switch to oil&gas - interview tips more than welcome
switch to oil&gas - interview tips more than welcome
(OP)
Hi to you all!
Well due to circumstances i'm forced to become a member of the job-seekers club and thinking about jumping the automotive ship in the process altogether(fed up).
I'm hessitant to do a touch&go-restart in the same automotive industry for to be layed off again in the (near)future, no thanks. Meanwhile the oil&gas seems to be booming and seems to be a lot more STABLE employment in general.
Furthermore I've always had a interest in oil&gas industry, i'm not much of a watch maker i like the 'bigger stuff', so that's ok also.(some family members where oil&gas too).
Now, are there certain things that would make me less of a noob during my interview(s) so that i can study on those in the meantime?
- certain regulations?
- frequently used DIN/ANSI norms?
- frequently used / popular drilling rigs?!
- current trends?!
Any help/tips more than welcome! I realy want to land this job badly!!!
Well due to circumstances i'm forced to become a member of the job-seekers club and thinking about jumping the automotive ship in the process altogether(fed up).
I'm hessitant to do a touch&go-restart in the same automotive industry for to be layed off again in the (near)future, no thanks. Meanwhile the oil&gas seems to be booming and seems to be a lot more STABLE employment in general.
Furthermore I've always had a interest in oil&gas industry, i'm not much of a watch maker i like the 'bigger stuff', so that's ok also.(some family members where oil&gas too).
Now, are there certain things that would make me less of a noob during my interview(s) so that i can study on those in the meantime?
- certain regulations?
- frequently used DIN/ANSI norms?
- frequently used / popular drilling rigs?!
- current trends?!
Any help/tips more than welcome! I realy want to land this job badly!!!





RE: switch to oil&gas - interview tips more than welcome
What is Engineering anyway: FAQ1088-1484: In layman terms, what is "engineering"?
RE: switch to oil&gas - interview tips more than welcome
if you do not know much now about O&G, then be assured that you cannot learn overnight or before any interview in the near future.
regulations? many . . . CFR 191 - 194, OSHA, ASME piping/vessel codes, API, AWS, etc.
stable? i remember at one time (year 2000) not meeting a single engineer whom has not been laid off. business cycles change constantly. operating companies are lean . . . EPC firms constantly change.
if you cannot readily accept change, perhaps you need to seek another line of work.
regardless, good luck.
-pmover
RE: switch to oil&gas - interview tips more than welcome
I expect to see consolidations in the automotive industry soon.
There isn't many professions that are stable anymore.
My suggestions is to do what can, based on your education and experience, until the job market gets better.
In the mean time, educate yourself in the fields you're interested in.
Chris
SolidWorks 10 SP4.0
ctopher's home
SolidWorks Legion
RE: switch to oil&gas - interview tips more than welcome
Is it as much outsourced as in automotive(price is king)? I have a rough understanding of the supply chain in the automotive industry i.e. where what is coming from for what margins and so on.
But O&G seems to be different especially regarding the insurance accreditations needed for products. How does this effect outsourcing? Is there less because traceability and qualitycontrol is a bigger issue?
I know my question is vage but i'm just interested to get some insight perspective on how the O&G industry 'works'
Again thank you all !!
RE: switch to oil&gas - interview tips more than welcome
It is better to have enough ideas for some of them to be wrong, than to be always right by having no ideas at all.
RE: switch to oil&gas - interview tips more than welcome
RE: switch to oil&gas - interview tips more than welcome
I think all the posters here have a point of being a little humble asking advise, is not necessarily a bad thing. Maybe your not a written word communication person. Some people get the picture either by speech, pictures, or maybe even hand jestures.
RE: switch to oil&gas - interview tips more than welcome
It's good to saw the same basics applied. You learned your lessons very good.
RE: switch to oil&gas - interview tips more than welcome
Again chaps, no harm intented from this side of our trenches(although it is quit lonesome here on my own)
KENAT, sorry for being not polite and using the evil demonic thumbs down smily from hell, now let's all hold hands and be friends again.
Back on topic:
lacajun "It will be a tough transition from automotive to O&G"
Yes, i know that the mindset and attitute is 'less polished', but so what? People in that industry seem honest, upfront and down to earth, or am I wrong?
ornerynorsk "Any way you dice it, a "noob" is a noob. You can talk the talk, but a cursory peek at your resume, or lack of one, will tell the story"
I'm a 'noob' in the O&G industry and i won't pretend I'm not, but i do have Engineering experience in heavy construction. I'm young, eager and willing to learn, especially if it's a good career move.
My intent was not to 'trick' the interviewer, I'm a honest person and don't think that's the right way to live one's life, besides it will backfire harder that a muscle car with a leaking vacuum line
I wanted some insights into this industry so to be able to better prepare myself, i would see that as a plus when I was the interviewer, that's for sure.
Meanwhile i got an old 'composite catalog of oil field equipment and services' from world oil which has tons of information regarding equipment, company's and so on, which is a great help for now.
RE: switch to oil&gas - interview tips more than welcome
RE: switch to oil&gas - interview tips more than welcome
whatever you want, as long as you pay the bill
RE: switch to oil&gas - interview tips more than welcome
Chris
SolidWorks 10 SP4.0
ctopher's home
SolidWorks Legion
RE: switch to oil&gas - interview tips more than welcome
Well, if chaps are leather leggings, then female leggings would be legwarmers...
Chaplets are little bits of metal in a mold to provide hard spacing/standoff between parts of the mold before molten metal gets poured in...no, no help there.
A chapped lip is cracked, would a female chap then be a...no, won't go there.
Kenat will be along soon to tell us about backless chaps...not quite equal to a spineless guy, but...well, let him explain.
RE: switch to oil&gas - interview tips more than welcome
RE: switch to oil&gas - interview tips more than welcome
They will go through another bust cycle within a few years (check their history), and you will probably be one of the first to go back onto the streets due to your prior background. I am in manufacturing and while less lucrative than O&G, it is much more stable. I stay employed while neighbors ride the cycles.
Sorry to hear about your current plight.
rmw
RE: switch to oil&gas - interview tips more than welcome
why is it so cyclical, why the big layoff's?
Let me clarify the situation somewhat better:
I was not the only one layed off, we all were, the only one's left are the local stray cats on the parking lot. Other automotive opportunities woul require a relocate, O&G is locally.
The O&G company produces drilling rigs, now does that make any difference job stability wise? Are they perhaps less effected by local effects, since they sell worldwide? One site goes down, an other one pops up?
The reason why i thought O&G was a bit more stable than automotive was because of the post-banking cirsis here in Europe. The banks here got a MMA-style knockout
1) Is this equally bad in the O&G industry? It seems the banks are much more willing to invest in O&G than in automotive. Not?
2) Furthermore, here in Europe (for instance in Germany) they plan on shutting down all Nuclear facilities in the near future, that woul surely have an effect on O&G.
3) How is a drill rig builder effected by far east competition(China/India)? Is it equally gruesome as in automotive? I mean it's one thing to reverse engineer a cheap a$$ car, but a complete drill rig including the after sale knowhow seems somewhat more of a challenge? Not?
RE: switch to oil&gas - interview tips more than welcome
The worst thing you could do is move to a boomtown where O&G is pretty much the only game in town. Fortunately for you, it sounds like the O&G work is local.
My suggestion would be to focus on being a good generalist, with transferrable skills- and write your resume accordingly. Don't try to move from one pidgeon-hole to another. If you apply with a resume meant for one particular pidgeon hole, it will find itself rather quickly in the recycle bin at the offices of the other pidgeon-hole.
RE: switch to oil&gas - interview tips more than welcome
If you have the aptitude and a skill set that the industry can take advantage of while you learn the ropes, you should have no problem making the switch. Just don't think it will be the last you will ever make. If it is, cheers.
"Good to know you got shoes to wear when you find the floor." - Robert Hunter
RE: switch to oil&gas - interview tips more than welcome
When it is hot, make sure to make bank because when the ride stops you'll not be making as much.
I am too old for this shit.
RE: switch to oil&gas - interview tips more than welcome
RE: switch to oil&gas - interview tips more than welcome
In 2008, I read about a major Oil & Gas company that was reducing its workforce by 12% on the same day that I received an job offer from that company.
Before 1986, there was an expectation that if you had a clue and ANY sense of loyalty, then you could retire from your first professional job. Several hundred engineers started with the company that hired me out of school in the month that I started (June, 1980). By 1990 there were 3 of us left. When I retired in 2003 there was one left (and he has since retired). It is nearly unheard of today for either the companies or the employees to show any loyalty at all. Consequently, the industry's reluctance to laying people off ended for all time in the summer of 1986.
If you're looking for stability you came to the wrong window.
David
RE: switch to oil&gas - interview tips more than welcome
Are those numbers for USA or world wide including Arabia and North Sea.
Regards
Pat
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RE: switch to oil&gas - interview tips more than welcome
RE: switch to oil&gas - interview tips more than welcome
Everyone thinks some other industry is more "stable" particularly when their own is in turmoil. Most engineers here think that being a doctor is the ticket, while my doctor wife, battling with inept EMR software, thinks engineers have it easy.
Bottom line is to do something that you're willing to jump out of bed to do, and not because it's "stable;" there ain't no such thing.
Egypt and Yemen have recently demonstrated that even "stable" governments that have lasted 30-40 yrs can fall in the blink of the eye of history. Even companies that existed for over 100 yrs and survived the Depression like Montgomery Ward can vanish into the sands of merchandising history.
TTFN
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RE: switch to oil&gas - interview tips more than welcome
They are U.S. The impact on the rest of the world was about the same percentage, but I don't know the body counts.
David
RE: switch to oil&gas - interview tips more than welcome
"Good to know you got shoes to wear when you find the floor." - Robert Hunter
RE: switch to oil&gas - interview tips more than welcome
bollocks IMHO, often misused to 'accept' resignation
RE: switch to oil&gas - interview tips more than welcome
Regards
Pat
See FAQ731-376: Eng-Tips.com Forum Policies for tips on use of eng-tips by professional engineers &
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RE: switch to oil&gas - interview tips more than welcome
Today, many companies have VERY regimented "Challenger" programs whereby everyone is supposed to get the same training, same exposure to actual work, etc over their first three to five years. Mostly these programs are run by administrative dweebs who don't know the difference between a Challenger being stuck in a position with no other engineers and one who was mentored. Also the population of "older and wiser" heads is getting really thin on the ground.
These kids (average age of Oil & Gas engineers is under 30, which includes the few remaining dinosaurs) come into Oil & Gas companies not knowing much, spend 3-5 years ticking boxes with little real learning and then are turned loose to sink or swim on multi-million dollar projects. On many of these projects the ONLY engineer who sees the details is the teenager who is miles out of his depth. I get called in to fix a lot of these disasters.
This scenario is not good for the young engineers, the companies, or the industry. But as the industry becomes progressively more MBA-driven, the attitude that engineers are interchangeable-cogs becomes more and more prevalent. A few more big spills, big explosions, and big economic failures and the MBA's will crawl back into their holes (hopefully dragging their "supply-chaing management" garbage with them), but right now they are running the show and the show is getting scary.
David
RE: switch to oil&gas - interview tips more than welcome
"My suggestion would be to focus on being a good generalist, with transferrable skills- and write your resume accordingly"
Thank you moltenmetal, although it's fairly general and perhaps obvious i do think it's useful
RE: switch to oil&gas - interview tips more than welcome
"But as the industry becomes progressively more MBA-driven, the attitude that engineers are interchangeable-cogs becomes more and more prevalent. A few more big spills, big explosions, and big economic failures and the MBA's will crawl back into their holes (hopefully dragging their "supply-chaing management" garbage with them), but right now they are running the show and the show is getting scary"
I have noticed this mindset at local Consulting companies. A lot of them are eager to hire just about every Bachelor/Master. They have the mindset that if you are an engineer you can jump wagon at days notice and shine like a veteran in the job the next month.
When i asked WHO would train me in all those different fields, their answers made me want to crumble up and die.
Where are the days that the new guy would be trained on the job by an old timer to prevent serious cr@p from happening. It really was a WTF moment for me.
So zdas04, thanks for that piece of advice, although i was aware of it somewhat.
RE: switch to oil&gas - interview tips more than welcome
I hope you find the other 'general' and 'obvious' suggestions/comments above to be useful.
Based on the comments, what have you learned? What are your plans?
Chris
SolidWorks 10 SP4.0
ctopher's home
SolidWorks Legion
RE: switch to oil&gas - interview tips more than welcome
It was interesting to see Schlumberger featured a few times in the interview questions - field engineer positions.
JMW
www.ViscoAnalyser.com
RE: switch to oil&gas - interview tips more than welcome
RE: switch to oil&gas - interview tips more than welcome
Where I work (Canada) there is now an almost panic-stricken drive towards "mentorship" by universities, companies, Regulators and even the professional engineering associations in an attempt to compensate for what has been decaying in this business for the past three decades. Smart, young people who are untrained become smart, middle aged people who are equally untrained.
You don't fix this with MBAs. You fix this with engineers - of whom there are fewer and fewer good ones as time goes by.
Regards,
SNORGY.
RE: switch to oil&gas - interview tips more than welcome
RE: switch to oil&gas - interview tips more than welcome
RE: switch to oil&gas - interview tips more than welcome
I read a prensation from allseas.com in which they see a fairly stable setting till somewhere around mid-century(at that point demand & production are forecasted to level out they claim). From that moment on oil/gas prices will increase and as an effect renewable sources could leap ahead. Even so, O&G demand will continue from that moment on i'm sure(sorry treehuggers)
Furthermore engineers would be in demand because of the increased difficulties in extraction in general.
They also noted -as zdas04 already pointed out- that young engineers needed long term practical experience before making their way up to managing(just wanted to mention that).
RE: switch to oil&gas - interview tips more than welcome
oil and gas industry is a HUGE industry. there is downstream, upstream, midstream, there's EPC, there's supermajors.
you may want to research which industry within O&G industry you want to work
RE: switch to oil&gas - interview tips more than welcome
particularly drill rig contruction.
RE: switch to oil&gas - interview tips more than welcome
there's supermajors like chevron, shell, exxon, bp
oilfield services like baker hughes, halliburton, schumberger, etc..
Epc like fluor, kbr, bechtel..
i think you are interested in oilfield services companies
RE: switch to oil&gas - interview tips more than welcome
yes, correct.
To recap, my former employer went under and as such i'm looking for new employment. Other Automotive jobs are not local, but the rig building is. Since i have a passion for both Industries i was considering the switch.
RE: switch to oil&gas - interview tips more than welcome
TTFN
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RE: switch to oil&gas - interview tips more than welcome
Oil and gas is a very weird thing where if things are hot, any salary seems possible. Do these numbers line up with what you guys hear about in the industry or was he just blowing me smoke to get an engineer to work as a trouble shooting field tech?
I am too old for this shit.