areas.”
For White, PSEG is much more than a paycheck. “Our work culture is like a family in which you meet employees who becomes your good friends or family. As an employee, I’ve built great relationships with other employees because the environment for employees is sociable and encourages building long-term relationships.”
That approachability also applies to the leadership. “I appreciate that our senior leaders are approachable and candid. Our leaders are supportive and encourage employees to be promoted and successful throughout their careers. In addition, the pay is fair, and I feel valued as an employee.”
To reach this great place in his career, White had to leap a big hurdle. “I was going to school for my doctoral degree and working at the same time. It was difficult to study and meet deadlines. My main challenge was achieving a work-life balance with the additional responsibilities. I realized then that life is a balancing act. I remember going to a family event, carrying my laptop, and working during dinner while also spending family time.”
White also leveraged his organizational skills. “I knew I had to conquer the challenge of meeting deadlines for work and school. I had to create a schedule, letting friends and family know I’d be there for them, but that I also had schoolwork to do. It was important to set boundaries and to share what they were with others. I also created 10-minute meetings, which helped me get quick answers to meet various deadlines.”
These tactics still work well for White. “It’s a balancing act where you must make sound choices about how you spend your time to meet your goal. I got very good at prioritizing without compromising the relationships that are so important to me,” he shares.
When White is working, the challenges captivate him. “I enjoy working on complex system architecture and data models, and fostering innovation for my department. I enjoy working with my leadership team. They’re supportive and embrace the ability to fail faster and learn quickly to innovate growth of new technology. Plus, learning new technologies is fun and exciting; it keeps me intrigued,” he shares.
If you, too, are hired by PSEG, then White has some advice for you: “The best advice I can give to new employees who want to move ahead is simple: create a plan. As a new employee, you need to learn how the company human resources department works. Evaluate what you want to accomplish in the next year, two years and five years. Once you find a job you want to go after, assess your skill set and compare it to the job requirements.”
White also urges you to analyze the gaps and create a development plan. “Your plan should include acquiring a sponsor who will provide guidance and help you gain access to job opportunities. Get a mentor to provide insight and allow you to grow. One thing that really helped me in my career is having a mentor.”
That mentor can be your coach, as well, according to White. “You need to have someone who can provide that insight on the job market and offer interview strategies. Without a good plan, it’ll be a challenge to meet your objective to move ahead.”
Learn about Newark, NH-headquartered PSEG via Facebook, X, Instagram, YouTube and LinkedIn. Explore careers at corporate.pseg.com/careers.
Hernandez Designs Upgrades & Special Projects for Con Edison
Santee Hernandez, senior engineer in Con Edison’s substation projects engineering department, leads a team of designers who create construction drawings to implement upgrades and special projects in electric substations across New York City for Con Edison. Con Edison is the reason that Manhattan shines so brightly at night, but Con Edison does more than electricity, as it also provides gas and steam to all of the city’s five boroughs and Westchester County to the north of the city. Con Edison also provides a different kind of light, for its 14,000-strong workforce, volunteering, as a whole, more than 9,000 hours last year to myriad community projects.
Do you, too, want to light this great city? “Above all else, we seek employees whose priority is the safety of their colleagues, the public and themselves,” she points out.
“We value dedication to operational excellence and superb customer service. Our company seeks individuals with high emotional intelligence, flexibility and a team-first attitude.”
A diverse city like New York has, of course, a diverse workforce, with 51.7% of Con Edison’s employees being professionals of color and 22.6% being women. It’s a great place for women to succeed as borne out by this number: 33.3% of directors, general managers, and above are female.
Hernandez loves that diversity. “I love working with colleagues from diverse backgrounds. We each have had a unique life experience, but share a passion to make our grid in New York City and Westchester County, NY the most reliable in the nation.”
For Hernandez, diverse people and perspectives are personal. “I grew up with two siblings who have disabilities, so I learned people who may look different or act differently have abilities and points of view that are every bit the equal of my own,” she shares.
“At Con Edison, we benefit from diversity, inclusion, and collaboration. Varying backgrounds and respect for each other enhance innovation, problem-solving, customer service and morale.”
Con Edison is transitioning to clean energy, but adapting is nothing new for Hernandez. “I grew up in a sprawling Mexican city near the U.S. border where the influx of people, international trade, and crime taught me to always be ready to adapt to changing conditions. Flexibility is essential in my current job.”
Hernandez was also taught initiative at an early age. “Taking initiative, which I learned as a child while helping to run our family business, is also important in my job. I’ve always demonstrated initiative and willingness to take responsibility here at Con Edison.”
Meeting challenges was an early, necessary part of Hernandez’s engineering career. “When I left California and moved to Florida for my first full-time job as a field engineer, I encountered a different culture and work environment than I had seen previously. I’d never worked in a high-pressure, boots-on-the ground environment, one in which you were expected to succeed with no help. I had to find people who were kind and guided me through the unknown.”
She found those colleagues and never looked back. “These people provided me with opportunities that were challenging, but allowed me to see the range of possibilities I could pursue. I felt motivated to keep going and gained confidence in myself.”
In addition, if you just graduated from college, then Hernandez has some parting advice for you: “My advice to college graduates is to find companies that share their values. Being their true selves and knowing their colleagues value their best qualities will help them grow and make an impact.”
Learn about New York, NY-headquartered Con Edison via Facebook, LinkedIn, YouTube, X and Instagram. Explore careers at coned.com/en/about-us/careers.
The Energy Sector Is a Bright Beacon of Opportunity
A bright beacon, the energy/gas/utilities industry is providing an abundance of shining opportunities to power the world with clean energy. Want to be a utility line worker who saves the day, restoring heat and power after a storm? Want to make energy ever more efficient? Want to ride the rising tide of green energy? You can do that in this sector, and so much more.
The employment outlook has been bright because of the push for sustainability, decarbonization, security, resilience, and greener solutions in lieu of fossil fuels in the wake of shaky geopolitics, new, prolonged wars, uncertain economic times and supply chain issues in a post-global coronavirus (COVID-19) pandemic world.
This has sparked governments to fast-track work with the private sector to localize production and address global supply chain weaknesses, both within fossil fuels and key clean energy segments, including the minerals critical to their manufacture. This builds on the unprecedented $710 billion governments made available to clean energy in the wake of the pandemic in the name of sustainable recoveries.
All of these factors together are reshaping global energy employment, with the sector being among the fastest-evolving industries globally in the last five years. In fact, according to the U.S. Department of Energy (DOE), has added nearly 300,000 jobs from 2021 to 2022. And the International Energy Agency’s (IEA) report, Net Zero by 2050: A Road Map for the Global Energy Sector (NZE Scenario), projects the energy transition will create 14 million new jobs related to clean energy technologies.
Given the shift to clean energy, plus the expected retirements within energy/gas/utilities, the job outlook going forward is sunny for those seeking a bright future in this evolving industry.
Captions & Callout Quotes:
Cicely Hart, PE is vice president, power grid operations at Duke Energy.
“As women’s representation in the energy industry continues to grow, we can create more opportunities for future generations of young women and girls to help shape our energy future.”
Lauren DeVoe is a performance team lead (PTL) within Chevron’s midcontinent business unit’s (MCBU) asset development team.
“Through the years I’ve been offered opportunities to work on special projects or selected for new job assignments. There’s always been an appreciation for new opportunities.”
Alanzo White, DM-IST, MIS, PMP is the manager of testing, center of excellence, PSEG information technology (IT).
“Get a mentor to provide insight and allow you to grow. One thing that really helped me in my career is having a mentor.”
Santee Hernandez is a senior engineer in Con Edison’s substation projects engineering department.
“Flexibility is essential in my current job.”