In this episode, host Michelle Fraser sits down with Pravesh Jalora, Project Engineering Manager at McDermott International, for an insightful conversation on what it really takes to deliver large scale energy projects.

Pravesh shares his career journey into the energy sector, reflecting on the pivotal experiences that shaped his path and the realities of working on multi billion dollar programmes. Drawing from first hand project experience, he offers practical insights into managing complexity, navigating risk, and leading teams through high pressure environments.

From avoiding common project pitfalls to driving delivery in challenging conditions, Pravesh breaks down the lessons that matter most lessons you won’t find in textbooks. His perspective provides a rare look behind the scenes of major project execution and the leadership mindset required to succeed.

Whether you’re early in your career or already working in project delivery, this episode is packed with real world advice, honest reflections, and valuable takeaways from someone who’s lived it. Expect an engaging, no nonsense conversation on leadership, resilience, and delivering at scale in the energy sector.

If you work in energy, whether you’re early in your career, mid transition, or trying to future proof decades of hard won experience, the questions feel very real right now.

Where are the jobs actually going? Which skills still matter? And how do you avoid being left in the gap between policy ambition and real employment?

In this episode, I’m joined by Michael Love, Director of Policy at OPITO, to talk honestly about what’s happening beneath the headlines. We get into the realities of workforce movement, why so many skilled people are heading overseas, and what “transferable skills” actually mean in practice not as a slogan, but as a pathway.

We also talk about graduates, apprenticeships, AI, and why the energy sector still needs people who can think, communicate, and manage complexity not just code or automate. This conversation matters because decisions made now by individuals, companies, and government will shape who stays, who leaves, and who gets left behind.

🔍 Key Takeaways You Can Act On

1. ⚡ How oil & gas skills realistically translate into renewables, hydrogen, and CCS
2. 🧭 Why waiting for a “clear transition” is risky and how to protect your career now
3. 📊 Which skills will matter most as AI reshapes energy roles

If you work in the energy sector, your career will not be shaped by job boards alone. Progres opportunity and visibility often come down to relationships, who knows you, how well they know you, and whether they trust you enough to speak your name when you’re not in the room. That’s why this conversation matters.

In this episode of Energy Sector Heroes, I’m joined by Andy Lopata, author of multiple books on professional relationships and mentoring, to unpack what building a strong network actually looks like in practice, especially for people who find networking uncomfortable, intimidating or performative.

We talk openly about why asking for help feels hard, how to approach senior leaders without feeling out of place, and why many careers stall not because of lack of capability, but because people don’t invest enough in relationship depth. We also explore practical ways to engage on platforms like LinkedIn without feeling transactional, and how to show up in conversations with confidence, whether that’s one to one or in front of a room full of people.

This is a practical conversation about career momentum, not self promotion.

🔑 Key Takeaways

💬 Networking works best when it’s not about “networking”

1. Andy explains why focusing on people you genuinely want to know rather than what they can do for you leads to stronger, longer term professional relationships.

🤝 Asking for help is not weakness

1. We unpack why most people hesitate to ask, how to frame requests from a position of confidence, and why allowing others to help you actually strengthens relationships.

👀 Senior leaders are not as unapproachable as you think

1. The episode breaks down how to start conversations with experienced professionals in a way that feels respectful, natural and grounded without trying to impress or perform.

✅ Actionable Takeaways

📝 Audit your current network

1. Identify who already knows your work well enough to support you and who you need to deepen relationships with through follow up and consistent engagement.

📩 Make your outreach about them, not you

1. When messaging someone, lead with curiosity: ask what they’re working on, reference something they’ve shared, or acknowledge a conversation you’ve already had.

🎯 Practice asking for specific help

1. Replace vague requests with clear ones for example, asking for an introduction or advice on a defined decision and be comfortable with a “no.”