<p><strong>Double graduate from Ecole Centrale and holding the dual position of Senior Elec &amp; Data Science Engineer within SLB: enough to make anyone dizzy, but certainly not this scientist at heart! 50inTech meets Si Chen, who, from Beijing to Clamart, has made France her home and has found in SLB a company where she can grow and thrive.</strong></p><h2>From Beijing to Clamart, from Ecole Centrale to SLB: Si Chen, Senior Elec &amp; Data Science Engineer</h2><p>Her grandfather is most certainly at the origins of her passion for science: aviator, director of a flight school, consummate model maker, he was also an amateur radiocommunication operator skilled enough to build his own radios in his native China. Si Chen grew up surrounded by electronic components and with a legacy of scientific curiosity. When the time came to choose her studies, she joined the Beijing campus of Ecole Centrale, the prestigious French school.</p><p>At Ecole Centrale Beijing, the courses are entirely taught in French, and her beginnings were far from easy. Starting with the preparatory classes, Si had to assimilate everything simultaneously, from learning French from scratch to getting accustomed to an education system very different from what she had known until then. But Si didn’t shy away from the challenge and to push the envelope further, she wholeheartedly embarked on a double degree program.</p><p>In 2011, as part of the Centrale exchange program, Si landed in France to pursue her engineering studies. There, she had to transition from a specialized education in Beijing to a more generalist approach at Ecole Centrale Lille, where they believe in learning by exploring as many fields as possible in the fastest way possible. After all, ‘a course, an evening, a book’, is one of the school mottos!</p><p>Though she still struggled a bit with the French language, she embraced these challenges and her perseverance paid off: in 2014, she earned both her engineering degree from Lille and her master’s degree from Beijing.</p><p>Throughout her academic journey, she completed several internships, her debut in the professional world. Firstly, at a prominent French bank, then at the database department of a renowned oil company. During all this time, she was searching for her professional path and took advantage of this broad education to explore various disciplines. But when she entered her third and final internship at SLB, she discovered the field of electronics, and a company where she felt she could thrive.&nbsp;</p><p>SLB integrates interns with the idea of hiring them later on. Internships serve as observation rounds to assess the potential candidates’ technical skills and, more importantly, to verify that they fit with the company. Between Si and SLB, an immediate synergy was established right away and her end of study internship marked the start of her career.</p><h2>SLB: DE&amp;I, Naturally</h2><p>My integration process started during my internship period, and it lasted for three years.</p><h3>A Three-year Onboarding</h3><p>Upon my official entry into SLB in 2014, I was assigned to the same team I had worked with during my internship. I already knew my colleagues, the project, and the working methods. Furthermore, I benefited from a training program designed for young graduates, which spanned three years to integrate smoothly into the company. The training covered technical aspects, finance, project management, and the business model of the company. For a young woman just stepping into the professional world, it was an absolutely fantastic experience. Often, one goes straight from school to the corporate environment without any transition. I feel lucky that during this period, I got to meet other teams, observe their missions, experience their work and learn about their daily tasks. I even had the opportunity to get involved in personal projects unrelated to my assignments.&nbsp;</p><h3>SLB: Built on Diversity</h3><p>This same program offered me the opportunity to travel and explore SLB entities in other countries. Not only did it help me gain a better understanding of the company, but it also opened me up to new horizons and different realities.</p><p>Indeed, it’s this very diversity that first attracted me to SLB. Working within a large French company that is also an international and dynamic group has been incredibly stimulating and enriching. My own team is based in Clamart, and the cultural and ethnic mix is truly astonishing. People from different backgrounds come together, sharing and exchanging their experiences. No matter who you speak to, you’ll discover a unique and singular universe.</p><h2>Senior Elec and Data Science Engineer: One Head, Two Hats&nbsp;</h2><p>At SLB, positions are distributed based on your expertise. You work in either the electronics sector or in data science. With my double background, I’m fortunate to be involved in multiple aspects of projects. I work on the electronic components of products and, at the same time, manage projects related to data. Depending on the needs, I can troubleshoot electronic cards or analyze the data from these cards.</p><h3>Double Stake, High Stake</h3><p>I work on the production system. My professional life is split 50/50 between being in front of my screen, allowing me to work from home, and spending the other half of my time in the laboratory, playing with components and products. A typical day on-site starts with the suspense of every morning: if things are quiet, I can ease into my day – checking emails, planning tasks, attending meetings. Then, I usually spend the afternoon in the laboratory. Yet, sometimes it’s all hands on deck, and the firefighting mode kicks in when there’s a general alert.&nbsp;</p><h3>Fighting Flameless Fires</h3><p>We’re assigned to the maintenance of wells: oil, gas… I come into the picture after the installation and initial commissioning of the wells, once production is already underway. I’m part of a support team working on products that are already installed in the wells. These products require regular updates and improvements, and there can be bugs that require the development of new versions. That’s the development part of my job.&nbsp;</p><p>But sometimes there are breakdowns, and that’s a whole different story because nothing is scheduled, and we have to react very quickly. A breakdown or anomaly means a production stoppage and significant financial losses. We put out the flames on a global scale.</p><p>Some missions leave a lasting impression, like the day when one of our clients faced a prolonged production stoppage. These were stressful times and it took tremendous investigative work to uncover the root cause of the issue. But watching the relief on the client’s face when I showed up with the solution was incredibly gratifying. That day, I felt truly useful, and I was immensely proud to represent the company.</p><h2>Tech&nbsp;Jobs: Fighting Bias, Starting With Women Themselves</h2><p>I love my job and my environment. I firmly believe that, as women, we possess all the skills and character to excel in tech careers.&nbsp;</p><h3>Beyond Theory: The Workplace Is the School of Real&nbsp;</h3><p>I’m so grateful to have had the opportunity to understand my profession beforehand. I would advise all young students to take the path of internships. It allows you to ease into the world of business and explore different possibilities with an open mind. Immerse yourself in people, professions and experiences, to sketch out your own path. For me, internships provided pivotal moments of clarity and direction.</p><p>You truly start learning in the actual workplace and your technical journey begins on the ground. Academic background is merely the key that opens the first door. While school teaches you the theory, the true mastery of your profession comes from the experiences in the workplace. There, you learn the skills you truly need in real-life scenarios. Technical competencies, logical thinking, attention to detail, problem-solving abilities and proficiency in English are undoubtedly essential. However, it’s your human qualities, curiosity, and passion that will make the real difference in your career.&nbsp;</p><h3>Being a Woman in Tech: A Blessing, Not a Burden</h3><p>Our jobs demand to think fast. We must offer solutions on multiple levels to reassure panicked clients while searching for the ultimate resolution. Some of our interns are competent, brilliant even, but if they can’t communicate effectively with clients, reassure them and explain the processes step-by-step, it becomes rapidly evident that they won’t fit into the team. Strong communication skills and the ability to build trust with clients are vital aspects of our profession, as they contribute significantly to the success of the team and the company as a whole.</p><p>That’s why women have their rightful place in the Tech world. We've been taught those skills since childhood. Women must believe in themselves, move forward with confidence and steer away from self-deprecation. I can say that being a woman has never been a problem for me. As a matter of fact, the company encourages the recruitment of women at all levels and helps their career paths. I experienced this when, for instance, I benefited from an additional month of leave after the legal maternity leave. At SLB, being a woman is never an obstacle.</p><h3>Five Years From Now</h3><p>My children are still very young, it’s not the right time to join an SLB entity in another country. However, in 3 to 5 years, when my children are a bit older… I work in the field of electronics and countries like Japan, the United States, or the United Kingdom are at the forefront in this domain. If I ever leave France, it will be for one of these countries.</p><p>Some are meant for managerial roles, while others thrive in technical careers. SLB gives you the choice. Personally, I want to delve even deeper into the technical realm, develop expertise in an impactful domain and build a reputation that will carry me worldwide.&nbsp;</p><p>I love my current life, but without ambition and following one’s heart, one falls short. I have the inner resources to succeed on the path that I’m carving out for myself. When, where, how? <strong>As an engineer, I solve problems daily: there’s always a solution.</strong></p>

From East to West: Si Chen, a Centrale Engineer at SLB

Team 50inTech