Today's world is tremendously competitive. Today's demands on any professional working in any sector are nothing short of enormous, and it is critical that one does everything possible to ensure that they are well equipped to handle the demands of the day-to-day working environment. I consider myself fortunate to have had the opportunity to study at some of the world's best universities. Yet, I am aware that the industry in which I hope to one day work is incredibly competitive and practical. As such, simply depending on the education I have acquired is not a viable option. On the contrary, I intend to be the best I can be, to be able to work and contribute the best I can in this extremely demanding field. As a graduate student pursuing a Bachelor’s degree in Chemical and Process Engineering, acquiring the necessary practical skills of the workings of this industry is vital. It is for this reason that I would like to apply for the Gulf Petrochemical Industries Company (GPIC) internship program. By enrolling into this program, I am convinced that I will eventually achieve and be the best I can be.
As a final year student at the London Southbank University, I am almost done with my coursework and as a soon to be graduate, it is imperative that I am able to acquire the necessary practical skills that are without a doubt a core component in the make-up of a chemical engineer. I am well aware of the demands placed upon me to be the best I can and to contribute positively as a professional. I am also all too aware of the need for me to excel in my education to be able to advance. Pursuing a graduate degree in Chemical Engineering is a daunting task that requires a lot of dedication and time investment, a fact that has never been lost on me. The fact that working in a science related field has always been a dream I have always harbored since a young age has only served as motivation for me to put more effort into being the best I can be from an academic perspective. It is for this reason that I will be among the few students from the London Southbank University expecting to graduate with a grade point average of 2.1.
I grew up in a family of scientists, my father worked as an engineer in one of the biggest companies while my mother was a medical practitioner. My parents’ insistence on academic excellence was one of the factors that led me to putting so much effort in my education from a young age. Consequently, my grades and academic aptitude were never in doubt. I was also aware that I had a lot of potential that if well cultivated would without a doubt lead me to working in the field of science. Therefore, since a young age, I put so much effort into ensuring that I excel in my studies and as I advanced in my studies throughout different levels, the opportunity of working in the engineering field appealed to me. However, unlike my father, who was a civil engineer, one of my favorite subjects in school turned out to be chemistry. It is while on a career building symposium while at the Stratford School that I finally decided to pursue a career in the chemical engineering and processing field and time at the Ealing, Hammersmith and West London Colleges beckoned. While here, I honed and learned all the necessary skills, acquired the necessary knowledge a scientist would need. I was lucky because the institution’s I went to placed so much emphasis on the individual, on the need for the individual to set themselves apart from the rest and be unique in their own way.
Consequently, when I heard of the opportunity to apply for the Gulf Petrochemical Company (GPIC) internship program, I did not hesitate because I was already all too aware of the company’s reputation as one of the leading and reputable petrochemical producing companies, not only in Asia but also in the world. Located in the Kingdom of Bahrain, the company is one of the market leaders and major contributors in the economy of Bahrain. The company’s importance to the people of Bahrain and the surrounding countries is evidenced by the fact that it is the leading entity in terms of natural gas purchases, its status as a market leader in terms of its record of employing and training local and international citizens and the company’s use of local contractors in the business process. The company majors mainly in the production of ammonia, urea and methanol. Furthermore, the company depends on the use of natural gas that is available in Bahrain for the production of the three products above. The company’s location on Sitra, which is an area of reclaimed land sitting on about sixty hectares of land is the epitome of engineering expertise. The company focuses on ensuring that their employees are given the best platform to better and improve themselves to become all-rounded individuals who are ready to contribute to the growth and advancement of the company’s objective. As an aspiring Chemical Engineer, the chance to work in an institution that focusses so much on the individual can only be a plus.
However, other than the company’s individual focused, purpose driven approach to its business activities and employee development, its industrial training cum internship program sets it apart from other similar companies. As mentioned earlier, Chemical Engineering and Processing is an extremely demanding and practical field. Therefore, to excel in this field, practical experience is just as important as academic excellence and it is on the former that Gulf Petrochemical Companies excel so much at with regard to training budding engineers. The company’s industrial training program is essentially custom-made and tailored to mirror the real-life working situation in the contemporary workplace. While instituting the graduate trainee program, the company’s main aim was to provide trainees with the best opportunity of enhancing their knowledge while at the same time imparting the necessary on-job skills. This, the company hopes will eventually make the individual competitive enough to be at par with the best in the world. Personally, I have no doubt that I am one of the best, not only because of my desire to excel but also because of my passion to succeed as an engineer.
Just like any professional in any other field, it is essential that as a budding engineer I am able to work in an environment with numerous personalities and even people with different nationalities, a different culture from mine and with different motivations. This, I believe, is one of the core mandates of the GPIC internship program seeing that it brings together trainees from different countries. Granted, a large majority of employees and trainees come from Bahrain among a collection of several different nationalities. In so doing, the company sets the platform for an intern, like me to learn the ropes and know how to effectively interact with other individuals from other countries. This is part of the institution’s goals of producing all-rounded individuals who have the requisite level of professionalism to work with like-minded albeit different individuals to achieve the company’s goals.
Another factor that makes the GPIC internship program so effective in moulding professionals who can work in any industry, is the fact that it is tailor made and developed in line with the latest educational technologies such as e-learning methodologies. In addition to this, the company aims to impart knowledge and training to its employees based on current market trends. By partnering with other companies in the region, Gulf Petrochemical Company has been able to adapt the latest trends and developments to further ensure that the training program goes hand in hand with the industry’s requirements. Finally, by exposing its employees, and in this case interns to domestic and international events, the company ensures that individuals are able to develop a worldview of developments in the sector. As such, I am convinced that by interning at GPIC, my development as an engineer is only likely to assume an upward trajectory, a fact that will serve to set me apart from the rest in this field.
I am a self-driven, self-sufficient individual with an endless affinity for knowledge. I have made use of every opportunity I have had to work in a professional setting to dedicate my time to honing my problem solving skills creatively and efficiently. Consequently, I believe that interning at GPIC would only serve to make me not only a better individual but also a better professional while applying my engineering knowledge in the chemical industry.
