Hello, my name is Stacia and I graduated from the University of Oklahoma in May of 2015 with an industrial and systems engineering degree. I interned with Williams in Tulsa in the summer of 2014 and started working full-time as a reliability engineer immediately following my graduation. I currently work in the Oklahoma City office.

Some of the most invaluable lessons I have learned to date have been from my interactions with various Subject Matter Experts (SMEs) across Williams. SMEs at Williams are individuals who exhibit high expertise on a specific topic, piece of equipment or general discipline.

A few months after joining as a full-time employee, I was given an assignment that required me to reach out to a wide array of Williams’ equipment SMEs. Initially, I was a bit intimidated to discuss midstream equipment with individuals who have had, in some cases, 30+ years of experience in the industry. However, after meeting with just a few SMEs, the intimidation factor subsided greatly, as I quickly realized that my interactions with them would make up some of the best technical and professional development I would acquire during my first year on the job.

Not only did they gladly answer any questions I had for them, they also went above and beyond and discussed with me the equipment in detail. These individuals were excited to share their knowledge, and truly wanted me to understand the concepts we were discussing.

Aside from the technical knowledge I gained from these interactions, I also learned that the Williams community as a whole believes in offering up career mentorship when given the chance. Often, my conversations with these SMEs would end up with the individual providing career advice or just tips and tricks for success in the workplace in general. All in all, it has been comforting to discover that the folks at Williams are great people who are not only concerned about their own successes, but also care greatly about the development of early career professionals like myself.