Friday, September 21, 2012

Work In The Oil Industry

Like the military, the oil industry employs individuals from diverse professions. These professions range from electricians, crane operators, cooks, medics and engineers to geologists. Working in the oil industry entails hard work, but many of the jobs in the industry offer remarkable financial remunerations. Getting a job in the oil industry involves a combination of having the requisite competencies and establishing good professional networks. These two factors are mandatory for both entry level and advanced level job seekers.


Instructions


1. Decide which type of work you wish to do within the oil industry. Take into consideration factors such as your educational background, your career prospects and professional interests. Recognize that you can work in upstream offshore jobs or in downstream onshore jobs.


2. Obtain training from well known providers such as American Petroleum Institute (API). Contact the Oilfield Training Program, program coordinator at (225) 642-3015. Obtain certification and accreditation in your field of interest from the Association for Drilling Contractors, especially if you wish to work in downstream onshore jobs such as drilling and geology.


3. Meet the basic requirements, which include attaining physical fitness by regular exercise, passing a medical examination, testing drug and alcohol free, have a valid driver's license and a clean criminal record and be 18 years and above. Demonstrate industry specific competencies such as ability to work with machinery, good organizational and team work skills and enjoy doing manual activities.


4. Log on to online recruitment agencies such as Oil Careers to find job placements in your career areas of interests. Apply online to oil companies, such as Shell, for upstream commercial jobs in the oil industry. Do not send CVs to oil industry companies if there is no suitable job opening for you; this will save you time.


5. Utilize personal and professional networks such as colleagues, friends and family members for information about companies that are hiring. Note that the oil industry is very complex and usually hires its own people first.


6. Apply for jobs during the high peak seasons, which range from November to March. Keep an eye on the news for information about oil prices to help you determine a suitable time to apply. Make applications when oil prices are high because then there is more work within the industry.

Tags: downstream onshore, downstream onshore jobs, information about, jobs industry, onshore jobs, professional networks