The increase in women in the energy industry and a corresponding increase in dual career couples means that many issues that have been considered to be “women’s issues” may be more appropriately managed as dual career issues. A key challenge for members of dual career couples is coordinating their careers. People in such couples overwhelmingly consider both careers to be equally important, but many managers insist that one career leads and the other follows. Women tend to be more protective of their partner’s career than men are. Statistics show that women are under-represented at the highest levels in organizations. The greatest disparities of pay are associated with whether or not women are in the appropriate level for their knowledge and accomplishments. Career breaks and geographic mobility limitations are often cited as reasons for why some women fail to advance. • How can managing women’s issues as dual career couple issues avoid resentment about “reverse discrimination”? • What are the advantages and disadvantages of working for the same employer as your partner? • Why do women need to be more assertive in negotiating pay and promotion? • What strategies can be effective in mitigating the impact on your career of career breaks and geographic limitations? • How can professional society activity benefit your career?

1. Managing your Energy Career:
Build a Resilient Future for Yourself
Eve Sprunt, Chevron
evesprunt@aol.com

2. Most Important Success Variable
Paper # • Build a Resilient Future for Yourself • Eve Sprunt
Slide 2
RESILIENCE
• We all encounter discouraging events
• Refuse to be embarrassed by rejection
• When blocked, find another way
• My personal theme song: Helen Reddy’s “I am Woman, Hear, me Roar”
• As Sheryl Sandberg says, we must Lean In and “Sit at the table”
• Being active in professional societies facilitates networking and builds
your personal brand to enhance your resilience

3. Perspective over Multiple Generations
Slide 3
Paper # • Build a Resilient Future for Yourself • Eve Sprunt
• No longer question of
whether women belong in
workplace
• Women can be financially
independent of men
• Today’s challenges:
• Retention of mid-career
women
• Increase female
representation at
executive levels

4. Reframing the Discussions
Slide 4
Paper # • Build a Resilient Future for Yourself • Eve Sprunt
• Change the focus from the individual to the changing
demographics of the workplace
• Management is data driven
• Power is getting to ask the questions and report the
results.
• Surveys can reveal quantifiable bias and
demographic trends.
• Key issues for management:
• Attraction of new employees
• Retention of existing employees
• Your most powerful vote is with your feet!

5. SPE Talent Council Surveys
Slide 5
Paper # • Build a Resilient Future for Yourself • Eve Sprunt
SPE Talent Council has conducted three surveys on Dual Career
Couple Issues
• May 2011 of entire SPE membership with 5570 responses, SPE
Paper #160928
• December 2011 of SPE members under age 45 with 1392
responses, SPE Paper #151971
• January through July 2013 social media survey on factors
impacting retention with 1737 responses, SPE Paper #168112
• For publications Google “Sprunt and Howes”

6. Workforce of the Future -- Dual Career Couples
Paper # • Build a Resilient Future for Yourself • Eve Sprunt
Slide 6
0%
10%
20%
30%
40%
50%
60%
70%
80%
20 -24 25 - 29 30 - 34 35 -39 40 - 44 45 -49 50 - 54 55 -59 60 -64
%ofGenderinAgeBracket
Age
Dual Career Couples in the Petroleum Industry
The Emerging Majority
Men
Women
• Women until their partners retire tend to be part of a dual career couple
• Top management wedded to single career mentality
• Workplace benefits and policies optimized for single career pattern of the
last century

7. Working for Same Employer
Slide 7
Paper # • Build a Resilient Future for Yourself • Eve Sprunt
Advantages
• Coordinate relocation
• Ease in picking home
location
• Easier childcare
• Coordinate travel
• Coordinate daily
schedule
Disadvantages
• Employer requires that
one career leads and
the other follows
• Benefits reduced
• Employer coordinates
careers as a couple
• Job security
Whose career takes precedence?
• Women more likely to be asked
• Women with children are about 2x as likely to be asked as men with children
• People working for the same employer as their partner

8. Women Need a Level Playing Field
Paper # • Build a Resilient Future for Yourself • Eve Sprunt
Slide 8
• Build win-win work-life benefits
programs and policies
• Men should benefit too
• Work-life benefits should be
available and accessible to all
• Special programs for women lead
to resentment
• Special treatment reinforces
second class status

9. Negotiating
Slide 9
Paper # • Build a Resilient Future for Yourself • Eve Sprunt
• SPE Retention Survey shows
women are less motivated than
men by money at all stages of
their careers.
• Are women uncomfortable
negotiating?
or
• Are women more focused on
negotiating work-life
accommodations?

10. Negotiating for Yourself
Slide 10
Paper # • Build a Resilient Future for Yourself • Eve Sprunt
Have your ever negotiated for yourself
• More pay
• A promotion
• Flexible hours/better hours
• More vacation/time off

11. Acknowledgements / Thank You / Questions
Slide 11
Co-Author on Surveys: Susan Howes
SPE Staff Liaison: Tom Whipple
To join my email list, please contact me at:
evesprunt@aol.com