LSU Career Chats: Emily Vu, Chevron

Chevron is a leader of innovation within the energy sector and has strong ties to LSU’s campus and students. Chevron actively recruits LSU students for both full-time roles and internships. The Olinde Career Center recently connected with LSU alumna Emily Vu, who currently works at Chevron in Houston, TX. She shared insights into her internship experience as a student and how it kickstarted her career.

Emily Vu completed her bachelor’s degree in computer engineering with a minor in Computer Science from LSU in May 2022. Initially unfamiliar with the energy and oil industries, Emily was introduced to Chevron through the Chevron Leadership Academy (CLA) scholarship program. This program helps students learn leadership and teamwork skills, crucial for their future careers. From resume reviews with industry professionals to workshops on creating compelling engineering presentations, CLA provides students an advantage when applying for jobs.

The program is designed to guide students in exploring leadership: what a leader is, how a leader interacts with others in various roles and situations, and how to hone those leadership skills within themselves. And with a background in computer engineering, CLA helped open Emily’s eyes to a new industry.

“Most of my peers in my major were interested in the tech industry. I never thought that Chevron, an oil and gas company, would have such a strong focus on technology!” Emily shared.

Emily’s involvement in CLA led to her first internship and eventually a full-time position at Chevron after graduation. Now, Emily works as a software and applications engineer in Chevron’s Technology Ventures (CTV) team. This team searches for innovative external technologies to strengthen Chevron’s operations.

When asked why students should think about a career at Chevron, Emily pointed out the welcoming work culture. She explained, “Facing technical challenges is great, but working with diverse people from around the world is what I enjoy the most.” Chevron values diversity and aims for a healthy work-life balance, allowing Emily to enjoy her work while adjusting to a new city.

Offering advice to students unsure about their career path, Emily emphasized using available resources. She suggested joining programs like CLA or attending career fairs to start building their careers.

We encourage students to connect with Chevron at one of our our upcoming recruiting events.

Visit Chevron's website to learn more about upcoming internships and development programs.