Before I went to work for ExxonMobil, I really didn’t know much about the company. I was getting ready to graduate high school in 2009 when my principal suggested I respond to a job posting in our local newspaper.
Our village is located near a new facility the company was building in Bojonegoro, but it seemed removed from my life.
My father was wary when he heard that I applied and had qualified to be interviewed in Surabaya, Indonesia’s second largest city, about 110 km to the east. He’d been a farmer all his life and wanted me to stay put. He dreaded the idea of his children moving away.
I went anyway, passed the test and was hired. By then, my father had learned out about the company’s good reputation and he welcomed me home with many tears and congratulations.
That was just the beginning of a long period of travel and training, first in Aceh and later in Angola, West Africa. I went to Singapore to help commission the Gagak Rimang Floating Storage and Offshore (FSO) facility, then led its installation north of Tuban in the East Java Sea.
Today I’m a mechanical technician at the FSO, responsible for making sure all of the equipment is properly maintained and in compliance with regulations and standards. Our facility makes it possible to supply crude oil from Banyu Urip to both domestic and international markets.
I’m proud of being part of the ExxonMobil family and the work we do. It is a company that cares about the welfare of people and the environment.
The company has done good things for my hometown. They came to the rescue when our village was flooded. They’ve developed local schools and trained teachers. They’ve boosted the local economy and helped us become one of the highest performing areas in East Java.
I’ve learned a lot working at ExxonMobil and from my experiences traveling and interacting with people from different backgrounds and cultures. I couldn’t have guessed it at the time, but that decision to risk leaving home, join a big international company, and travel, actually brought me closer to the people and places I’ve known my whole life.
