When a car crash left one north-east woman with a severe back injury and unable to work, she decided to change careers all together.
After working in the NHS and the court service, Lois Greenfield decided to go back to university – where yesterday, she picked up a masters in petroleum geology.
Mrs Greenfield said: “I had a car accident when I was working for the court service and as a result of quite a bad back injury I was off work for a while.
“And it was then that I decided I needed a change, so I enrolled in university and here I am today and it really feels fantastic when I look back at where I was prior to my degree.
“It was certainly one of the best decisions that I have ever made and I would encourage anyone who is thinking of a career change to just go for it, it could well be the best thing you ever do.”
The 29-year-old, of Cruden Bay, now hopes to progress onto a PhD to help secure her future in the oil and gas industry.
She said: “I decided to stay on for my masters as a result of the difficult times facing the oil and gas industry, and after completing it I am now keen to continue on this path and start a PhD.
“I think having these extra qualifications is becoming increasingly important in such a competitive field, even though times are hard now, it’s a tough industry and it’s very important to have that extra edge over the competition.
“I think this is also a feeling throughout my course mates this year – it used to be that you could have an undergraduate in the field and have a good chance of securing a job but now I don’t think that is any longer the case.”
