Project Manager

Northeast
US Marine Corps, O-4

After retiring from the Marine Corps as an Infantry Officer, I attended an Orion Hiring Conference in Houston. There I interviewed with the International Manager of T H Hill, a small company with a global presence, and had follow-up interviews with the Domestic Manager, COO, and CEO. I began my career with T H Hill as a Project Manager in August 2011.

My experience so far with T H Hill has shown me that personalities in the oil field are similar to the military; however, the technical nature presented challenges. While the training program is good, you have to develop your own self study program (professional reading list). Thanks to my time in the Marines, I am a self-starter, am willing to ask questions, and be humble enough take advice from others, which has aided my success. I also found that there is a lot of support from peers to help you succeed. I never feel like just a number in the corporate machine. That said, there is also a lot of independence.

And, like the military, T H Hill has familiar character and culture. The only constant in my new position is change. I am always on duty and may not be in the office. I do have technicians in the field, and, when they need support, I am the person they call upon. You've got to plan, but you have got to be flexible enough to deviate from the plan when the situation changes.

A couple months after training, the International Manager allowed me to ease into the job by taking on a few low hanging fruit projects in Africa. With six months under my belt, my work load is starting to increase, which is a good thing. I am currently the Project Manager for Australia, Indonesia, and China. The pace is rapidly increasing, and the learning curve is steep.

If you are considering a position with T H Hill, I would advise that you be prepared to lead people from different cultures (i.e. India, Philippines, and Louisiana) and understand that email is the primary means of communication with technicians. You will have plenty of peers around who want you to succeed and willing to share lessons they learn to make you better. It's not as exciting as the Marines, but it is certainly fun!