Recently separated from the Navy after 10 years and relocated back to Louisiana. In my town the best jobs here are in the Oil and Gas industries. I have spoken to every company and have also applied to them, and they will all tell me that my Military experience is great but they would hire somebody with minimum experience in that job field every time. I completely understand why they do this, saving them time and money when it comes to training somebody, but if never given the opportunity I cant get the experience. What can I do to break into the industry?
Answers
Brandon
What skills do you have that will benefit that industry? There are many different types of jobs in oil and gas. I was an Instrumentation and Controls technician for Marathon Pipeline. They only hired the top graduates from school. If I know what skill sets you have I can better advise you on how to break in to that field.
One thought I do have is they use a lot of contract work. It would be easier to get hired on to an outfit that does that and gain some experience so you can be a direct hire a little later down the road.
I would be glad to look at your resume and offer you some sort of game plan.
Jim
I just read an excellent book called Oil 101 which is a great overview of the oil and gas industry. It is high level, detailing the history, oil chemistry, various industry players, etc. but it might give you a better overview of the industry, prepare you for interviews, and show your interest and commitment to the industry. I read it because I was curious myself about getting into the oil and gas industry, but as you note it's hard to get in without experience, and it's hard to get experience without getting in.
Since your in Louisiana there should be a position open that fits your qualifications, keep searching!
Brandon,
Thank you for your service to the our country.
My brother has been in the oil drilling industry for over 35 years, and has offered to help you if you will contact him at crabtreem01@gmail.com.
He also offered some perspective:
The corporate/Human Resources offices of most of the drilling companies are in Texas and Louisiana. Applicants would probably need to visit these offices to be hired. Several of the drilling companies offer "new hire" training for the starting positions.
If you would, refer interested individuals to me. I'll make contacts within the major companies as a starting point. One question that each applicant would need to answer in advance as a self-assessment is whether he/she wants to work onshore or offshore. Land drilling jobs are different than offshore drilling jobs, including differences in work schedules, accommodations and actual tasks. There is a great deal of difference in pay scales, as well, with offshore jobs the much better compensated.
The industry utilizes a broad range of technical disciplines such as mechanics, hydraulic systems specialists, electricians, IT, industrial safety, and even inventory management. My son is a specialist in Safety. He is studying on his time off to get a degree in Industrial Safety. His tuition and curricula costs are being reimbursed by his employer. In the meantime, at age 26, his annual base salary is probably over $80,000. Since he is currently working overseas (out of Romania) on 28/28 on/off schedule, his overseas pay is probably $130k. He owns a house in Texas as a rental property and he and his wife own their home in Maryland. His employer pays for his transportation to and from work every month. Not bad for a young man!
I hope this helps!
Paul
Thank you for your service Brandon.
Your interest in an oil and gas mentor is, perhaps, much broader than you may think. I've been in O&G since 1968, predominantly in the Upstream end (exploration, production, R&D), but have worked on some Downstream projects through transportation and refining (and even security). To be of any assistance to you, I would have to know what aspect of O&G you are interested in.
However, from you request and description, I am guessing you have no experience on oil rigs at all. If true, my suggestion is that you go elsewhere geographically, to get a year or two roughneck experience first before trying to break into the Louisiana, mostly offshore, end of things. Right now, there are three regions of the country that are humming with drilling operations: West Texas/New Mexico' Permian Basin, Central Texas (Dallas/Forth Worth, and North Dakota's Bakken.
It is a presumption on my part that your interest lies with the service parts of the industry and not the exploration/production area. If so, you will want to learn from the bottom up regardless if it is drilling, mud services, surveying, logging, and the list goes on. The really big guys in these fields are Schlumberger and Halliburton (soon to be buying Baker-Hughes), but they too will be looking for experience. The areas I mentioned are being drilled by a lot of much smaller operators who may well be interested in taking on a "boll weevil (inexperienced hand)" as unemployment in these areas are at historical lows, and finding folks willing to work those hours and under those conditions are few and far between.
I'm not sure how this system works, but please feel free to contact me if you think I can be of any further service.
Brandon,
I know it's been several weeks since you posted, but I just had a chance to read this. The best way to break into the industry is to find a small oilfield company that does roustabout work or possibly work-over rigs. They are dirty jobs that require hard work and long hours, but it will get you the experience you need to get on with a bigger company. Look in the Kilgore/Marshall/Carthage Texas area-it's not to far from you and there is quite a bit of activity-especially in Panola county. If you are willing to re-locate head to West Texas; there are more jobs available than people to work them. I work in the industry so I know these areas are hiring. Best of luck with your job search!!
Get on LinkedIn ... in the courses section, list all of the hazmat/fire-fighting/safety training you have received.
If you have any transition assistance monies, you may investigate courses at a participating safety council of the Association of Reciprocal Safety Councils ... http://arsc.net/
Brandon,
Getting your foot in the door and past the online application process is very important. I worked through some placement services before getting an opportunity. I recommend Lucas Group, Bradley Morris or Orion and let them know what you are targeting, but be specific with how the experience you do have will translate into what will be a strength for companies in those industries. Coming out of the military, I had the sense of there wasn't much I couldn't do, but companies want to know that you understand how the experience you do have can be beneficial to them.
Petty Officer First Class Brandon Mann, get on LinkedIn. Look for chemical/petrochemical industry groups. Join them. Ask for advice in these groups.
Brandon - I am currently in the O&G industry (service/ equipment provider). Experience is considered critical, at least here in Houston, by most of the hiring managers I have come across. To the point that - if you have experience in Upstream, often a Downstream company won't look at you (this is true even in functions like IT where - frankly - the job is the same regardless of Industry, let alone sub-industry). Having said that, I have helped a few people get into the industry who on paper lacked the right experience. Currently popular techniques are the "pain letter" (Google the Human Workplace/ Pain Letter for a few articles on this topic). Also, of course, building your network WITHIN the industry is critical. There may be veteran support groups in Bossier City - join ALL of them, meet people, and build your base from there. A bit out of the box - what about interning with them to learn the job? Or, a contract-to-hire position (lots of Houston O&G companies do this - it's a lower risk try-before-you-buy ... for BOTH parties). Finally, it would help to know what skill areas/ job type you're seeking, to give you more specific advice. Best of luck!
I don’t know what your interviewing skills are but letting them know that hiring vets, come with a tax credit. They can actually earn money by hiring you.
Brandon, Thank you for serving our country. I started my career in the petroleum equipment industry working for a large and excellent company now known as FMC Technologies Inc., headquartered in Houston, TX. It gave me some exposure to the industry, its customers and its competitors. Based on my experience with that industry, I think you should be willing to move to where the jobs are. Houston, for example, has facilities for various large companies in that industry, as well as many smaller companies that provide some service or product to these larger companies. Also, the nature of the business is that employess might get to relocate, long or short term, to any one of various places around the world. My advice for you to start out is to pick up the telephone, start with FMC, and ask to speak with someone who works in hiring. Explain that you are interested in starting a career in their industry and you would appreciate an opportunity to be connected with technicians, engineers, field workers, roughnecks etc. You can ask these people about their jobs, what they do, how they qualified. Also ask what schoolling/training might help you get where you want to be. Last, ask them to name other companies in the industry that you might call on. Really, just be active and go chase things down persistently. Stay confident and don't get discouraged if things are hard to find. It's just timing. Good luck.
I have always found staffing agencies to be a great resource. They do all the leg work for you and can place you regardless of experience. Take any offer they give you, whether its short or long term, as this is a good way to get experience under your belt. If you live near Bellechase, theres a marine crane company named Seatrax that hires mechanics with no experience
Hello Brandon:
Thanks a lot for your service Brandon. The oil and gas industry is one sector of the U.S. economy that is doing very, very well now, and for the foreseeable future. There are many jobs in the Dakotas areas, and Pennsylvania, as the industry is booming there... if you are willing to relocate. I heard a CEO of one of the companies say jobs starting at $90,000 first year no experience, and going over $100k the second year. It is like the gold rush boom towns in many of these locations now. If you are willing to relocate, I think you would be in a great industry that will be stable for a long time. Do a little research and good luck!
Joe
Brandon,
The oil industry is indeed booming (and the chemical/petrochemical industry in the Gulf Coast is also doing quite well), but experience may be an issue, especially for roles associated with more risk.
Jim's suggestion to gain experience from a contractor or smaller service company is very good. You can learn a lot there, and over time move up the chain to larger service companies or operators. There are many websites dedicated to oilfield jobs that will list those opportunities.
If you can invest on training, PetroSkills (htts://www.petroskills.com) and SPE (http://www.spe.org/training/) offer very good courses (some in Louisiana, some online, a lot of them in Texas).
Lastly, consider also expanding your search into the opportunities related to the chemical and petrochemical industry. There is lots of growth in LA in that area.
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