Tawna Beer
Corrosion Engineer
Alyeska Pipeline Service Company
Sitka High School Graduate, 1998
1. How did you become interested in your job?
As a college sophomore, I applied for a scholarship with Alyeska Pipeline Service Company and they recruited me as a summer intern where I mentored under several Engineers. Corrosion sparked my interest.
2. What do you do on a typical day?
I am subject matter expert for the internal corrosion monitoring, inhibitor injection treatment, and maintenance coating programs. I mitigate and prevent corrosion findings on facility piping line-wide. Typical tasks include specifying coating materials and application methods, proposing new injection fitting or coupon monitoring locations, analyzing corrosion data, and inspecting internal and external corrosion.
3. What Training or education have you had for your job?
I have a bachelor of science with several certifications through the National Association of Corrosion Engineers (NACE). These certifications include Basic Corrosion, Coating Inspector Level I,II,and III, Internal Corrosion for Pipelines, etc. As a corrosion engineer, I have gained most of my experience in the field and on the job.
4. What is your favorite part of your job?
I have traveled down the entire pipeline and have worked in Anchorage, Valdez, and Fairbanks. I have resources all over the state and I have been exposed to all kinds of unique corrosive environments in the field. Most of all, I enjoy hands on learning. Corrosion is random and it is not often you come across the same thing twice!
5. What is the starting pay for someone starting in your position?
At entry level, I imagine it is around $50,000 with lots of opportunity to grow at a fast pace.
6. What advice would you give a teen thinking about a similar career?
Start thinking ahead of time what field you think you can learn and develop in so that you are constantly engaged in your job. Explore internships and opportunities to get exposed to different fields as early as you can in your college career. Keep your grades up and explore your scholarship options. If a company is impressed with your scholastic abilities and work ethic, they will keep you. Get involved in the community and build your resources. The size of Alaska is huge but you will run into people you know everywhere you go.
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- committed to Alaska's next generation of workers.© 2006 Sitka Energy Project. A project of Sitka Works!
This project was funded by a grant awarded under the President's High Growth Job Training Initiative,
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and the State of Alaska,
Department of Labor and Workforce Development.
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