The Energy Industry Needs More Than One Kind of Intelligence

In school, many of us first understood careers through the subjects we were strongest in. Good at Mathematics? People started mentioning Engineering. Good at Biology? Medicine came up quickly. Good with words? Arts, Law, or Mass Communication sounded like the natural path.

And honestly, there is nothing wrong with using subjects as clues. Sometimes, they do point us towards areas where we may thrive. But they should not become the full story.

That is where I think we need to be careful.

Because when young people are guided too narrowly, they can start to believe that their best subject is the only thing that defines their future. Even worse, some may begin to feel that the subjects they struggle with say something final about their intelligence.

But intelligence is not one straight line.

Some people are brilliant with numbers. Some understand people deeply. Some can observe a situation and notice what others miss. Some are creative problem-solvers. Some are strong communicators. Some are practical, hands-on thinkers. Some can bring calm into pressure, ask the right questions, or help a team work better together.

All of these matter.

We often talk about IQ, but there is also emotional intelligence, social intelligence, creative thinking, practical judgement, communication, leadership, curiosity, and the ability to make sense of complex situations.

The world does not need only one kind of mind.

And the energy industry certainly does not.

One misconception I hear often is that the energy sector is only for engineers, geologists, or people who loved Physics in school.

Of course, the technical roles are important. We need engineers who design systems, geoscientists who understand the subsurface, technicians who keep operations running, and analysts who model risk and performance.

But the sector is much broader than that.

Energy is not just about producing power or extracting resources. It is about people, systems, safety, communities, technology, data, finance, policy, communication, and long-term decisions that affect how we live and work.

That means different strengths are needed.

A data professional helps turn raw information into insight. In an industry where decisions can affect cost, safety, and the environment, trusted data is not a luxury. It is part of good decision-making.

A communications professional helps explain complex energy topics in a way people can understand. That matters because if the public, young people, or even internal teams do not understand what is happening, trust becomes harder to build.

A psychologist can support areas like workplace wellbeing, safety behaviour, fatigue, and decision-making under pressure. In high-risk environments, understanding human behaviour is not “soft.” It can directly affect safety and productivity.

A sociologist can help the sector understand communities, public perception, and how energy projects affect people’s lives. No project exists in isolation. Communities need to be heard, understood, and engaged properly.

A lawyer helps with contracts, licensing, environmental regulation, compliance, and the frameworks that allow projects to move responsibly. Without legal structure, even the best technical idea can struggle to move forward.

A finance or economics professional helps organisations understand markets, investment decisions, project costs, and commercial risks. Energy projects are not only technical decisions; they are also financial ones.

An environmental scientist supports sustainability, environmental assessments, biodiversity, emissions reduction, and responsible operations. As the industry evolves, this role becomes even more important.

A supply chain professional makes sure the right equipment, materials, and services get to the right place at the right time. In energy, delays do not just affect schedules. They can affect safety, cost, and performance.

A policy professional helps connect industry action with government priorities, regulations, climate goals, and public interest.

A designer or digital product specialist can make energy tools easier to use. A dashboard, platform, or reporting system is only useful if real people can understand and work with it.

Even educators, content creators, and storytellers have a place.

In many ways, this is also where I see myself. I may have a technical background in Petroleum Data Management, but I also enjoy taking complex ideas and making them easier to understand. That, too, is part of how I contribute to the energy sector.

Because if no one can explain the opportunities in the sector, young people may never see themselves in it.

That is the point I wish more students understood earlier:

You do not have to look like the “typical energy person” to belong in energy.

You may be the person who calculates. You may be the person who communicates. You may be the person who listens well. You may be the person who organises chaos. You may be the person who notices patterns. You may be the person who understands people. You may be the person who asks the question everyone else was too busy to ask.

There is value in all of that.

When we tell young people to choose careers only based on the subjects they are best at, we may be giving them direction, but we may also be limiting their imagination.

A student who struggles with Mathematics may still have a future in energy through communication, policy, law, education, environmental work, psychology, project management, or community engagement.

A student who loves writing may help the sector tell clearer stories.

A student who loves people may support stakeholder engagement, leadership, safety culture, or workforce development.

A student who is curious and observant may thrive in research, operations, data, or environmental monitoring.

A student who enjoys organising people and processes may find a place in project management, procurement, logistics, or planning.

The question should not only be:

“What subject are you good at?”

It should also be:

“What problems do you enjoy solving?”
“What kind of work makes you curious?”
“What do people naturally come to you for?”
“What do you notice that others miss?”
“What kind of impact would make you proud?”

These questions give young people more room to think.

They also help parents, teachers, guardians, and mentors guide them with more care.

Because sometimes, a young person does not lack ability.

They simply have not been shown enough examples of where their strengths can be useful.

That is why exposure matters.

When young people meet professionals from different backgrounds, attend industry events, try hands-on activities, hear real career stories, or see what modern energy work actually looks like, something shifts.

The industry stops feeling distant.

It becomes real.

It becomes possible.

And that is one of the reasons I am passionate about being part of My Energy Future.

I want more young people to see that the energy sector is not one narrow path reserved for one type of student. It is a broad, evolving industry that needs different disciplines, different personalities, and different kinds of intelligence.

We need the technical minds.

But we also need the creative minds.

The people-centred minds.

The analytical minds.

The practical minds.

The curious minds.

The ones who can build, explain, question, organise, challenge, support, and lead.

So maybe the goal is not to tell every young person to choose energy.

Maybe the goal is to show them enough of the sector that they can make an informed choice.

And maybe, when they see how wide the industry really is, more of them will stop asking:

“Am I smart enough for this?”

And start asking:

“Where could my strengths fit?”

That is the question we should help them answer.

To learn more about Jennifer's role as a Petroleum Data Manager and My Energy Future Champion, click here. 

To learn more about the My Energy Future Champions programme, click here.