KUCHING: Audrey Stefanie Julip has some serious thinking to do in the coming weeks, one that would shape her career path.
Two major multinational oil and gas companies operating in Malaysia are after this 24-year-old Swinburne University of Technology Sarawak chemical engineering student.
They have offered her "very attractive" job placements even though she will graduate only in October.
The offers from JX Nippon Oil & Gas Exploration Corporation of Japan and PTT Exploration and Production Public Company Limited (PTTEP) of Thailand came after the Bidayuh lass from Kampung Jugan, a village in the Bau district not far from the border with Kalimantan, Indonesia, stood out at Petroliam Nasional Bhd (Petronas) BeDigital Bootcamp.
Audrey was also picked as the "Best Camper" among 99 students from seven universities that took part in this year's boot camp edition, where the participants were put through intense training in areas, such as data organisation, data visualisation, analytics and data storytelling.
They also undergo a "shark tank pitch" to hone their entrepreneurial and presentation skills.
This programme, now in its second year, is aimed at preparing final-year university students for the job market.
"First, the offers were not only a surprise, I got two," she said in an interview after last night's (Friday night) closing ceremony of the boot camp.
"Now, I have to evaluate them. I believe they (the companies) have made differing offers."
If she accepts any of the two offers, she will need to relocate and work in Kuala Lumpur at the company's country headquarters.
Audrey said she had no problem relocating to Kuala Lumpur and instead welcomed it.
"I want to widen my horizon. I have been living in Kuching all my life," she said, adding that she hoped to see the world with a posting overseas.
She added that PTTEP had called her up for a second assessment.
One of the programme's hiring partners, Abang Azahari Abang Zen, who is Nippon Oil Malaysia's general manager (business support division), was impressed by Audrey during the hiring interview.
"She's outstanding. Now let's see who she will choose.
"Us or PTTEP."
Audrey said she gave her best at the interview.
"I sold myself that I would be an asset to the company if I am accepted. I projected myself as being the best."
The Petronas boot camp, which started last year, was an initiative designed to enhance the digital and entrepreneurial skills of university students in Sarawak.
Petronas said the initiative was in line with the digital economy aspirations of the state and the country.
The 12-day programme, held at the Swinburne University of Technology Sarawak's campus grounds, saw the participation of undergraduate students from the varsity, as well as Universiti Malaysia Sarawak, Universiti Teknologi Sarawak, Universiti Putra Malaysia (Bintulu campus), Curtin University, Universiti Teknologi Mara (Sarawak campus) and i-CATS University College.