Four engineers from Nigeria, Greece and Germany share how they built global energy careers: curiosity, competence, documentation and community.

Building a Global Career in the Energy Industry: Lessons from YPLAN's "Beyond Borders" Webinar

For many young engineers, "going global" means one thing: leaving. YPLAN's first webinar asked whether that is really the whole story. Four panelists from Nigeria, Greece and Germany answered from experience.

Moderator Priscilla Adikwu set the question plainly: for most young people it is "easy to assume" that a global career "just means relocating." The conversation that followed argued that a global career is built less on where you sit than on what you can do, how you show it and who you learn from.

The panel was Kate Stratogianni (technical data analyst at ROSEN, Germany), Festus Obresah (senior process engineer, Kohasa Engineering), Emmanuella Agbo, PMP (senior project engineer, Renaissance Africa Energy Company) and Nikolaos Makrakis (engineer and postdoctoral researcher, Greece, member of Young Pipeline Professionals Europe).

1. Stay curious and say yes

Kate described a path that was anything but linear: a geology degree in Greece, an environmental project in Cairo, jobs in several countries, a master's in petroleum engineering in Portugal, then a role in Germany. "Pipeline Industry chose me. I didn't choose Pipeline Industry," she said. Her recipe was short: stay curious, don't give up and say yes to opportunities, because, as she put it, "fake it until you make it." She closed the evening with two lines for the audience: "never give up," and "there are no stupid questions. Clarifications save lives and time."

2. Competence travels, so build it deliberately

Festus argued that competence is what carries across borders. For process engineers, he said, recognised international certification and fluency with industry-standard tools mean you do not have to start again when you move: "The demand for competence is global." His advice for interviews: be confident, say what you know, and be honest about what you don't. The moderator picked up his word for it, "glocal," going global from your own locality.

3. Treat early-career growth as a plan, and document it

Emmanuella described the Shell graduate programme that put her on export gas projects of well over US$300 million. It came with 17 competencies to build, and she finished ahead of schedule by planning in blocks of months, tracking progress and seeking out people ahead of her. Her credibility rules were practical: do what you say you will do, act on feedback and return to show it, and keep a live record of your work. "Document whatever you're doing," she told the audience, "seek mentorship." Her other advice: don't fixate on a niche early. "No knowledge is wasted."

4. Solve real problems, and show up in the community

Nikolaos explained how he built research that industry notices: he stopped asking what would make a good publication and started asking what problem is keeping engineers awake at night. His view of pipelines: "the invisible arteries of our global energy system." His rule: "Innovation creates value only when it solves real engineering problems." He urged young engineers to join the professional community early by attending conferences, volunteering and introducing themselves to experienced people, and said many opportunities in his career "began with conversation." Kate added that volunteering, for example on an editorial board, builds confidence and reads well on a CV.

5. Don't wait until you feel ready

Asked for advice on a first international role, Nikolaos was direct: "You will never be completely ready to apply for your first international role." Show that you can learn, communicate clearly and solve problems, apply widely and expect rejections along the way. Emmanuella added that global teams are culturally diverse, so show you can work in one, and respect it. Soft skills got equal billing: communication, flexibility and interpersonal skills.

Where PLAN fits in

Okeoghene Ugbehe of the PLAN Executive Committee opened the session by inviting young professionals to join PLAN and to find mentors and a platform there. He closed by pointing to NIPITECS 2026 in Abuja, whose theme this year is financing resilient pipeline infrastructure. For young professionals, he said, it is a chance to understand the stakeholders in the industry and where to plug in.

Watch the full replay: https://bit.ly/YPLAN-W01
Join us at NIPITECS 2026, 17–18 November, Abuja Continental Hotel. Early Bird registration is ₦120,000 until 30 October: https://bit.ly/nipitecs-2026

Views expressed are those of individual panelists.