The Master of Science Programs at McCombs is hosting our annual Women’s Breakfast September 14, 2017, and we’re excited to showcase some of the amazing female talent across the fields of technology and business. Our staff had a chance to chat with Catherine King of BHP to get her insights on where she sees technology headed in the next 15 years, what it’s like to be a woman in technology right now, and her advice to women as they graduate from their MS Programs at McCombs.

Catherine King, BHP
Business Process Specialist

Tell us a little bit about what your average day is like:

I was hired into an analytics and data science team, and my first task was assessing demands across our business units globally. There was lots of building relationships and my networks at the beginning of my career. I needed to take advantage of my first 3-4 months in getting to know people around me and to understand what projects were going on and how my projects would play a part in BHP’s strategy. I needed to learn what each group of engineers or scientists were doing, the technology they were working on, and what they needed from our analytics and data science team in order to help them problem solve. This helped me and our team provide value to those groups, but it also helped me create real connections with the people I would be working with. Coming out of school, you only learn so much in theory, and getting to know these groups in the real world gave me a better sense of what I actually needed to do.

Once I got my rhythm down, I sat on a couple projects and had the chance to become manager for one particular project. Once that happens, your day-to-day becomes lots of meetings, project planning, and budget review. It was important to me on projects that we stick to the timeline. One thing I discovered in my daily interactions was that being new, young, and energetic goes a long way, and I wasn’t expecting that! In all my feedback, I would hear that the energy and the new ideas really helped me from the start. Taking risks (small ones maybe at first!) and being bold were seen as great initiatives. Also, the daily need to translate from business language to the technical folks became huge – until I was in this role, I didn’t understand how critical it was to be able to “speak” both languages. It became integral for me to serve as translator in order for our projects to expand in scope. 

Did you always know you wanted to go into technology? What really drew you to the field or helped you choose your path?

I interned at Shell for two summers doing a service and operations role and then as a technical and competitive IT role, so I got to see both sides early. I learned that I loved the energy industry – I felt like it was such a great work-life balance, and I got to see some culture shifts in the industry across the two summers, so I knew it was a field I wanted to go into. I majored in MIS and Business Honors at UT, so I ended up at BHP because they offered me the opportunity to work in IT. The people I interviewed with set me up for pretty much exactly what I wanted to do – not too technical but also embedded in the analytics and data science team. I also got to be a part of a team that was built from the ground up, so I was really given a role that I got to be a part of creating. I got to work on foundational projects and help with requirements, so it just felt like the perfect role for me. It was so important for me to take on a role that allowed for growth but that also had a vision for where I was going with my career. 

Can you tell us a little bit about how you think technology and business will interact in the next 10-20 years?

BHP’s technology strategy is that we aim to be fully integrated and highly automated by the year 2025. The idea is that we want all of our databases interconnected and all of our sensor data automated and streamed into a local, remote operations center so you can see what’s happening and make operational changes all from your desk in the office. If it’s time to turn off a valve, you can do so with a click of a button. All of this is founded in technology but still requires people like us to do this kind of work – building the technology, running the analytics, ensuring the tech is working the way it needs to. We’re ramping up our predictive analytics so we can get ahead of issues like a truck breaking down or a pipe leaking – these are the types of things we’ll be able to anticipate because of the data we collect and analytics we’ll be running. None of this can be done without our data and technology folks. It’s prevalent in my company, but I think this is really true of any company. In order for robots and automation to work, you can have to have people who can work with the data, create the algorithms, and develop the things we need to keep this all running. 

What are some of the challenges (or opportunities) facing women entering tech today?

I feel like this is a great time for women in tech –the industry has become so aware that we need more women in tech sothere’s really an opportunity to join the conversation and the work that’s being done. It’s no longer being brushed under the rug, so now is the time for women to really come in and showcase their talent. Everyone has been very conscious of talking about it – it is only to the benefit of the industry, whether it’s analytics or technology, that women are included. Rather than seeing it as a challenge, it’s an opportunity that is opening up for women to participate in all of the amazing developments going on. I’m proud of my company, too – BHP’s CTO is a woman, our Vice President of Petroleum Technology is a woman, and so the work I’ve been doing is in the midst of many incredibly accomplished women.

What advice would you give to women entering a career in technology?

It goes back to something I read about a few years ago- how people go about applying to job postings. The article stated that typically men will see only one thing they can do on the job posting and they will apply. Women might see 19 out of 20 things they can do and one they can’t do, and that one single skill or qualification that they don’t meet will discourage them from applying entirely.

One year into my career, I applied to a job that asked for 5 years of experience and I ended up securing that position, so if you’re excited about the opportunity – just go for it! Apply for the ones you don’t think you’re going to get, apply for the ones that excite you, apply for the ones that scare you (just a little bit!). I’d absolutely encourage women to take the job that scares you the most. Don’t only apply to the safe jobs that aren’t challenging or where you won’t learn anything. I found right out of school that I was applying to any job postings I thought I was qualified for …even if I wasn’t interested in the work. That’s not the way to go – I can’t imagine doing something day in day out that I wasn’t interested in because ultimately, that’s where I spend (and you’ll spend) most of your days. It’s not school, it doesn’t change every semester – you stick with your manager and your role, so you’ll get the most out of what you do if you are interested and challenged by the work.

I was so excited to start work, and I think I was expecting to come with a wrapped, bow-tied project of ‘here’s what you’re going to do, here’s who is going to help you, go do it’. Sometimes it isn’t like that – for me, it was a few months of figuring it out, but it’s a time I chose to capitalize on. I would encourage you to set up meetings to introduce yourself to new people and learn from others, sign up for training courses, and take advantage of that time to really prepare yourself for what’s coming. You also never know who you met with that might be helpful in projects you’re working on later on. Having those relationships and networking is very real, so take advantage! In some ways, that can be so much more important than those technical skills you learned in school.

The Texas MS Programs would like to extend a thank you to all of the women attending our Women’s Breakfast this Thursday, September 14!