Andrew Downey
Financial Reporting Analyst - UK Production
Studied BA (Hons) Business Studies at Kingston University
My search for a graduate role was mainly focused on finding a company which would support me in gaining the CIMA qualification and one which would offer me a “real job” from day one, as opposed to the commonplace series of temporary placements. I am also particularly interested in the energy industry, as I feel it is going to be at the forefront in solving one of the major issues of my generation and I also wanted the opportunity to develop my skills internationally. Not too much to ask then!
Luckily, I found all this and more in joining the ExxonMobil graduate scheme. In addition to the CIMA support, “real job” from day one and international opportunities (200+ countries), I also get to study at the London Business School and work in a company that truly believes its graduates are its future leaders.
Financial Reporting Analyst – UK Production (11 months)
Without a doubt, being thrust into the upstream financial reporting group on day one resulted in a very steep learning curve and as an ambitious graduate; this was exactly what I wanted. Obviously the support is there to enable you to perform and you never feel isolated, but I had no idea about the amount I was going to have to learn in those first six months. Even now I am still learning every day and this is exactly what keeps it interesting.
I am currently part of a four person team responsible for reporting the earnings, balance sheets, volumes and associated analysis for the UK North Sea projects, which has been a great place to learn about how the oil business actually works. As a non-engineer, the technology and scale of the projects we undertake still astound me. Specifically, I am responsible for reporting the ExxonMobil operated assets (EMOP) performance and this role requires me to not only calculate the numbers, but to truly understand them. This is because I provide analysis upon which the business makes critical decisions and which will impact the future of the company. So it turns out that the careers blurb about ExxonMobil offering real responsibility, is in fact true!
ExxonMobil as a company believes that investing in training, and not just the graduates, is a worthwhile investment. In addition to the excellent London Business School graduate development programme, I have also received other job-specific training. So far, this has included year-end reporting training, North Sea Production (NSP) team training and a week-long Oil and Gas Accounting course. Essentially, if you feel there is something you need to work on and can prove it benefits the business, then generally you will be put through any necessary course. As a finance graduate, ExxonMobil also support me through the relevant CIMA courses to enable me to pass my exams and become a qualified accountant.
Having spent nearly a year in my first role, I am soon moving into a new role as the UK Financial Reporting Analyst within the Gas Marketing business. This is a great opportunity to learn about a very different business and apply the skills I have developed in my first role. In addition to this, I will obviously be focused on gaining my CIMA qualification and the next set of exams are never far away. Longer term I am looking to develop a broad knowledge of this business and I am working towards being given the opportunity to develop my skills abroad.
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