There has never been a more exciting time to look for a job in the world of oil and gas engineering.
These groups and companies are now actively being more inclusive in their hiring processes, which means that people who would have once been excluded from working in these areas are being actively sought out. This is making this professional area an exciting, interesting, and challenging area to seek employment in.
However, if you have recently gotten your engineering degree (as well as some experience) and are looking to get a job in gas and oil engineering, you should be aware of some of the factors that will impact the chances of you getting a job, as well as be aware of the areas that impact this industry. So, read on to learn more.
Cycles in the Industry
You may be aware that the gas and oil industry is cyclical and is usually heavily influenced by the cost of global oil, as well as geopolitical issues. Pair this with environmental regulations and the demand for oil and gas engineering jobs will fluctuate rapidly. So, you need to be prepared for instability and inconsistency when it comes to looking for a job in gas and oil engineering, as well as overall job instability, which can occur during market downturns. This means that to survive in this area, you need to ensure that you are adaptable and that you are up to date with industry trends and knowledge.
Specializations and Skills
When you are looking for a job in this field, you need to understand where your skill set fits best, as there are many specialisations, including reservoir engineering and production engineering, as well as hundreds of others. So, you need to ensure that your key technical skills are valuable and in demand and can also benefit any company that you are eager to work for. You also need to check that your knowledge of environmental safety regulations, as well as risk management and industry compliance are also up to date. This will help you stay safe and keep you in demand in the workplace!
Health, Safety, and Environmental (HSE) Regulations
As an engineer-to-be, you need to understand and comply with health safety and environmental regulations. Depending on where you work, these could be OSHA or HSE regulations, as both are crucial to prevent accidents and ensure that you are keeping in line with environmental sustainability. It may even be worth looking into obtaining additional certificates such as the NEBOSH or National Examination Board of Occupational Safety and Health. This will help you to be more desirable when looking for a job and will show that you are dedicated to progressing in this area of work, too!
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Geographical Flexibility
To get a job as an oil or gas engineer, you may need to relocate. There are many jobs in both oil and gas which are heavily location-dependent. These major oil hubs tend to be in areas such as North America, Texas, Canada, Africa, and the Middle East, as well as offshore drilling sites. So, to get a job, you need to be open to relocation and flexible when it comes to working in remote offshore development. Be prepared to travel, undertake long shifts, and potentially work in extremely harsh conditions, especially if you were looking for field-based roles as an engineer or working offshore.
