I remember the exact moment I received the call from AES to screen me for the HR intern position; it was such a pivotal moment in my life and career. I fondly look back on specific moments in my career thus far and think about the impact of a piece of advice, an experience, a project, or just a simple encounter. Some of these occurrences influenced me that moment, while others I’d just put on the shelf and refer back to them later. I have truly grown up in the offices of AES Drilling Fluids. My colleagues always referred to me as a sponge during my first few years. My M-O (Method of Operation) was to ask as many questions as possible and then sit back and observe; the work environment, the industry, and the application of HR practices were all very new to me. The field of Human Resources has always been challenging to break into. The days of people just falling into an HR career are long gone; my generation of professionals is intentional about stepping into an HR career path. So for me, it was all about how I could contribute to the advancement of this HR department and mark my place in this organization. During my second year of work, I had the opportunity to travel to a few of our facilities out in West Texas and experience the culture of the Permian basin oil field. This trip shifted my perspective drastically! Hearing about the work being done in the field and then actually seeing it was motivational and gave me a different outlook on how I support the employees and the business operations. As the world of work evolves, so does the HR function, and I enjoy experiencing the transition of AES’ HR department from service providers to strategic advisors. Over the five short years of my employment with AES, I have advanced from an HR Intern to a representative, then a generalist, and now a senior generalist. I am forever grateful for the foundation AES has provided me, and I look forward to the years to come.

Blog Author: Chelsea Berotte, Senior HR Generalist