When guests visit the Houston office on any given weekday, they are sure to find it teeming with activity. The renovated office is a hub for teams from all H&P offices and districts for various meetings and conferences, and according to Cynthia, who came on board with H&P as an administrative assistant in the sales and marketing office in September 2021, there is rarely a dull moment that goes on inside the building. In her role, Cynthia takes pride in working diligently behind the scenes to make sure that every meeting runs smoothly.
“If you asked me what my day consisted of, I probably wouldn’t be able to pinpoint one thing,” she said. “It’s the little things that make everything count, and all those little things add up to make the teams successful.”
Prior to beginning her journey with H&P, Cynthia worked as a manager in the optometry industry for 20 years but found herself at a point in her career where she felt ready to transition out of her comfort zone and into a role that would challenge her. This decision led her to enroll at the University of Houston, where she is set to graduate in December 2023 with a major in business management and a double minor in human resources and marketing management. Although Cynthia didn’t plan to find her next career until after she graduated, when the opportunity to join the H&P family presented itself, she felt it was meant to be.
“When I left my job, I did so with the intention of being a full-time student but knew that I needed practice interviewing because my last interview had been 20 years ago,” she explained, referring to how she ended up applying and subsequently interviewing for the sales and marketing administrative assistant position. “It wasn’t really a part of my plan, but when I started, I immediately knew that this was home. My heart is here with H&P. This is where I want to continue to grow, learn and do more.”
Cynthia’s dedication to her team’s success and eagerness to increase her understanding of the company and oil industry as a whole has made her an excellent fit for the H&P family. That drive quickly led to her recent promotion to project manager. She credits a lot of her current success to the advice given to her by Mark Smith, senior vice president and chief financial officer, when she first interviewed, “to always remain humble, hungry and `people smart’”— advice she’s taken to heart.
“I want to be the best version of myself,” Cynthia said. “When you’re on a journey of development, you just want to know who really is on board with you and betting on your success. I see that here, and I can’t express how grateful I am to be a part of the team. They are supportive in every sense of the word. They trust me and believe in my future, which I really value.”